Today I’m pondering the fact that one never really knows one’s friends.  They can seem to be on the straight and narrow, even a little straighter and narrower than you, when something is said or done that reveals their true natures.

Case in point:  A couple of weeks ago I posted on Facebook that I was feeling rather rebellious.  I’ve been wanting to paint my front door ever since moving into our neighborhood and several months back I mentioned it to a neighbor who happens to be a member of the architectural committee.  He told me point blank that I shouldn’t paint my door without getting the committee’s permission.  This was a little discouraging, given the neighborhood gossip that said that the committee was painfully slow at approving anything.  So after stewing for awhile over the unfairness of it all I put the idea aside.  That is until Spring sprang once again, and my black door continued to hide in the shadows, making my porch seem like an entrance into a black hole.  With encouragement from a few friends (who I already knew were rebellious types) I decided to go for it!

What surprised me about my FB post was that ALL my friends (save two who commented that they are rule followers and had heart palpitations even thinking about what I was intent on doing) agreed wholeheartedly that I should, “Just do it!”  Like I said, one never really knows one’s friends.

I am extremely pleased with how my door turned out so today I will share with you my 10 Steps to a Perfectly Painted Exterior Door (tips borrowed from online door painting tutorials).  Before you begin, do choose a mild weather day for painting as you will need to keep your door open for an extended period.  Mid morning to early afternoon is best.

1. Gather your supplies: 1 quart of good quality latex exterior paint (I used Valspar because it was here waiting for me when we bought our house – sorry, it was a custom mix and there isn’t a color on the can), a dropcloth, a damp rag, a good quality 2-3″ acrylic bristled paint brush, a smaller paint brush for painting around hardware and in tight places, painter’s tape, and a small stepstool or ladder.

UPDATE:  After several requests I took my paint can to Lowe’s and this is the color match formula they gave me. You can print this formula and take it to any Lowe’s Hardware and they will be able to mix this same exterior paint for you.

2. Prep your door and painting area:  Wash off any dirt and wipe dry.  If mold is present, use a mold retardant and allow to dry thoroughly.  If your door is in rough shape you may need to sand it smooth before painting (be sure to wear a protective mask when sanding loose paint).  If your door has oil paint on it, is a new unprimed door, or if you are applying light colored paint over dark, prime with bonding primer. Lay a drop cloth under the door. Cover anything you’ll have trouble painting around with painter’s tape.  Stir paint well and begin. 

Note:  If you aren’t sure if your door is painted with oil or latex paint a simple test is to dip a cotton ball in a small amount of denatured alcohol and rub it over the door’s surface.  It the paint does not come off on the cotton ball it is oil paint and must be primed with a bonding primer prior to painting. 

3. If you are only painting the outside of the door begin by painting the door edge first. If your door swings inward the hinged edge gets the outside color.  If the door swings outward just the opposite is true.

4. Paint hinges if already painted. Otherwise leave them unpainted.

5. Paint around door windows or hardware (or remove them first for ease of painting).6. With a raised panel door, paint the reveals first (this is the frame around the center panel).

7. Paint the panels inside the reveals next.

8. Paint the rails (these are the horizontal cross pieces) working from the top down and painting horizontally, left to right.

9. Paint the stiles last (the vertical parts of the door) from top to bottom.

10. Wait an hour or follow directions on paint can and repeat these steps.

Before Painting

After Painting

Sometimes a third coat of paint is necessary for good coverage, especially if painting light over dark.  Leave your door open 2-3 hours to dry.  Remove any tape and you are done!

Another post I put out to my friends on Facebook was what color hardware should I use on my newly painted door?  The brass deadbolt wasn’t working properly so we needed to replace it anyway.

I had votes for virtually every color but oil rubbed bronze was by far the favorite.  I liked that choice too because it matches nicely with my urns and the shutters on the windows.

It was also a good choice because we only had to replace the door handle and everything else was able to be sprayed with Rustoleum’s Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint, thus saving additional expense.

From a distance my door isn’t bright enough to catch the attention of the architectural committee which, by the way,  I found out has no jurisdiction over door color.  Sheesh!

But it no longer looks like one is entering into a black hole.

Now it opens right in to the colors I’ve used throughout my home.

So whatcha’ think?  Should I paint the inside of the door the same color?  I’m pretty sure it would make my hallway feel happy. 😉 

Blessings (you may need them if you too are rebellious) friends,

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