How and how to paint interior doors at home [basic recommendations]

The loss of the original attractiveness of an interior or entrance door is not yet a reason to replace it with a new one. Why spend money, and a lot of it, if you can restore the product to its former aesthetics yourself? There are different ways in which you can update a door, the most popular solution being painting.

Replace or paint?

Painting of door structures of various types

Over time, any door loses its original beauty, scuffs, scratches, and unsightly areas with peeling paint appear on them, but all this can be fixed; for this you just need to carry out restoration, after which the entrance or interior door will shine with new colors. The simplest and most inexpensive solution to such an update is to paint the interior doors with acrylic paint; it can be purchased at any hardware store.

You can do this work yourself, but first you should familiarize yourself with the features of coloring compositions, varnishes, and materials that were used in the manufacture of products with dyeing technology. It should be noted that the coloring of one or another type of door structure differs in some features.

• Solid wood products. Wooden structures are heavy and have a smooth surface. This solution allows you to better convey the unique structure of the tree. To update the canvas, you will need to use glaze or high-quality varnish. If the canvas is very old, you can use a special wood-look glaze paint to update it.
• Door structures made of MDF. As a rule, the design of such products consists of insulating material and MDF sheets. Painting such a canvas will not be difficult; the main thing here is to properly prepare its surface.
• A paneled door has a frame made of MDF, but the door inserts can be sheets cut from plywood or boards. Before painting, you need to disassemble the door structure into individual elements. Such products have many joints and therefore require more frequent updating.

Paneled doors

Review of popular manufacturers

There are many manufacturers on the construction market for the production of interior doors. The most popular are the following:

• Doors of the regions.
• Bravo.
• Framir.

The Framir company works taking into account the European quality standard. The most frequently ordered model is the Dolc Porte. This option has found a great combination of price and quality.

The next place is occupied by the Bravo company (made in Belarus). The company offers a huge range of models and a large number of surface finishing methods. Resistant polyurethane enamel is used for coating.

The Doors of Regions company chose expensive wood varieties as the base. Products are finished with veneer, then treated with enamel. The company harvests the wood itself, which guarantees the production of high-quality material.

Classification of paints for painting doors

Depending on what material is used to make the doors, the coloring composition is also selected. In this regard, three main groups of paints used to restore the surface of the door can be distinguished:

• glazing and covering - used to transform interior or entrance doors. Glaze-type compositions are produced in one color, in contrast to coating types, the variety of shades of which sometimes confuses the consumer;
• facade and interior - differ in scope. The former are used only for outdoor work, the latter - indoors. Use for other purposes will lead to damage to the coating due to a discrepancy between the technical characteristics of the composition;
• protective - in addition to decorative functions, they also perform protective functions, preventing the destruction of wood or corrosion of metal.

Powder coated paint colors

What to look for when choosing paint

Before you start choosing paint, you need to carefully study the properties of the coloring compositions and the canvas itself. So, what characteristics should you pay attention to:

• Door material. Basically, painting is required for metal and wooden door products. In this regard, there are several nuances regarding paint consumption. To paint a metal sheet you will need less paint than to paint a wooden product. This is due to the porosity of the material. To reduce the cost of the coloring composition, it is necessary to first open the wooden canvas with a layer of drying oil. This advice is especially relevant when expensive paint is chosen as the main composition.
• Surface of the canvas. Painting a door with a smooth surface will be cheaper than a textured surface, which will require more than one layer to level.
• Paint compatibility with various compositions. No matter how carefully you try to clean the door from the previous coating, you cannot avoid areas where fragments of the previous painting will remain. Incompatibility of the selected paint composition with previous layers will lead to the fact that the areas where the paint is applied will simply lag behind each other, disrupting the aesthetics of the door.
• Resistance to aggressive environments. This concept means the resistance of the composition to moisture, high temperatures and chemicals.
• The need for preparation before painting. How carefully this procedure needs to be carried out depends on the chosen paint.
• Color. In this matter, it is better to listen to the advice of designers who recommend emphasizing the natural beauty of wood with varnishes. If the surface is not ideal, then for visual correction you can use oak or dark walnut paint. It is better not to use flashy colors unless absolutely necessary. This will help create the unity of the interior and complete harmony of the entire home.
• Operational life. This parameter depends more on the purpose of staining. If you need to paint the door leaf once and for a long time, choose a paint with high resistance to mechanical stress and humidity. If you are often used to changing the appearance of your apartment, then it is better to open the doors with easily removable compounds.

