Painting wooden doors: surface preparation and painting technology

Thanks to modern technologies, today wooden doors not only look beautiful, but are also of high quality, which is difficult not to pay attention to.

But not everyone can afford to decorate their premises with high-quality doors, because such a product made from natural wood species costs a lot of money. But, as a budget option, you can purchase a “semi-finished product” - a door made of solid wood, for example oak, wengue or pine (usually sold in standard sizes), without decorative elements, and give the door leaf an original design with your own hands, painting the wood in the most suitable way LMB.

Unfortunately, buying a new interior door block is more problematic for owners of apartments with an old layout, because the “original” doors have non-standard sizes. In this case, you will have to make doors to order, which will cost a pretty penny. Therefore, it makes sense to restore old doors, thereby saving the family budget and making the apartment unique and unique.

Next, we will tell you how to properly prepare the surface, in what sequence the painting work should be carried out and what paint to paint a wooden door so that the final result looks not only good, but also unusual, if the style of the room requires it.

How can you paint wooden doors?

How to paint a wooden door
Today the question is “How to paint a wooden door in an apartment?” is not very relevant, because the market for paints and varnishes is quite diverse. But before you paint an interior wooden door in your house, you need to think about whether you need to preserve the structure of the natural material, or whether you need to completely mask the grain of the wood by painting the canvas with an opaque layer. Taking your own wishes as a basis, pay attention to the following paintwork materials:

• Enamels with an opaque base.
• Oil based paints.
• Transparent or tinted varnish.
• Oil based impregnations.
• Stain.
• Other paints and varnishes that can refresh the color of wood or give it a beautiful, correct shade.

The table below shows the classification of coatings.

Of course, how to paint an old wooden door is up to you, but it’s worth listening to the opinions of experienced craftsmen. Many finishers recommend:

• Water-based acrylic material (substances containing acrylic have the most optimal consistency, which is important when working with brushes, and also spread well over the surface);
• Alkyd material (has a good ability to repel moisture, is not afraid of the sun, frost and sudden changes in temperature, dries quickly).

A wooden door painted with acrylic paint.
If you need to treat the door to a bathhouse, it is better to use alkyd paint for outdoor work, which is less susceptible to adverse factors. Using such material, it will be possible to cover the doors to the house, as well as interior blocks.

Important! Please note that doors can only be painted with alkyd-containing paints on dry surfaces. If the base of the door is wet, the paint will quickly peel and peel. And if you need to varnish the door, do not use drying oil, only stain will help you!

If you are wondering “how to paint a wooden door in a country house or in an apartment?”, you should already understand that applying paint is not carried out in one stage. Sometimes, to get the desired effect, you have to use different formulations. Initially, specialists use impregnation, which can give a certain tone to the door, after which they apply a decorative layer.

Painting wooden doors (video)

Paint selection

Staining, due to the huge variety of compositions, allows you to give a wooden product almost any look. Paints come in transparent, matte and glossy. Moreover, if desired, it is possible to use several types of paint for one door - it all depends on the tasks set, the wishes of the master or designer. Very often, doors are first impregnated with a tinting compound, and only then a decorative coating is applied.

Note! Not all paint and varnish compositions are compatible with each other. For example, stain is suitable for varnish, but not drying oil.

Door paints are made on the basis of acrylic, polyurethane, alkyds, and perchlorovinyl. A very rare and outdated option is oil-based paints. Nowadays even domestic manufacturers are abandoning them.

It is recommended to use acrylic or alkyd paint to paint doors. Acrylic latex compositions have a suitable consistency for working with a brush, as well as decent spreadability and coverage (although in this parameter acrylic paint and varnish compositions are inferior to oil-based ones). Alkyd paints are characterized by excellent water-repellent properties, and in addition, they are highly resistant to temperature changes, as well as quick drying.

Note! Alkyd paints can only be applied to perfectly dry wood. If the surface is wet, its adhesive qualities will not be enough to ensure reliable adhesion to the paint and varnish material, which will result in peeling of the paint.

