Need to paint my wooden front door in a few weeks but having never had a wood front door before Im not sure what the best paint is to use?

Is there specific exterior wood paint ?

Do I need an undercoat first?

Whats best to use?

If possible take door off and paint the underside base of door first a few coats will stop water soaking up and rotting door, use an oil based undercaot and a oil based gloss 2 coats of each.

Plus knot sealer if you have any knots…

Sweet. i can take the door off so thats good.

If im changing colour do I need to primer it too or will an undercoat do?

Any recommendations on paint ?

I assume it is not new?

In which case sand it down, you don’t need to go back to the wood you just need a “fresh” surface. Wipe with damp cloth to remove dust and let dry. I used an undercoat at this point. Then two coats of exterior gloss.

If it is a new door then treat knots, prime/undercoat then gloss.

Sanding back stops you just painting the old gloss. If you don’t do it then if the old gloss fails and starts to peel it will take your new paint with it.

The undercoat acts as a binder – it is there because it sticks well to the old paint and allows your new paint to stick to it.

Use exterior gloss because it will be resistant to weathering (Sunlight, rain, cold etc.).

Satin and lower gloss paints will give you a better looking finish if the door is beaten up. Gloss shows up defects more than matt/satin finishes.

Dulux dries from the outside in so skins over and then when door is closed sticks shut. so avoid.

Wickes own brand is made by Leyland, paints also Johnstones pains are good.

Its previously been painted…..(apologies for the poor piccy)

I was going to paint in dark blue(oxford blue?) or black with the surround and bits under the gutter in white.

Have a look at the brass door furniture first and make any decisions about changing it, adding a deadlocking nightlatch, etc (my brass tends to look manky quite quickly because the lacquer has worn through use)

Prep really well, especially if the door takes the brunt of the sun and rain. I prefer solvent-based undercoat and paints on external wood. The undercoat should be the recommended colour for your chosen topcoat colour (probably grey)

I choose a cloudy day (no rain), not too hot and get the paint on as early as poss so that you can close the door at bedtime! You’ll probably undercoat day 1 and topcoat day 2, but don’t leave too many days between coats

Oh, and to actually answer the question I used Johnstone’s Professional Gloss black

That looks like varnish. If it’s polyurethane you’ll need a special primer to get adhesion. I only use Dulux trade weather shield. And I put sellotape on the door frame to stop the door sticking when the paint is tacky. If it’s south facing and gets the sun then dark colours will peel and bubble if the preparation isn’t spot on. Last one I did with black gloss is still looking like new. That’s a Victorian door facing south.

The way a paint dries is down to its chemistry not the brand.

Surface drying is common with weatherable single packs. Air drying alkyds and polysiloxanes need components of the air to dry. The surface sees a greater concentration so dries faster then prevents the lower layers from curing. Best way to avoid this is not to over apply.

You shouldn’t need a special undercoat over a polyurethane. As above a good sand and an undercoat will almost certainly be sufficient. Most undercoats are designed to be generic. They are normally tested over a range of substrates and with a range of topcoats.

Check the overcoating interval on your undercoat. As above I’d advise multiple days so you give the paint the best chance to dry before closing the door. The cellotape idea is an interesting one. I’m not sure if maski g tape would achieve the same. But even once paints are dry to touch they may not be fully cured and could still block/stick if pressed against something for any length of time for a day afterwards.

Use good masking tape, cheaper stuff is a bit rubbish

/watchespaintdryforaliving

Use a good quality paint like Little Greene or Trade paint from Dulux Decorator Centres. I painted our back door in 2004 with Little Greene exterior water-based paint not expecting it to last very long; the door is fully exposed to westerlies and sunshine yet the paint is as good as the day I applied it – quite astonishingly good. However this is an alloy/wood/alloy laminated door so it’s quite stable and in one single piece, so no expansion cracks. Your front door will crack the paint as it swells and shrinks with temperature and humidity.

I used Farrow and Ball external water-based matt paint on my back door and bike store door. The paint has survived really well and any new paint seems to blend in perfectly. I had Dulux Oxford Blue gloss on a previous house and despite being more protected from the weather and under a porch, it didn’t seem to last so well.

Farrow & Ball is very similar to what I used; the little I know about paint formulation tells me it’s possible to make a wide variety of qualities and of course the good ingredients are also the most expensive.

Just to update this thread ……

All done. Took me two days to sand,scrape and paint the door and surrounding woodwork plus all the woodwork around the guttering.

Makes the front of the house look so much better.

Used home base exterior gloss in the end as it will all be getting replaced in a couple of years with a new door and cladding.

Oooh…nice hanging baskets! 🙂

Is that a TV co-ax cable? It really needs clipping in place.

Nah it’s the satellite cable unclipped whilst painted.

Big step to the doormat!

Nice job – I like black doors.

Holy spamtastic thread resurrection!!

I kid you not but Crown Solo gloss is a supurb paint for exterior woodwork. Super shiny and very long lasting. We’ve got lots of exterior doors and woodwork in Crown Solo gloss in ‘Herb Garden’ Painted 5 years ago. South facing full on sun trap and it’s in great condition. I used B and Q quick dry primer/undercoat in grey.