How To Paint Wooden Six-Panel Doors
If your six-panel doors look faded or no longer match the color of the room, and replacement isn't an option, add a coat of paint. Six-panel doors have taken the place of traditional doors made from horizontal rails and vertical stiles
Painting paneled doors can get tricky, since it has many angled surfaces. However, it is still possible to paint your six-panel door by following these tips.
Make Preparations to Paint the Door
To paint the paneled door, you need:
- work gloves
- dust mask
- eye goggles
- rags
- standard household cleaner (optional)
- drop cloths or plastic
- painter's tape
- 50-grit sandpaper
- hammer and center punch
- screwdriver
- stir sticks
- paint brush or small roller
- oil-based primer and paint
To make painting easier, remove the door using the hammer and center punch to detach hinge pins. Use the screw driver to detach removable hardware, and lay parts aside
Tape non-removable hardware and glass, lay the door on sawhorses or a flat surface, then lay plastic or drop cloths over the floor. Raise a window or run an exhaust fan to ventilate.
Sand and Prime the Door
If the door has been painted previously, sand the surface to remove old paint and paint flakes. Give the door a good cleaning with a damp rag to remove sand dust and debris, rinse, and let it dry. Clean stubborn hand-print marks and grease with a standard household cleaner.
Use the stir stick to mix the primer. Dip the brush in the mixture, tap the can to remove extra primer, prime the trim and recessed areas first. This is similar to cutting in when you paint walls.
Work the primer in direction of the wood grain, and return over painted areas to prevent brush strokes. You may prefer to use a small roller for flat surfaces.
After the trim and edges dry, prime the middle stile (vertical section) at the top, blending strokes. The brush should stay wet during priming and painting. Prime the rails ( horizontal sections), then the ends. Let the primer dry completely, then prime the other side of the door.
Paint the Door
Lightly sand the primed door to remove imperfections, and clean dust. Paint the door in the same manner as you applied primer.
To paint the door two or more colors, design a stripe pattern. Paint the primary color on the door, then let it dry overnight. Tape sections in the desired stripe pattern, and paint one section a time until you complete the design. Coat the painted door with polyurethane to protect the finish.
Contact a service, like Klenosky Paint, for more help.
