Lesson 8 — Painting doors and frames

Tools and materials

• Screwdrivers
• Woodwork primer/undercoat and topcoat
• Brushes, small foam roller (good for flush doors)
• Abrasive paper, filler, tack cloth
• Door wedges
• Dust sheet

Preparation checklist

• Remove handles, finger plates and hinges' screws only if you will refit them correctly — otherwise mask them carefully.
• Keep screws and hardware together in a labelled bag.
• Wedge the door open so it can't swing.

Safety precautions

• Ventilate the room while painting and drying.
• Wear eye protection when working overhead or with chemicals.
• Keep paint, solvents and tools out of reach of children and pets.
• Doors are heavy — if taking one off, get help.

Step by step

1. Clean, sand and fill as in Lesson 7; dust off.
2. Prime any bare areas.
3. Panelled door order: mouldings first, then panels, then the centre vertical (muntin), the horizontal rails (top, middle, bottom), then the outer vertical stiles, then the edges.
4. Flush door: divide into roughly 6–8 sections, paint quickly with brush or foam roller and lay off each section vertically, blending while wet.
5. Paint the opening edge to match the side it opens into (convention varies — agree with the customer).
6. Paint the frame: head (top) first, then the sides, working down.
7. Check for runs at panel corners and edges every few minutes and lay them off.
8. Leave the door wedged open to dry, as long as the data sheet says.
9. Lightly denib, dust off and apply the final coat in the same order.
10. Refit hardware only when the paint is hard enough, as advised on the data sheet.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Too much paint in moulding corners — runs.
• Closing the door too soon — it sticks and marks.
• Painting over hinges — makes them stiff and untidy.

Troubleshooting

• Door sticking after painting: paint too thick on edges; sand back and recoat thinly.
• Runs found after drying: sand flat, dust off and touch in.

Final quality check

• No runs or sags
• Even finish on all panels
• Hardware clean and refitted
• Door opens and closes freely