Painting your front door is one of the easiest ways to boost the curb appeal of your home and make it more inviting. I saved this project for last for a couple of reasons: 1) I didn’t want it damaged during the construction process, 2) I didn’t want us to knick the paint while moving in and 3) quite honestly…I couldn’t decide what color to paint it. LOL
I purchased this door at a building auction. You will notice it has a couple of damaged spots (deep scratches), but that is ok…I knew I was going to paint it. See, I had a plan. I knew I was going to have cedar posts on the porch that were going to be stained a medium tone so the pre-finished Espresso wood tone was not going to work. You can save a TON of money at a building auction but you have to have a plan. If you go to one of these sales without a preliminary design, measurements and a budget you will end up buying a slew of materials you will never use…I speak from experience.
Here is a view from the front of the house before I painted the door. See what I mean about the color of the door? It just didn’t quite fit with my lake house color scheme.
I chose the HC-154 Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore to improve my curb appeal. I love how the blue looks with the other colors and because the house is on the water, the nautical color seemed like the perfect choice.
Once the color was selected, it was time to paint.
Most of you know I have been painting professionally for 17 years so I feel like I’m qualified to preach a bit about the steps that need to be taken before you paint. If you gain nothing else from this post remember this…Preparation is the key to a successful paint job.
Start with the tape. FrogTape® brand painter’s tape is the only tape I use. It’s the only paint I have found to eliminate the dreaded “bleed-through” that occurs with other tape brands.
I used the FrogTape Brand’s multi-surface painters tape (green) to tape off the windows…
… and the rubber weatherstripping on the base of the door. This tape has a medium adhesion which is needed for the hard-to-stick surfaces.
After taping, I filled the deep scratches with Bondo. This is perfect for filling dents and deep imperfections prior to painting.
Once the Bondo dried, I sanded the entire front of the door with 220-grit sandpaper (or a medium-grit sanding sponge).
Wipe the door clean. This is very important…paint will not stick to dust.
The inside of the door had already been painted with the interior trim color so I used FrogTape delicate surface tape. It has a lower adhesion which is perfect for newly-painted surfaces. This tape has the same PaintBlock technology that creates sharp lines and eliminates bleed-through. This is extremely important since I am butting navy blue and white against each other.
I used a 2.5″ angled paint brush to cut in around the windows, dental molding and raised panels. I used a 4″ low-nap mohair roller for the body.
Start with a coat of exterior primer made for wood. Let dry. Finish off with 2 coats of paint. Let dry several hours before installing door hardware.
And there you have it…instant curb appeal! Isn’t it beautiful?
Remember…painting doesn’t have to be frustrating. If you use the right products and take the proper steps to prepare the surface correctly you will have success the first time…every time!
This post is sponsored by FrogTape but the opinions are 100% my own. I would never recommend something I didn’t truly love.
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Each and every one of you inspire me and I LOVE to see the work that you’ve created. Feel free to share with me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. And as always, be sure to follow Diva Of DIY on Pinterest and sign up for our FREE Newsletter to receive the latest projects delivered straight to your inbox!