Paint has two competitors - varnishes and impregnations. To understand the differences between these compositions, let us briefly discuss their properties and tasks:

1. Varnishes can be colored, matte or glossy. Varnishes are made on an oil or alcohol basis. In addition, solvent-based nitro varnishes are produced, which are not very suitable for wood. The best option for treating wood is water- or solvent-based polyurethane varnish. Transparent varnishes allow you to preserve the appearance of the texture, which emphasizes the beauty of the wood. However, if there are even the slightest defects on the surface, varnish will not be able to hide them, so in this case it is better to prefer paint.

2. Oil impregnations are aqueous or organic compounds with the addition of wax, flame retardants, pigments, metal salts, hydrophobic substances and fungicides. Impregnations give the wood a beautiful silky shade. Most often, impregnations are colorless, but tinting compounds are also used. Impregnations also protect the material from harmful environmental influences. Moreover, unlike paints and varnishes, impregnations protect not only the surface of the wood, but also its interior.

Sequence of work

The door structure is not only the door itself, so it is very important to carefully carry out the preparatory process. Of course, you can repaint only the canvas, but this way the jambs will fall out of the overall picture. And so, the process of painting the door should be carried out in the following sequence:

• The door structure is removed and placed on a stable surface (optionally, a pair of stools). If alkyd paint is used for work, it is better to move the work to the open air, because such paints and varnishes have a pungent odor.

Preparing a wooden door for painting

• Then, without removing the canvas itself, it is fixed with wedges so that the paneled brush has access to all hard-to-reach places. It is also necessary to block the doors so that during the drying process the doors do not slam shut and damage the new layer of paint.

Whatever route you take, you will still have to dismantle the fittings. If there are permanent parts, they can be hidden under paper or foil.

Features of painting door panels

It often happens that old doorways have a good frame and panel, but have lost their original luster. An affordable, simple method of updating is coating with coloring materials. Any person can handle this kind of work. It is enough to know the properties of the paint and varnish materials from which the doors are made. Attention is paid to compliance with the technology of painting structures:

• Paneled canvases. Before painting, they are disassembled into elements, since the number of joints leads to wear and requires updating.
• Solid wood: heavy structures that convey the natural structure of wood. To update, use varnish or paint for such wood-look doors.

With varnish applied

• MDF. Painting the structure is simple, but before doing this, carefully prepare the surface.

Preparing the door covering

Well, let's figure it out further, how to paint a door correctly? Preparatory work is carried out according to the following scheme:

• Remove all old coating, even primer and putty, until the wood itself remains. For this work, you can use a grinder, a hair dryer, or special cleaning compounds.
• Then you need to sand the surface, remove any defects, sand off small paint residues, and degrease. This work cannot be done without a sander, which is best connected to a vacuum cleaner. If you don’t have such a device, you can get by with medium-grain sandpaper.

Plastering a door

• When you have completely managed to sand the canvas and prime it, you can move on to puttying large flaws. If you plan to use varnish as a finishing coat, it is better to use a special composition for wood. If the decorative dye is not transparent, you don’t have to worry about the color of the putty. Don't forget about the gaps at the walls and baseboards!
• After puttying, after waiting the time specified by the manufacturer of the mixture, you need to sand again, masking the abrasions. You can immediately use a medium-grained cloth, and then finish with a fine-abrasive one.

Please note that if there are large dents on the surface and you plan to use an opaque or dark material for the finishing layer, use auto putty. This mixture does not contain glass fibers.

If the doors under the old finishing materials have darkened, and you would like to simply open them with varnish, preserving the structure and pattern of the wood, problem areas can be lightened. To do this, you can prepare a simple bleach with your own hands: mix bleach with water in a ratio of 1:3. When the surface is completely processed, wiped with a rag and dried (so that the paint does not begin to swell), you can begin directly painting the door.

