Home DIY: How to revamp your front door quickly and easily 

The paint, the accessories, the techniques, the tricks, the finishes, the cost

Stately and fresh against white painted walls, a period front door is reimagined in Dulux's Oxford Blue; from €24 for 750ml in High Gloss.

Refreshing a front door is a super-quick update you can complete over a single weekend. If your door is performing well in terms of the three essentials of security, weather-sealing, and a reasonable level of insulation, keeping it rather than upgrading is an Earth-friendly decision. New paintwork is a little lipstick on your palace and an essential first impression.

First of all, what is the door made of? If you have timber, we are looking at sanding, undercoating and painting with two to three coats of the final colour. 

With UPVC, we are also sanding, but a primer is generally not necessary, as some (but not all) paints dedicated to UPVC and those handy universal surface paints are self-priming.

If your UPVC door is relatively new, it will have a resinous coating, and it’s, therefore, better to wait in the area of a year to allow this protectant to wear off with the weather for good adhesion for any new paint colour. 

It’s going to be tough to get that factory finish of a brand-new door but we’ll do our best. Going from a yellowing white UPVC to a determined colour? Super-satisfying.

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Expect to pay around €20 for a litre of primer/undercoat and the same again for an exterior gloss enough to do up to two coats on the exterior face of a standard door (762mm x 1981mm) reserving a little in a sealed jar for touch-ups.

Did you know your waste paint could be donated or remixed and sold at as a budget project? Log on to paintreuse.network for more information. Picture: iStock

PVC or wood — we will be using paints with an oil texture based on acrylic and/or water in a viscous feel. A synthetic nylon brush with a soft ergonomic handle for a comfortable grip is perfect; try Irish brand Dosco. Look for a tool that secures the bristles firmly at the bale. Have a two-inch and four-inch brush on hand to cover wider panels or planks, and to then scoot neatly around smaller detail.

Foam rollers suited to your paint type will leave a nice even surface to the paint, and when dealing with UPVC, used with thin coats a roller is less likely to leave visible strokes and passes. Don’t overload a roller or you’ll be crying on the doorstep with paint pooling on the flags. 

There’s also spraying. Here, your greatest challenge is finding a perfectly windless day to prevent the dreaded drift of an aerosol product. Mask up and cover the surrounding brickwork or masonry where possible.

Yes, I know, serious DIY veterans will most likely take the door down off the hinges and set it up on two saw horses. My knees are knocking just thinking about that. Stir up an extra set of hands.

It’s up to you what accessories you remove before starting, but don’t remove any complex security lock and handle unless you know you can remount it perfectly. Knobs and knockers are generally less stress to prise tenderly off the door — save those screws in a small bag taped to the item. 

This is a good time to update tarnished door furniture — match the period styling of the door where possible.

Stately and fresh against white painted walls, a period front door is reimagined in Dulux's Oxford Blue; from €24 for 750ml in High Gloss.

Fleetwood do a good no-residue, rice paper Washi tape with a low-tack, ideal for dressing up elements seared onto the door for the duration. From €5.99 per roll. Throw down a dustsheet before you start, including over the threshold and interior flooring.

Wood by its nature will pull elements into the fibres, so we really need to set up that first supporting priming coat: 120-180 grit is perfect for wood (I like a light sanding sponge. Buy a few). UPVC can take a little more welly at 220–240 grit. We want a nice smooth, fine finish with a microscopically abraded surface that will “grab” any primer and colour.

Prior to sanding, clean the door down with a little well-diluted sugar soap followed by a clean wipe-down. If you’re stuck, washing-up liquid (just a dart in a bucket applied with a lint-free cloth) is fine for sealed paintwork.

Do not attempt to sand the door unless it is bone dry and you’re enjoying a nice dry day (check the forecast). Aim to work at a part of the day where that aspect of the house is not blistering in direct sunlight. For the painting phase, this will speed up the dry times in the worst way. 

Also, avoid electric sanders, even a diminutive “mouse” sander. It’s just too easy to hit vulnerable detail or go too hard. What you cannot ignore in a timber door are cracks in the panels or planks. 

Would you, could you, take your door colour to your windows? Johnsons Ashford Grey is a calming tonal choice against soft red brick, €16 for 750ml, multiple suppliers.

Some ageing is completely natural, but any breaks must be sorted with a flexible filler, and sanded back to the level of the surrounding timber according to the maker’s instructions. Ronseal to a good range of multipurpose fillers with rapid drying times — from €7.55 for 250g.

With wood, sand with the grain in short strokes, and give the door a good wipe with a dampened cloth to lift any dust. One of my favourite primers is Dulux Weathershield Quick Dry Exterior Undercoat (around €25 for 750ml), like dedicated, branded paint, it’s developed for wood and will not break up when the door warms in the sunshine and the timber flexes (which is inevitable).

Choose a dark colour if you’re taking a white door to a dramatic tint. Dulux also offers a High Gloss in that Quick Dry range if you want that classic hard shiny finish to slough off rain. Fleetwood Advanced Undercoat or their Pure Grip (€14.99 for 500ml) are also popular choices you’ll find at any good DIY outlet. 

Wood and uPVC can be painted in matt, satin, or gloss; the crucial thing is that the paint type is recommended for the material of the door. Keep in mind that matt and eggshell finishes will catch dirt more easily, repel rain with less efficiency and need retouching sooner than a shinier paint choice. Every product will have a promise of weather protection measured in years; five to six is sane.

For a strategic routine, start at the top corner of the door and paint across and down in comfortable sections. Be careful to follow the drying times whatever you choose, otherwise, the paint cannot cure sufficiently, and you may find yourself painting into a tacky soup.

You can sand out any dribbles (hopefully you’re not lashing it on), and again, these are easier to erase with sandpaper when the paint is entirely dry to a tough, diamond hardness.

The internal edges? If you are determined, wedge the door open to ensure it doesn’t slam over foam seals and wreck all your good work.

Once your door is dry, polish and replace the door furniture, lift any masking tape at an angle, place a few planters about to soften any hard edges around the porch, and take a smug walk right up to your beautiful new entryway.