Ready to add curb appeal to your home? Steve Smith, one of our Benjamin Moore paint experts at Cardinal Home Center in Crozet, walks us through how to paint your front door using one of our Cardinal Kits!

Materials Needed

  • Cardinal Kit
    • 2″ Angled Brush
    • 9′ x 12′ Drop Cloth
    • 1″ Painters Tape
    • Angled Sanding Sponge
    • Aura Grand Entrance or MoorGlo Paint
  • Household cleaner
  • Rag
  • Paint can opener
  • Screwdriver

Steps

1) Prepare the surface of your door

Use a rag and some household cleaner to make sure the outside of your door is clean and ready for paint. Be sure to get in any crevices of your door and allow for it to dry completely. If your door has a shinier appearance, lightly sand your door using the sanding sponge – you do not need to take all of the paint off, but just enough to roughen up the surface a little so the paint will stick better. Let your door dry completely before painting.

2) Remove door hardware

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the door handle and any other hardware from your door. Because these areas are harder to tape up, it will make painting your door a lot easier.

3) Apply tape

Tape around windows or other areas you want to avoid paint using your 1” painter’s tape. For easy application, tear your tape into foot-long strips.

4) Lay down a drop cloth

Ensure your drop cloth covers both the outside and inside areas around your door.

5) Apply first coat of paint

Start by painting at the top of your door. For best results, paint from dry to wet to ensure a uniform coating. With the first coat, it is normal to see brush strokes – this will be taken care of when applying the second coat. If possible, avoid painting in the direct sunlight, as it causes the paint to dry quicker when applying. You generally want to use the first inch or two of your brush to ensure you don’t apply too much paint at one time. Allow up to 1-2 hours after painting for it to dry, keeping your door cracked during this time.

6) Apply second coat

If using Aura Exterior, wait 24 hours before applying a second coat of paint (if using MoorGlo, you can wait 4 hours). Apply your second coat utilizing the same steps above. This will remove any of the brush strokes from the first coat. If you still see some brush strokes, you can use your sanding sponge to lightly sand that area to remove them.

7) Replace hardware

After the second coat, you can put your hardware back on your door after 1-2 hours. You can also remove any tape at this time.

And that’s it! If you have any questions about this project, don’t hesitate to contact the paint professionals at Cardinal Home Center – they can walk you through what to do and ensure your door turns out great! Order your door painting kit today.