Tools

The list of necessary tools depends on the type of work performed:

• To mechanically remove old stubborn paint, you will need a scraper and sandpaper. You can speed up the process with a grinder or drill with grinding attachments.
• The chemical method of removing old coating uses enamel removers. Additionally, you will need a lot of rags and personal protective equipment: goggles, gloves, gauze bandage or respirator.
• If the thermal method is chosen, an electric heat gun is used to remove dry paint residue.
• To cover panel doors, it is better to use a roller. On paneled doors, paint is applied with a paint brush.
• A spatula will be needed if you plan to putty the door leaf, and use a grinder for final sanding.

After preparing all the tools and materials, restoration work begins.

How is a typical door painted?

Painting a wooden door
We told you how to paint a wooden entrance door or an interior door, now it’s time to talk about how to do simple painting to avoid smudges and other problems. If you need to update the outside canvas or paint only the doors, there is no point in buying a spray bottle.

To do this, it will be enough to buy a narrow brush (for hard-to-reach places) and a roller that will suit any canvas (natural wood, fiberboard, MDF, Canadian, etc.). The only drawback of brushes is that they often lose hair, so before work you need to fluff it up so that everything unnecessary and poorly fixed falls out, so as not to spoil the finish.

For panel doors, it is better to use a roller so that the paint applies evenly. Work begins from the end, moving to the right. You will have to paint the canvas in 3 passes, so each subsequent layer should be applied in opposite movements. If painting is done on any other surface, do not allow an excess of paint to prevent smudges from forming.

DIY door painting

Before you start painting the doors, you need to carry out the preparatory stage of work. First you need to decide what means will be used to apply the coating.

Painting methods:

• using brushes;
• roller;
• spray bottle.

Then you need to prepare the tools and materials,

1. Preparation of the necessary material: prepare paint, solvent, brushes (or roller, spray gun).

Cover the surface around the perimeter of the doors that will not be painted with masking tape. Place a protective film on the floor. Prepare a rag so that you can wipe off paint if it gets on your clothes, hands, or smudges. It is better to work with gloves. If you use nitro enamel or alkyd paints, you must wear a gauze mask.

1. Preparing the door.

To paint a metal door with your own hands, you need to clean the door leaf from the old coating.

The process of removing old paint from a wooden door

To do this, use metal brushes, grinder attachments, abrasive meshes, and sandpaper. It is necessary to remove any remaining paint and remove rust. The old layer is especially carefully removed if the canvas was previously painted with a color different from the new paint.

1. Surface primer.

Before painting the doors, the prepared surface is impregnated with an anti-rust agent. After the canvas has dried, cover it with a layer of primer. It is best to use compounds from the same company as the main paint coating. The primer will ensure deeper penetration of the enamel into the surface layer of the metal and improve adhesion to the door leaf.

1. Coloring rules.

Depending on the method in which the paint will be applied, its consumption varies. The least amount of paint is used per 1 square meter when using a spray gun. Paint and varnish compositions are diluted according to the instructions, using exactly those solvents that are indicated in it or those that are similar in composition. For a brush or roller, the paint should be so thick that it does not run off. Ready-made formulations must be mixed thoroughly before use. It is recommended to use fine-pile rollers.

Please note that paints and varnishes for a spray gun should have a more liquid composition compared to those applied with a roller and brush. Read the instructions carefully; manufacturers provide detailed information about the proportions and solvents used.

Applying a second coat of paint on a metal door

The paint is applied in several layers, each previous one must first dry. The peculiarity of painting work is that if the surface is painted with a brush or roller, the layer is applied first in the horizontal, then in the vertical direction. Paint 2-3 times. In this way the layers of paint are leveled.

Applying paint to a door with a brush

The spray paint should be applied in such a way that it lays down in an even thin layer and does not form smudges. To do this, you need to choose the right spray distance. The same rule applies to paint packaged in spray cans.

Spray painting a metal door

Shake it for 15 minutes before use. Manufacturers' recommendations indicate the optimal pressure in the spray gun; for example, for hammer paint it is 6 atmospheres. Watch the video for detailed instructions on painting a metal door.

