Front Door Painting 101

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When it comes to painting a front door, there’s some planning involved to ensure a beautiful finish product. 

Let’s start with prep: 

This step varies depending on what material and/or existing finish is already on the door. Typically, if it’s pre primed or previously painted with latex then you can go right over top with latex paint, again. If it is oil, then you must choose oil paint again or prime first to convert to a latex. Last, if it is a bare substrate (no finish), it is necessary to prime for adhesion. Giving the door a light sand, in any scenario listed above, is also recommended to help with adhesion. 

Prep supplies may include a sanding block, tape (for windows and trim) and primer. 

Next, choosing the best paint product: 

Any exterior paint is usually appropriate for a front door, but depending on the location of the door in terms of weathering, sun exposure and colour value some products are better suited than others. 

Benjamin Moore’s exterior paint lines consist of: 

Premium Aura (Low Sheen, Satin, Semi-Gloss) 

  • Excellent coverage, durability and washability.

  • Colour Lock technology to ensure longevity of colour value and minimise fading.

  • Available in quarts or gallons. 

Top Line Regal Select (Low Sheen, Soft Gloss) 

  • Great coverage, durability and washability. 

  • Best Seller for its price point and user friendliness. 

  • Available in quarts or gallons. 

Midline Ben (Low Sheen, Soft Gloss) 

  • Good coverage, durability and washability. 

  • User friendly, easy workability 

  • Available in quarts or gallons. 

Aura Grand Entrance (Satin, High Gloss) 

  • Premium coverage, washability and coverage.

  • Latex/Alkyd product (cleans up with water, cures to oil finish). 

  • Has its own colour line with timeless, vibrant tones. 

  • Available in quarts. 


To decide which product to use, consider how much sun and weather exposure the door gets, the vibrancy of the colour and how long you’d like to maintain that specific colour. These indicate whether you want to spend a little more money for longevity of results or less if you plan to sell or change colours more frequently. 

As for Tools of the Trade, it’s recommended to roll or spray a front door and/or brush details. 

Our favourites are using a 4” mini microfibre roller and detailing with a 2” Brilliant Finish brush. 

Now that we’ve covered prep and product knowledge, onto the fun part - choosing a colour! 

Front doors are a wonderful opportunity to add a pop of colour for curb appeal or to blend and compliment the rest of the house's exterior. If you want your door to be a focal point, going bold is a good idea; whereas if you’d prefer it blend in, matching it to your garage doors and/or trimwork works well for cohesiveness. If you’re stuck, we can certainly help you narrow down your selection in store or with an at-home colour consultation. 

Check out this post for specific inspiration for popular front door colours!

Lastly, a few tips from the trade on ensuring you get the BEST possible outcome: 

  • The minimum temperature recommended for painting outside is 10C for a 24 hour window.

  • Don’t paint when the sun is beating directly onto the door, this will speed up dry time and make it harder to work with and dry properly. 

  • The door must be clean and completely dry to avoid peeling or cracking. (wait 24 hours after or before it rains). 

  • If you need to close the door before it has completely cured, put vaseline around the edges where it’ll touch the frame so that it doesn’t stick to the door and peel the paint. 

  • If you’re going dark or vibrant and need a primer, ask to have it tinted to help with coverage, thus having to do less coats.