Door Painting

[timswi]

As a person who does remodels for a living, painting doors and trim is something I'm always doing. I have two different airless spray guns. One that I mostly use for enamel. The other is the big one that I put five gallon buckets of paint under it and spray entire houses. The only time I have ever sprayed trim on a house is when it's new construction and there are no floors installed. Then I can spray without taping anything. That's about the only time I consider it better then using a brush. All other times, it's faster and easier to just paint a door with a brush.

I have 20+ doors to paint, so they will have to be done in stages in the garage...I think spraying is going to be more efficient in this case.

 

[newbury]

I have 20+ doors to paint, so they will have to be done in stages in the garage...I think spraying is going to be more efficient in this case.

I just saw in the last few weeks someone spraying doors on a house show. They lined them all up like they were on hinges (vertical) or big cardboard pages in a children's book with little spacers at the bottom. They'd spray one side, flip the door, spray the other, flip to the next door. Made it look REAL quick and easy.

Painting Doors With A Paint Sprayer. Spraying Interior Doors. - YouTube

Just google "spray painting interior doors"

 

[EddieWalker]

I have 20+ doors to paint,

Now I get it. I feel for you, that's going to be painful no matter how you do it

 

[timswi]

Now I get it. I feel for you, that's going to be painful no matter how you do it

Thanks for the sympathy. I think spraying them a few at a time will allow me to prevent heavy build up and allow for quicker dry times....I hope anyway. Probably spray them with satin, doubt the semi on the trim will matter or cause any visual issues..Don't really like shiny house paint...Any opinions there?

 

[ray66v]

Depends on the color.

White semi gloss, is not all that shinny, especially on a door that has a textured surface. But, darker colors can be too shinny for me.

Semi will last longer, because it is more cleanable.

Satin covers better. And, as I said, can be used for better coverage initially.

I would make some tests panels, and decide, before going too far.

Sherwin Williams ProClassic, is what I use for interior trim, if I have a choice.

 

[ray66v]

Don't forget you can mix semi gloss, and satin together, to make other levels of gloss, if neither is acceptable.

 

[RBLapham]

One tip I found, it may be hard to find a place to set the doors to dry. I always like spraying with the doors laying down to avoid runs, I set them on a cart I have. I use a large step ladder laying on its side to set the doors on to dry. A couple long 2X4s could work also

 

[mikefromnh]

Here's the best method I've found for painting doors...

Cut four strips of 3/4" ply or scraps of pine to about 1.5" by 24 to 32" or so.
Drill a hole through the middle of the strips of wood.
Put the door on a saw horse.
Attach two strips with a screw to the top edge of the door and two to the bottom edge.
Set the door on the floor
When the door is laying flat the strips will be pointing up 12" above the door and 12" below.

You've created a "door table"


Now you can spray the door on the flat, flip it over with a helper and spray the other side immediately. And then you can stand it up on the same strips so it can dry. Standing them up keeps the dust off and saves space.

With this method I can do two coats on a whole house worth of interior doors in one easy day. And I can spray all six sides without waiting for them to dry. Just need to brush under the strips when you take them off. But no one sees the top or bottom edge of a door.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Very clever Mike. Almost makes me wish I had a bunch of doors that needed painting so I could try it out.

Almost.

 

[k0ua]

Here's the best method I've found for painting doors...

Cut four strips of 3/4" ply or scraps of pine to about 1.5" by 24 to 32" or so.
Drill a hole through the middle of the strips of wood.
Put the door on a saw horse.
Attach two strips with a screw to the top edge of the door and two to the bottom edge.
Set the door on the floor
When the door is laying flat the strips will be pointing up 12" above the door and 12" below.

You've created a "door table"


Now you can spray the door on the flat, flip it over with a helper and spray the other side immediately. And then you can stand it up on the same strips so it can dry. Standing them up keeps the dust off and saves space.

With this method I can do two coats on a whole house worth of interior doors in one easy day. And I can spray all six sides without waiting for them to dry. Just need to brush under the strips when you take them off. But no one sees the top or bottom edge of a door.

I wish I had thought of that. That sounds very clever.