Metal door painting option

The ingredients included in the composition suppress the development of the metal rusting process. The modern market of paint and varnish products offers a wide range of effective products that will transform a metal door and ensure their reliable protection.

How to use stain correctly?

Painting a door with stain
To prevent the wood from absorbing excess moisture and for the paint to apply evenly, the prepared canvas needs to be slightly moistened. All horizontal surfaces are treated with stain along the grain and then across it. The finishing layer is also applied in the longitudinal direction.

The jambs and parts that have not been dismantled begin to be covered from below so that the drops do not touch the still untouched areas. This sequence of actions is followed if the finishing layer is an opaque material. When the surface treated with stain absorbs moisture, the wood fibers straighten, which is why you will need to sand the canvas with zero sandpaper and repeat the procedure.

It is also worth noting that after staining (when the dye dries) the wood becomes lighter. Therefore, you need to coat it as many times as necessary to achieve the desired color. If you want to speed up the process, you can use an alcohol-based stain. The surface treated with this composition will not require re-grinding. But, water-soluble materials are considered safer, will not smell bad and are more popular.

Choosing the shade of interior door designs

The range of paints makes it possible to implement different design solutions, so the question of how to cover the surface does not arise. Three color trends are visible in the design: delicate, light shades; bright shades of yellow, red; dark shades. When choosing a color, adhere to the following principles:

Shades of colors

• Shades of chocolate and cherry add luxury and sophistication.
• In the bedroom and children's room, choose light colors that create coziness and comfort.
• Solid wood doors are suitable for log houses.
• In a room with antique furniture, artificially aged ones look great.
• The color of the door frame is made darker (lighter) than the walls.

How to imitate wood?

Advice! Today, the design of premises in the Provence style, the laconicism of which few people previously knew, is very popular. Furniture and doors for rooms made in this style are usually chosen in light pastel colors; imitation of antiquity is in great demand.

Adhering to this style when decorating doors with your own hands, a water-based emulsion or other bleached matte coloring composition can help. At the same time, many people wonder whether it is possible to paint wooden doors with water-based paint? Of course you can, why such doubts?

For such substances, you can use both a spray gun and rollers or brushes. However, on the Internet you can find many videos and photos of instructions on how to paint a wooden door white with emulsion, read in more detail, such skills for artificial aging will not hurt you!

How to imitate a tree pattern

And so, to imitate a tree pattern on any base (including metal) you need:

• Paint the canvas yellowish, grayish, beige or white and dry.
• Get some liquid soap and a brush, and lubricate the desired area.
• Take a dark dye and apply it to the surface.
• Remove liquid soap.

Also, to create a retro door, purchase a special brush, which is sold at any hardware store. The brush is used to make movements, as if combing hair, over the entire surface in order to touch the soft fibers of the rock. The surface can then be pigmented in different shades.

Thanks to such manipulations, the structure of the surface into which paint of different shades penetrates is disrupted. This will create the effect of aged wood with the necessary curls. When the surface dries, it is sanded and finished. As you can see, it’s not difficult to give even old doors a new lease of life on your own; the main thing is to follow the rules and be consistent in your work.

Coloring technologies in detail

Having processed the door leaf, you can start painting. When carrying out work, several rules must be taken into account:

• apply paint in 3 layers;
• Apply each new layer after the previous one has dried;
• paint doors with panels with a brush, immediately removing excess;
• roll panel wooden doors;
• Place the initial layer from the upper left to the lower right, the second from top to bottom, the final layer from right to left;
• Before work, rub and fluff the paint brush so that loose bristles come out.

Alkyd enamel

If the door is on hinges, then paint from top to bottom, moving the brush left and right: this way the drops will not flow onto the painted part of the surface. If the door is removed from its hinges and lies on a horizontal stand, then you can start painting from any edge.

But during the painting process, you cannot change the direction of movement, otherwise, after the paint dries, a fusion stripe will be noticeable.