Dyeing process

Features of enamels

The features of the enamel coating are explained by some properties that are characteristic of this facing material:

1. unlimited choice of colors;
2. resistance to moisture, thanks to which doors painted with enamel can be used to create an original interior;
3. You can completely hide the imperfections of the treated base.

Also important properties of enamel are safety and hygiene. Therefore, enamel for windows and doors can be used in children's rooms, hospitals, and public catering establishments.

Choosing paint

It must be said right away that good paints have a high cost. If you want not only to update the door, but also to return it to its former attractiveness, then you should not skimp on the coloring composition. However, this does not mean that the most expensive door paint may be suitable in your case, so before making such a purchase, you should familiarize yourself with the features of paint and varnish compositions. All paints are classified into several categories, or more precisely, into two: opaque compositions and transparent.

Transparent coloring compounds

Types of paints

Transparent compositions are glazes, paints and varnishes, and various impregnations. When the canvas is coated with such paints, the unique pattern of the wood and its color remain visible. But oil-based coloring compositions and alkyd paints are opaque; each of them has its own characteristics. Most often, alkyd or acrylic dye is used to paint door structures; nitro paint can also be used.

Opaque paints

Alkyd paint is by far the most inexpensive solution for painting door structures. In the store, such paints are offered in a fairly wide range of both colors and shades. The paint is easily applied to the canvas with a roller, and after it has completely dried, it forms a very durable coating that is highly resistant to negative environmental influences. For this quality, paint is often used to coat entrance doors.

In addition, the alkyd paint composition is highly wear-resistant, dries very quickly, and is economical to use. However, despite the many advantages, there are also disadvantages, the main one being the unpleasant odor that can linger in the room for two days after painting. Fumes from the dye composition can have a detrimental effect on human health; paint is especially dangerous for people suffering from respiratory diseases and for allergy sufferers.

Nitro paint. This coloring composition has excellent aesthetic properties, which gives the products a more attractive appearance. As for the color scheme, nitro paint is significantly superior to alkyd compositions. Among the advantages, special mention should be made of excellent strength and wear resistance. But this composition is even more dangerous to human health than alkyd paint.

If you need to paint the door leaf indoors, create good ventilation there and open the windows wide, because during operation the coloring composition will emit toxic fumes. You should not enter a room with painted doors until the paint has dried. It is better to live with relatives or friends this time.

Nitro paint
Acrylic paint compositions. It should be noted that acrylic paint is considered the best solution for painting interior structures. It is easy to apply to the canvas, and also has no toxic odor. The disadvantages of paint include its low strength. And the cost of this coloring composition is higher than that of alkyd compositions and nitro paints.

To improve the wear resistance qualities and preserve the aesthetics of the product for a longer time, the painted element of the door structure should be coated with acrylic varnish on top. To work with acrylic and oil paint, it is recommended to use a roller.

Acrylic paint

Varnish. This transparent coloring composition is recommended for coating door leaves that are made of solid wood. Varnishing, just like painting, protects the door leaf from negative external influences. The following varnish compositions are available for sale: tinted and transparent.

There are also types that can be used together with coloring compounds. For the door leaf, you should choose a varnish depending on what result you want to see. Clear varnish allows you to convey the texture and color of the wood exactly as it really is. Tinting compounds convey the desired shade.

Advice! When choosing a varnish for an interior door, you first need to focus on the time it takes to dry completely. Paintwork materials are perfect - this composition dries very quickly, does not crack and does not pose a health hazard.

Types of paint to paint steel doors

The quality of the coating will depend not only on the paint chosen, but also on how suitable it is for the base material. In this regard, there is a list of acceptable materials for painting metal and wooden doors.

• Nitro paint or nitro enamel. As mentioned above, using paint indoors is unacceptable due to the toxic odor. Therefore, it is most often used for painting entrance doors. Susceptibility to the effects of an aggressive environment is considered its disadvantage; among the advantages is rapid drying.
• Acrylic composition. They can be used to paint doors made of any material. Despite the soft consistency, the coating is considered the most durable and less vulnerable. This is due to its high adhesive properties, so a door leaf coated with several layers will retain its presentable appearance for a long time.
• Hammer paint. The composition is used not only for coating metal doors, but also for surfaces made of other materials. Moreover, the quality of the surface does not matter. These may be areas with defects or poor processing. Among the advantages of the paint are frost resistance, resistance to mechanical stress and humidity.
• Powder paint. The only drawback of the composition is the price, but this disadvantage is offset by a lot of advantages. This kind of door paint is used as a decorative coating, which in addition guarantees the owners of the door leaf the preservation of its original surface for many years. It is used in the door production process, covering the surface with one or two layers. Another advantage of this coating is its resistance to mechanical stress, which is ideal for painting the entrance block.

