Painting an Exterior Door

A key part of making the back porch a more welcoming and usable space for our family was addressing the door to our garage, which can be seen from both the kitchen and the dining room windows. The garage entry door was in pretty rough condition following all the demo we've done in the house for the past two years. The garage (which is too small for a car)  has been our storage place for our demolition work between runs to the city dump, so the door has sustained a fair amount of wear and tear.  

 

While Ken worked on painting the railing and steps, I took the door to the garage off the hinges, laid it on my version of saw horses (And by that I mean old gallon paint cans. Actual saw horses are on my wish list.) Then using an old rag, I washed the surface of the door, being sure to remove all the dirt and mud from the crevices of the door. I also took this opportunity to tape-off the door knob and lock using blue painters tape. After the door was washed and dried, I simply applied an outdoor paint in thin coats. When using a brush to paint a surface like a door, it's helpful to use both a brush and a roller. The roller helps to provide a smooth texture to the paint, but you'll need the brush for the detail work as well as for the area around the door knob, lock, and the edges of the door. For the portion of the door using the brush, be mindful to avoid short choppy brush strokes, as that will increase the evidence of brush lines in the finished paint job. Follow the drying time listed on the paint can for dry time between coats, and for dry time once you are finished. Then, just slip the door back on the hinges.

Here's the finished product, using Behr's out door paint in Pelican Bay. 

Painting the door was a simple and inexpensive change that made a positive impact on the space. I love that the blue door can be seen from both the kitchen and living room. While the blue is different than the colors in either of those rooms, it is a good compliment to the interior of the house.

Next on the agenda is addressing the water damage in the ceiling, and replacing the bead board wall, which it turned out was also damaged. 

Any painting projects you're looking forward to getting underway?

-Domestic in the District