Apply enamel in 2 layers: apply the second after the first has dried. Paint consumption – 50-80 g per 1 m2. How long it takes for a layer of paint to dry depends on the component composition, ambient temperature, and percentage of moisture. A water-based composition usually dries in half an hour, while paints based on alkyd resins take more than a day to dry. If the wooden door is paneled, then first paint the panels, then the recesses and protrusions, and finally go over the wooden panel with a roller.

To create the effect of wenge wood, it is necessary to paint the wooden surface with an appropriate decorative impregnation based on oils. It should be applied in at least seven layers after applying the main coloring composition.

Stain

To prevent the wood from absorbing excess moisture and to ensure that the composition lies evenly, the door leaf must be slightly moistened. Apply stain to the wooden surface first along the grain, then transversely. The final layer is also longitudinal.

Cover the side surfaces and wooden elements from bottom to top so as not to drip onto unpaved areas. Proceed in this order if the final layer is planned to be an opaque composition. After processing, the wood will absorb moisture, its fibers will swell, so you will need to sand it with sandpaper and repeat the steps.

After painting, a dried wooden door looks lighter. Therefore, it takes so many coats to achieve the desired shade. If you want to get the job done faster, use alcohol stain. Then the treated surface does not need to be sanded again. Although water-based stains are more popular because they are safe and do not emit a pungent odor.

Impregnations

Stir the impregnation thoroughly to prevent stains from forming on the coated wooden door. Work using a brush, sponge, or spray bottle. Apply the composition to a wooden canvas, spread evenly with a brush, roll out with a roller. Leave to dry for a day, after this time apply a second coat.

See also

The best way to paint a metal stove in a bathhouse and how to choose the composition

Wood imitation

To create the visual effect of wood on metal or any other door material:

1. Paint the door white, beige, pale yellow or gray-yellow. Leave to dry.
2. Take liquid soap. Use a brush to cover the desired area.
3. Apply dark paint.
4. Remove the soap coating.

Painting laminated doors

If the door has no noticeable defects, then after sanding and priming, use stain or tinting varnish to restore it.

To properly paint a laminated door, use the same algorithm as when painting a regular wooden surface:

1. Prepare the surface. Clean, sand.
2. Apply putty to the dried surface and sand it with sandpaper. Repeat the steps.
3. Thin the paint with solvent to the optimal consistency. Apply in 3 layers.
4. If desired, seal the final coat with clear varnish.

DIY varnish coating

It is preferable to paint with a spray gun, but you can also paint with a brush. Fill the spray bottle with either diluted or heated to 60 ° C composition. Solvent and white spirit gasoline solvent are suitable for diluting oil varnish. Dissolve the remaining varnishes with construction (646, 647) or auto-thinners (649, 650).

After the first application of varnish, wood fibers may rise. Remove them with fine-grained sandpaper. Sand carefully so as not to remove the protective coating, exposing the wood. Wipe the canvas with a soft, clean cloth and apply a second layer of varnish. If necessary, repeat the steps again. Apply each new layer of varnish when the previous one has dried well.

Photo gallery of finished works

Recommendations for choosing colors

The color of interior doors should be in harmony with the rest of the interior. There are several recommendations that will help you maintain the overall stylistic decision:

1. If the room contains lacquered furniture in dark tones, then it is advisable to choose a door coated with dark impregnation or stain. To protect against external influences and add gloss, such canvases are often covered with colorless varnish.
2. It is recommended to paint the bedroom door in colors that match the color of the bedroom set. Furniture with white or pastel shades will go well with surfaces of the same calm colors (white, cream, beige, etc.).
3. Massive vintage antique furniture will look more advantageous when paired with door leaves made using the artificial aging technique.
4. In a house made of timber, doors made of natural wood, treated with oil-based impregnation, are appropriate.
5. Canvases in dark, rich colors (red walnut, chocolate, etc.) look good in the living room, as they add sophistication to the room.

By following all the tips and recommendations, you will be able to easily and quickly paint doors made of natural wood with your own hands, without turning to cabinet makers for help. No special skills or abilities are required to perform this work. If everything is done carefully and competently, the result will exceed expectations.

