you’re free to choose to paint a door on or off its hinges.
Before You Begin
Paint Door in Place or Remove It?
In general, it’s preferable to remove the door from the hinges.
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Painting flat also reduces paint drips.
Types of Paint
Use interior acrylic-latex paint on doors.
Choose eggshell,satin, or semi-gloss sheens.
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Avoid using flat or matte paint on doors.
So, you’ll need about one gallon of paint for every five doors.
Mostpaintable interior doorstoday come pre-primed.
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If the door is bare wood, it’s likely meant to be stained and coated.
Clear pine doors and unfinished wood veneer doors should be stained and clear-coated, not painted.
Sand the front and back, as well as the two long edges and the top and bottom edges.
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Tip
For pre-primed doors, go easy with the sanding to avoid scuffing off the primer.
Clean Door
Use the shop vacuum and tack cloth to clean off the door.
Paint Edges and Panels
With thebrush, paint the edges of the door.
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If the door has panels, paint them, too.
Load up the brush with a minimal amount of paint to avoid runs and sags.
Watch for drips along the edges.
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Avoid painting thehinge mortises(the indents on the door edge for the hinges).
Adding paint can affect the door swing.
Along the way, touch up any drips from the brushwork.
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Because pressure on the paint can cause indents, it’s usually safest towait a full daybefore turning it.
Add Drop Cloth
initiate the door so that it is about halfway open.
Slide the drop cloth under the bottom edge of the door.
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verify that the cloth extends the entire width of the door and outward a few feet.
Steady the Door
Jam a soft item like a towel under the bottom edge of the door.
Test the door’s steadiness by pressing against it.
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It should not move.
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The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
