Our front doors are one of the most important parts of our home. It’s part of the first impression guests will have and is something you’ll use multiple times per day.
This amount of use causes wear and tear, existing paint can peel or fade and scratches and dents are an inevitability. To protect the surface from future damage and turn it from a disappointment into something to be proud of, you need some quality door paint.
Can you Paint a Front Door?
Absolutely! Painting your front door is the perfect way to improve how it looks and complement the rest of your home.
It can be a fiddly job for beginners, as you have to carefully cover the hinges, handles, letterbox, and windows with masking tape so there are no errant splashes or drips. But the results are more than worth it, especially if you choose a bold colour that your neighbours will be jealous of!
However, before you grab just any old paint and a paint brush, you need to make sure you have the right paint products for the job.
The Best Paint for Front Doors
When painting a front door, there are a few types of paint to choose from. There are water-based paints that are easier to use and come in a range of bold colours, or the tougher oil-based paints that offer more durability but might be more of a challenge to use if you’re not an experienced painter.
The biggest factor by far is what material your front door is made from. Older doors will be made from wood, so a wood treatment or wood paint is ideal, with an all-purpose primer for added protection. If your door is newer, it’ll likely be made from plastic or UPVC, which wood paint won’t stick to. There are also rare cases of metal doors, which also need a specialist metal paint.
The material used for your door is easy to establish, and once you do your paint options will narrow down a lot. But there is still a choice to make between water-based paint and oil-based.
Best Paint for Wooden Doors
Our satinwood paint is the best paint for front doors and any other exterior wood and metal surfaces. We work hard to provide paint that is as versatile as it can be, so you can get the most out of every tin.
If you choose our water-based acrylic satinwood paint, the final results will have a bold colour and a mid-sheen finish, which won’t create any glare in direct sunlight but has just enough shine as to not look flat.
However, durability is still a major factor. And although our water-based paints will look great for a long time, it’s not as hardwearing as our oil-based satinwood.
Front doors can be scratched by keys and claws (if you’re a pet owner) as well as bumped and bashed by heavy shopping bags and luggage. Over time these imperfections will become harder to ignore, especially if they make the old layer of paint flake in the process. Our oil-based satinwood paint doesn’t just make the surface look like new; it’ll make your front door harder to scratch and dent thanks to its thicker compound.
Unfortunately, this durability comes at a price. Oil-based paints produce a strong odour and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that can be harmful to people and pets. Thankfully since you’re painting a front door you have access to easy ventilation, but you should still keep this in mind.
Both our water-based and oil-based satinwood paints are part of our colour system. Simply enter a RAL or British Standard colour code and we’ll mix any colour you can imagine.
Best Paint for UPVC Doors
UPVC is the most common material used for front doors nowadays because of its lightness and durability. It also has a slightly reflective surface, something you can lean into with your paint.
Our gloss paint for front doors adds extra sheen to the surface, emphasizing your chosen colour. Some people choose a subtle shade for their doors, complementing the colours of their walls and driveway. Although this works brilliantly, don’t be afraid to push the boat out and paint your front door a bold colour that makes it the centerpiece of your home.
As with our satinwood paint, there are two types of gloss to choose from: water-based and oil-based. To save us from repeating ourselves, they have the same pros and cons as the satinwood, only with a higher-sheen finish regardless of the one you choose.
Just like the satinwood products, our gloss paints are part of our colour system. This means that you aren’t limited by colour options, and you can create any you can imagine to really express yourself.
How to Paint a Front Door
The method for painting a front door is similar to any other exterior surface.
You first need to prepare the surface for painting. This means giving your door a thorough clean to remove any dirt or grime – which would show through any new paint regardless of the type you use.
If your door has been painted previously, you should remove the previous layer before you begin. Any paint that’s left behind will create a barrier between the surface and the new layer, leading to a streaky or thin finish.
In the case of wooden doors that have seen better days, you should sand the wood surface down. This will add to the overall project time, but the results are worth the extra effort. If no sanding or repairs are needed, a simple scrub with hot soapy water should get the job done.
Once the surface is dry, use masking tape to cover handles etc. so that the paint doesn’t get where it shouldn’t. Put some old sheets down to catch the drips too.
The next step is to prime the cleaned surface. A layer of primer acts like a glue between paint and the door, making the paint look better and providing an extra layer of protection too.
Now for the fun part. We recommend using a combination of paintbrush and roller, a roller for the large flat areas and a brush for the edges and fiddly bits.
The number of layers needed, and drying times will vary depending on the paint you’re using, check the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and make sure you have enough time set aside.
The UK’s Most Trusted Paint Provider
If you’re new to exterior painting, your front door is the perfect project to start with. It’s a relatively small job but teaches you all the techniques you need, and the results will be amazing if you use the right paint.
We’re trusted by both domestic and professional painters because of the high-quality paints we provide. Your front door deserves to look its best, so treat it to some of the best front door paint from Paintmaster.