How to dye

If the door is made of natural wood, the best finishing option for it is staining. The more textured the wood, the more beautiful the coating will look, so it is advisable to brush its surface at the preparation stage. This term refers to the process of mechanical removal of soft surface fibers, which can be done using coarse sandpaper or a wire brush.

This is what a brushed door might look like

• After brushing, the surface is sanded and cleaned of dust. But there is no need to prime it if you use stains. After all, the whole point of using them is for the composition to be absorbed into the surface layer of the wood, visually indicating the pattern of wood fibers, and the primer will prevent this.
• Before use, the stain must be mixed thoroughly. It does not need dilution, as it is already ready for use. For application, it is best to use not a brush, but a sponge or rag swab, with which the composition is gently rubbed into the wood. Excess that is not absorbed is simply removed with a napkin.
• If it is necessary to obtain a more intense shade, the next layer can be applied after a day. Thus, you can apply an unlimited number of layers - until you achieve the desired result. Once the tinting is complete, coat the wood with clear varnish.
• When using paints and enamels, the surface of the wood must be primed before painting. The primer must be based on the same substance as the paintwork material. Although, if you paint a new door, it most often comes already prepared for painting.

Painting a primed door with colored enamel

How to imitate wood texture

To obtain a uniform coating, it is better to apply opaque paints with a spray gun or a fur roller. But if desired, you can apply a decorative second layer of contrasting paint on top of it, imitating the grain of wood. Using this technique, even plywood can be made to look like noble wood.

• To apply a pattern, you need an applicator, a shaped spatula or a silicone roller with the appropriate relief. For this type of work, it is best to use acrylic paints - they are more elastic. There are even special compositions for creating a wood effect; they initially have the color of one of the wood options.
• Using a spatula, you can make both linear and shaped patterns on the surface. You can make such a tool yourself, from an ordinary rubber spatula, cutting out small teeth on its blade. You can also make a structural roller yourself by unevenly wrapping a regular roller with twine.

Applicator for applying wood grain

• The drawing is applied only when the first background layer has dried well. Then liquid soap is applied to its surface with a brush. A second layer of paint of a different color is applied, on which, without waiting for it to dry, the design is structured.
• This can also be done using a hard flute brush, the bristles of which have been cut in half. Dip it in paint and draw stripes along the canvas. Use a brush to make wavy lines, you can even draw knots.
• A similar design can be done with the tip of a damp sponge, and it can even turn out even more interesting. You just need to have a good idea of ​​the drawing of a tree or take a suitable picture as a model.

If the paint is a little runny, you can thicken it by adding a little chalk, and so that it does not dry out quickly and you have time to complete the drawing, you can add PVA glue. The final effect will be visible after applying the varnish.

How to choose the right paint

After determining the type of door, you should proceed to choosing a coloring composition. Here it should be immediately noted that high-quality paint does not come cheap. Of course, some stores offer discounts on products from certain manufacturers, but even in this case the cost is higher than the market average. Painting products can be transparent or opaque. The first category includes varnishes, glazes and enamels.

Note! The varnish is ideal for coating solid wood doors.

The composition of the varnish emphasizes the natural beauty of wood, while protecting the product from a humid environment and other external factors. Note that varnishes can be tinted or tinted - they give the surface a certain shade.

Opaque compositions intended for painting interior doors include various types of paints.

Nitro paints are stable compositions available on the market in a wide range of colors and shades. However, do not forget that these are toxic dyes that can release harmful substances into the surrounding space during the evaporation process.

Acrylic paints are made on a water-dispersion basis, are quick-drying and do not emit a characteristic odor. Disadvantages include low wear resistance and overpriced.

Alkyd enamels are the best option, which after drying forms a durable coating that is neutral to almost any external influences. However, after painting, the smell of paint can be felt in the premises for 1-2 days, so children and people suffering from bronchial asthma or allergies should be removed from the apartment during the drying period.

Knowing these features, you can choose the best option for painting an interior door.