Hammer paint

The first three paint options are universal compositions that can be used for any base materials.

Paint for wooden interior doors

When choosing a coating for interior doors, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the aesthetic design of the room may suffer from the wrong choice of paint. Therefore, when choosing a color, be guided by the overall interior design, or give preference to neutral tones that will harmonize with all design styles.

What paints are suitable for painting doors made of wood or MDF:

• Water emulsion. It can be colored or white. Among the advantages are accessibility in the price segment, environmental safety and lack of toxicity when dyeing. But it was not without its drawbacks. It is impossible to use paint without subsequent varnish coating, especially for rooms with high humidity levels.
• Silicone or acrylic paints. Possessing moisture-resistant properties, they create a kind of film on the surface of the door that protects the base material from damage by moisture and fungus. The main area of ​​application of acrylic paints is the bathroom, toilet, kitchen and any room with a high level of humidity.
• Glazing paint. This composition can be used to paint interior doors to match the texture of wood. Unlike varnish, the surface is not completely transparent, but rather looks like glaze, although the natural fibers of the wood are clearly visible on it. Coating the door with this composition gives the product a more attractive appearance, skillfully fitting into any design style.
• Varnish. A composition familiar to many, used to open interior doors. In apartment conditions, it is customary to use water-based varnishes.

Glazing paint

The main rule when painting interior doors is to use compounds that do not have toxic properties when dried.

How is coloring done?

Before painting the canvas with a roller or brush, its surface should be well prepared for such work. It's better to take the door off its hinges. In the event that painting is carried out with nitro paint or alkyd composition, it is better to paint the doors not indoors, but outdoors or on the balcony.

You need to remove not only the canvas, but also all the fittings on it. If the door handles cannot be removed, wrap them in paper. The lock can be closed with tape. After this you need to prepare the surface:

• The old paint composition and the primer layer should be cleaned off the surface, in a word, everything needs to be cleaned off, only the surface of the wood should remain.

Removing old coating

• We do preliminary sanding of the canvas. This action will remove the scratches on the canvas and the remaining coloring composition. For such work it is better to use a special grinding tool. After finishing the work, the surface of the canvas must be cleaned of dust and debris.

Sanding the canvas with sandpaper

• If cracks are visible on the wood, they need to be filled with putty.
• After the putty has completely dried, the surface is sanded again using sandpaper. First use medium-grain paper, then fine-grain paper.

Let's start painting

Door structure painting technology

The painting scheme will directly depend on the design features of the door structures:

• The door is paneled. With a special brush, you should thoroughly paint all the recesses in the door leaf. Some people use a paint roller for this work. The main thing is to ensure that there is no excess coloring composition.

Coloring rules

• Panel door. You should start painting from the upper corner of the canvas and slowly move the roller in the longitudinal direction. Afterwards you need to wait until the paint has dried, and then you can apply the next layer to the canvas; it is very important that it is applied in the transverse direction. The last layer of paint is applied in the longitudinal direction. You can also use a paint roller for painting.

Layers of paint application
Having chosen the desired painting technology, you can proceed to painting. The main thing here is to follow the correct sequence of work:

• The door leaf must be laid horizontally. If the door has glass inserts, they are closed.
• With a brush you need to carefully paint all the elements and panels.
• Next, apply the first layer of paint to the canvas with a roller.
• We wait until the coloring composition applied to the canvas dries.
• Apply the second layer with a roller. It is important here that the application of the coloring composition is carried out in a perpendicular direction to the first layer.
• If you want the canvas to acquire a richer color, then you should paint with a roller in three layers. We also offer you a useful video that provides step-by-step instructions.

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We collect tools and materials for work

Any painting is done with certain tools. You can apply paint in three ways: using a brush, roller or spray gun. The best option is a roller; working with it is faster than with a brush, and it is cheaper than a spray gun. However, to get to hard-to-reach places, brushes will not hurt. So, the set of tools is as follows:

• roller and bath;
• paint brush;
• rags;
• masking tape;
• gloves;
• sandpaper;
• 4 stools or 2 goats;
• putty knife;
• vacuum cleaner.

As for the materials, they are:

Have you collected everything you need? Then let's start working.