Doors have a variety of faces and conflicting grain patterns, all of which need to be painted separately - yet the end result must look even in colour, with no ugly brushmarks or heavily painted edges. There are recommended procedures for painting all types of door.


Painting each side with a different colour.
Make sure all the surfaces that face you when the door is open are painted the same colour.

Opening side.
Paint the architrave (1) and the door frame (2) up to and including the edge of the doorstop one colour. Paint the face of the door and its opening edge (3) the same colour.

Opposite side.
Paint the architrave and frame up to and over the doorstop (4) the second colour. Paint the opposite face of the door and its hinged edge (5) with the second colour.

Preparation and technique
Remove the door handles and wedge the door open so that it cannot be closed automatically, locking you inside the room. 'Keep the handle in the room with you, just in case'.

Aim to paint the door and its frame separately, so there's less chance of touching wet paintwork when passing through a freshly painted doorway. Paint the door first: and then when it is dry, finish the framework. If you want to use a different colour for each side of the door, paint the hinged edge the colour of the closing face (the one that comes to rest against the frame). Paint the outer edge of the door the same colour as the opening face - so there won't be any difference in colour when the door is viewed from either side.

Each side of the frame should match the corresponding face of the door. Paint the frame in the room into which the door swings - including the edge of the stop bead against which the door closes - to match the opening face. Paint the rest of the frame the colour of the closing face.

System for a flush door
To paint a flush door, start at the top and work down in sections, blending each one into the other. Lay on the paint, then finish each section with light vertical strokes. Finally, paint the edges, taking extra care to avoid paint runs.

System for a panelled door
The different parts of a panelled door must be painted in a logical sequence. Finish each part with strokes running parallel to the direction of the grain.

Whatever style of panelled door you are painting, start with the mouldings (1), followed by the panels (2). Paint the muntins (centre verticals) next (3), and then by the cross rails (4). Finish the face by painting the stiles - the outer verticals (5). Last of all, paint the edges.

To achieve a superior finish, paint the muntins, rails and stiles together, picking up the wet edges of the paint before they begin to dry.

Phoenix Tip
Choose good quality brushes for your painting DIY jobs. Cheap brushes tend to shed bristles - which is annoying and also less economical in the long run. It is also important to select the correct sized brushes for your task.

Loading the brush
Don't overload the brush with paint; it leads to messy work, and ruins the bristles if the paint is allowed to dry in the roots. Dip no more than the first third of the brush into the paint, wiping off excess on the inside of the container / tin, to prevent drips.

Using a brush
You can hold the brush whichever way feels comfortable to you, but the 'pen grip' is the most versatile, enabling your wrist to move freely in any direction. Hold the brush handle between your thumb and forefinger, with your fingers on the ferrule (metal band) and your thumb supporting it from the other side.

Apply the paint in vertical strokes, then spread it at right angles to even out the coverage. Finish oil paints with light upward vertical strokes, to avoid leaving brush marks in the finished surface. This technique - known as laying off - is not necessary when applying emulsion paint.

IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT IN UNDERTAKING THE TASK YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE SERVICE PROVIDER FOR ADVICE