How to Paint Doors and Make Them Durable

Step 8 – Prime

You can skip this step if your door is new and pre-primed.

Brush on a coat of the primer. I like this triangle detail Zibra brush just because it gives the smoothest finish, from my experience, and the shape makes it easier to paint into edges and corners of routed doors or doors with intricate molding.

I start by priming the edges of the door first since these need the longest time to dry. If you plan to paint just one side of the door, paint the edges that will be visible when you open the door. Leave edges of the door unpainted that will be visible on the unpainted side of the door when it’s open.

Paint the details and grooves next, if you have a paneled door. Then apply it to the flat surfaces after that. Be sure to check for drips as you prime.

DEFINITELY don’t skip the primer step later, if you have oil based paint, or you’ll have quite a paint peeling headache on your hands. Ack!

If you’re painting your doors really dark, use tinted primer to help decrease the number of paint coats you’ll need. (Yay for less work!)