Painting
Doors
A door is handled every day and seen from both sides, sometimes in two different colours. Painting one well means removing the ironmongery, following the right sequence and giving the paint time to harden before the door is closed hard against its stop.
Preparation and ironmongery
Handles, lock furniture, escutcheons and finger plates are removed, labelled and stored, then refitted once the paint has hardened; hinges are masked rather than painted over. Doors that bind are eased, and heavy build-up on edges and mouldings is taken back, with lead-safe methods where the paint is old. On front doors we seal the top and bottom edges as well, since their end grain takes up water readily.
The order of painting
A panelled door is painted in a set order, so that each section is laid off along its grain and no wet edge dries mid-panel:
- Mouldings and panels.
- Muntins, the vertical members between the panels.
- Rails: top, middle and bottom.
- Stiles, the outer verticals.
- Edges, then the frame or lining and the architraves.
Edges and two-colour doors
Where the two faces of a door are different colours, each edge is painted to match the face it is seen with when the door stands open. We agree the convention with you before starting, so every door in the house follows it.
Drying and front doors
Water-based trim paints can feel dry within hours yet stay soft for longer, so doors are left open or wedged ajar rather than closed against fresh paint. Full hardness can take a couple of weeks or more; our note on how long paint takes to cure explains why. A front door has to be closed and locked each night, so we paint it early on a dry day and plan coats around the forecast. Traditional front doors are often gloss, which shows every flaw in the undercoats beneath it; see woodwork for sheen choices.
Common questions
Can the front door be locked at night while it is being painted?
Yes. We start early on dry days so each coat is dry enough to close by the evening, and check the edges and stops before we leave. Where the lock or letter plate is needed overnight, it is refitted at the end of each day.
Should doors be taken off to be painted?
Not usually; internal doors are painted in place with the ironmongery removed. A door may come off to seal its top and bottom edges, to be eased, or to be sprayed, and is rehung once the paint is hard enough to handle.
Discussing doors?
Tell us about the property and the rooms involved. We will visit, look closely at the surfaces and prepare a written quotation.
Request a quotation