Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
logo check

Free shipping for orders over € 75

logo check

Ordered before 4 PM, same working day dispatch*

logo check

98% of customers give us a 4-5 star rating

logo check

+50,000 colours

painting a door inside

Painting a door? This is how you do it!


Painting doors may raise a number of questions: 

  • How do I best prepare the door (and myself)?
  • What paint and materials do I need?
  • What primer do I need? And how do I apply it?
  • What paint do I use for a wooden door? What is the best way to paint a door? For example, how do I avoid streaks and lines?

In short, how do I paint a door step by step? We're happy to answer all your questions on this page. Let's get started!


Painting a door inside

➡️ Want to paint your front door? Then go straight to our handy guide on how to paint your front door.

Step 1: prepare


  • Make sure you only paint the door (take it out and/or tape off).
  • Clean and degrease the wood (or previous paint layer).
  • Sand and dust the door off.

First, make sure you keep everything around the door paint-free

  • Option 1: remove your door from the door frame, and remove the hinges and the handles. 
  • Option 2: tape off the parts that shoudn't be painted with masking tape. If you're going to paint the door frame as well, it's best to tape off the adjacent walls too.

Then, further prepare your door by thoroughly cleaning and degreasing it. Use a powerful degreaser for this. Is there glass in your door? Then you should also clean the glass before taping it.

Next, sand and dust the door. It's easiest to sand the large, flat surfaces of the door with a sander. For the smaller details, it's better to do sand them manually.

Want to remove old layers of paint from the door? First remove the loose pieces. Then sand further with 180-grit sandpaper. After that, further smooth out the surface with a fine grit, 240for example.

Do you want to paint bare wood or a paint layer that is still in good condition? Then you can get straight down to working with the finer sandpaper.

Preparation

Step 2: apply primer


  • Apply two layers of primer.
  • Also include the door frame if you like.
  • Or skip this step if your door was previously painted.

For wooden interior doors and door frames, it's best to use a water-based primer. For a good end result, you'll need at least two coats of primer.

First, apply the paint to the edges with a brush. Roll the paint open with a paint roller on the straight sections. When doing so, always work in smaller pieces that overlap, painting wet-on-wet. That is, the paint should still be wet when you overlap.

Once you've applied the first layer, it's a matter of waiting for the primer to dry sufficiently. How long you have to wait exactly can usually be found on the paint can or in the technical data sheet. Once the primer is sufficiently dry, start the second coat.

Have your doors been painted before and is the paint layer still intact? Then you no longer need a primer. You can then start the topcoat immediately after cleaning and sanding.

primer for door

Step 3: lacquer


  • Apply one more coat of topcoat.
  • Remove the tape or replace the door.

The final step is to paint the door with a water-based lacquer of your choice. It's a good idea to choose a lacquer that can withstand scratches and impacts well. Doors also get touched quite a lot. So it's also smart to choose paint that can withstand skin grease.

You'll need one more coat of the top coat. You apply this in the same way as the primer in step 2.

Then you can remove the tape and/or reassemble the doors - and you're done!

painting the door with which paint
painting front door

Painting doors on the outside


Using the above steps, you can perfectly paint any wooden door indoors. But what about the front door? 🤔

Outside doors are subject to weather and wind. Is there anything special you should or can do then to protect them better? Or to make your paintwork last longer?

And what about an external door that is not made of wood, but of PVC or aluminium? Can you then still use the same paint and follow the same steps?

All valid questions, so of course we have a comprehensive step-by-step plan for that too! You'll learn how to paint a door outside in no time.

Find the right paint for your interior wooden doors 

Ready to get started, but no idea what products you need? In our step-by-step plan you'll find a link to all paints and supplies. Each step shows you exactly what you need to paint your wooden interior doors. Below you'll also find a list of all products.

Paint for wooden doors inside

Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sikkens Rubbol BL Rezisto Spray
Select your colour: White | Content: 2,5 l
From €78.95 
Bestseller
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sikkens Rubbol BL Rezisto Satin
Select your colour: White | Content: 2,5 l
Variants from €40.95 
From €95.95 
View product
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sikkens Rubbol Finura Satin
Select your colour: White | Content: 2,5 l
Variants from €47.45 
From €110.45 
View product
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sikkens Rubbol BL Magura
Select your colour: Mix colours | Content: 2,5 l
Variants from €19.95 
From €89.45 
Sikkens Rubbol BL Primer 2,5L at Tintrio
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sikkens Rubbol BL Primer
Select your colour: RAL 9010 | Content: 2,5 l
Variants from €24.95 
From €87.95 
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sikkens Redox Bl Multi Primer
Select your colour: Mix colours | Content: 2,5 l
Variants from €56.45 
From €131.45 
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sikkens Redox Bl Forte
Select your colour: Mix colours | Content: 1 l
From €65.45 
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sikkens Redox Ac Multi Primer
Select your colour: RAL 9001 | Content: 2,5 l
Variants from €48.95 
From €113.95 
View product
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sikkens Cetol Bl Varnish Mat
Select your colour: Colourless | Content: 1 l
From €39.95 
View product
Discount
Bundle
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
BUNDLE: Sikkens Rubbol BL Primer + Rubbol BL Rezisto Satin
Select your colour: RAL 9010 | Content: 1 l + 1 l
Variants from €72.95 
From €77.95 

Useful tools

Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
3M Golden Masking Tape 244
Size: 24 mm | Quantity: 1 piece
Variants from €5.45 
From €7.45 
View product
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Berdy Clearline - Degreaser
Content: 1 l
From €9.95 
View product
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
ProGold Paintbrush Round Classic 7520
Size: 12
Variants from €4.95 
From €6.25 
View product
Bestseller
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Progold Paint Roller Felt
Size: 10 cm | Type: Standard
Variants from €1.75 
From €2.65 
View product
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Progold Sandpaper
Grit: Grit 220 | Quantity: 1 piece
From €1.15 
View product
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
3M Green Masking Tape 2060
Size: 24 mm
Variants from €3.95 
From €5.45 
View product

Want to explore all the options yourself? Then you can find extensive info in our paint guide. Including professional recommendations for those who want top-class paintwork.

If you already know what you're looking for, you can browse through our paint for doors and windows category.

View all paint for windows and doors

Need help?

If some of the steps aren't entirely clear to you, or if you are in a specific situation that isn't covered by our how-to guide, then our experts will be happy to help.

Contact us

Ready to start painting? 

Have a look at the video by Sigma below so you can immediately see how to paint your interior doors neatly.

Windows and doors?

Want to paint your windows too? Great! We also have step-by-step instructions on how to paint or stain your wooden windows. We are also happy to tell you how to paint windows made of PVC or aluminium.

Get started