Painting doors? How do you proceed?

Painting your doors immediately gives your interior a fresh look. Moreover, painting doors or interior doors is a fairly easy job, which does not take much time. A fresh interior for little work, no wonder why many people like to give their interior doors a new coat of paint.
 
Although it is a fairly easy job, there are a number of points that you should keep in mind. In this article, we'll go over all the steps you need to follow when painting your interior doors. In addition, we also give you some tips for choosing the right paint for your doors.
Choosing the right paint! Let's start with the types of paint you can use to paint your doors. The paint you choose will depend, among other things, on the type of door you want to paint. In fact, all types of doors can be painted over. Wood and aluminum can be painted, but glass doors can also be painted.
 
The type of door you want to paint is first and foremost important for the type of primer you will have to use. If you have a wooden door, you need a different primer than if you want to paint aluminum doors.
 
With regard to the finishing layer, you have the choice between two main types of paint, the solvent lacquers and the water-based paint.
Solvent lacquers: Solvent lacquers are stronger and more scratch-resistant. They are mainly used in areas where a lot of greasy hands touch the doors, because they are more resistant to grease. Think especially of the kitchen.
 
Furthermore, solvent lacquers will also dry somewhat more slowly. This is mainly a practical detail, and means that you will be able to paint your door longer before it dries. This means that any mistakes in your painting can be rectified more easily.
 
Other characteristic properties of solvent lacquers are the strong odor nuisance during and immediately after painting, and the yellowing of pale colors over time.
water-based paint: Water-based paint is less thick and gives much less odor nuisance during and after painting. In addition, you will be able to wash off your painting materials more easily after you have finished painting. Paint stains during painting can also be cleaned up more easily if you paint with water-based paint.
 
Water-based paint dries faster, so you have to paint a little faster, and sometimes you don't have time to correct any mistakes later. Water-based paint is also much more sensitive to greasy hands.
 
Water-based paint is usually chosen for indoor applications, while solvent lacquers are used more for outdoor use, since solvent lacquers are more resistant to weather influences.
Which paint to choose? You can also choose a lacquer based on a gloss level. Anyone who paints regularly knows that there are different gradations, ranging from matte to high-gloss. What type of paint is best for your door? Well, a lot will depend on the visual effect, the substrate and the washability.
 
●       Of course, the degree of gloss will have an influence on the visual effect of your doors. If you opt for a matt lacquer, your doors will have a more soothing appearance. If you opt for high gloss, your doors will immediately catch the eye and will become a real eye-catcher in your interior.
●       The surface will also play a role in your choice for a matte lacquer or glossy lacquer. For example, a matte lacquer will be able to hide imperfections on your door much more easily than a high-gloss lacquer. So if you have a door with a lot of unevenness, because, for example, there are still remnants of an old paint layer on it, it is best to choose a matte lacquer. If you prefer a high-gloss lacquer, it is best to spend some extra time sanding your door, so that all imperfections are removed from the door.
●       Finally, your choice of paint type will also influence the washability of your door. If you opt for a glossy lacquer, it will be much easier to wash your door with a damp cloth. This is not possible for doors with a matt lacquer.
Painting doors: step-by-step plan Painting your door may be a relatively easy job, but it is best to follow an accurate step-by-step plan to achieve the best possible result. The step-by-step plan is not that complex, and shows many similarities with other paintings. Let's go over all the steps.
Preparation Like all painting works, painting your doors also starts with good preparation. Several things are important here.
Removing old paint layers Removing old layers of paint is one of the possible steps you should take. We say possible, because that is of course not always necessary. It may be that your doors are new, then of course there is no old coat of paint on them. But even if an old paint layer is still in good condition, you do not necessarily have to remove it.
 
If the old paint layer does peel off, it is best to remove it completely to avoid unevenness in the result.
Cleaning the surface You only paint on a completely cleaned surface, which is also the case when painting doors. If you have wooden doors, it is best to sand them beforehand on a fine-grit sandpaper. Lightly sand the wood in the direction of the wood grain. First, sand lightly with a P150 grit sandpaper, then finish with a P240 grit sandpaper. After sanding, dust the doors again with a soft brush.
 
If your doors are greasy, you should also degrease the doors beforehand. You can do this using, for example, ammonia water (9/10 water and 1/10 ammonia) or a special degreaser. Then dry with a clean cloth.
Apply primer After the preparation you can start applying a base coat on primer. Such a primer is not always necessary. If your door already has an old coat of paint, a primer is often not necessary. But if it is an unpainted door, you must always apply a primer so that the paint layer can adhere well to the door.
 
Apply the primer to the corners and edges first with a brush. Afterwards you start on the large surfaces with a roll. Painting large surfaces with a roller is always done crosswise. Apply the paint vertically, and roll out horizontally, so that the paint or primer is well distributed over the surface. Roll out the last roller wipe slightly upwards.
 
After applying the primer, let the primer dry for a while. When the primer has dried, you should again lightly sand it with grit P240, and remove the dust.
Apply paint or varnish After applying and drying the base coat, it is time to apply the top coat. Before applying the paint to the door, it is a good idea to first stir the paint pot for a homogeneous color result.
 
Start painting the edges and corners. You do this with a paint brush. Afterwards it is the turn of the large surfaces, which you tackle with the paint roller. Here too, you first apply the paint vertically, and then spread the paint horizontally. Preferably use a short-haired paint roller for large surfaces. Gently roll out the last paint upwards.
 
After painting, let the paint dry and sand the door again lightly with P240 sandpaper. Afterwards, apply a second finishing coat, in the same way as the first coat.
 
After painting, it is best to remove the masking tape while the paint is still wet. That way it is easier to remove the masking tape.
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