Front Door Refresh
Front Door: The Before
When we moved into this house, I knew there were tons of projects I wanted to get done. One of those projects was refreshing the front door. When we bought the house, the front door was red, and that is just not my vibe. So I decided to paint the front door black, which actually turned out to be a bigger project than I anticipated. Isn’t that how it always goes? You can check out my before and after post on Instagram, if you want to see where we started.
Number One Rule: PREP!
When I started the front door refresh, I originally planned to use liquid sandpaper (which I did, then realized I used the wrong one). So then I decided to just sand it the old fashioned way. I bought a roll of 150 grit sandpaper and used a sanding block. I just wrapped the sandpaper around the block, cut it to fit, and taped it. This step honestly makes sanding so much easier!!!
When I was done sanding, I removed the old caulk and added new caulk. When I was removing the old caulk, the original paint on the front door frame started peeling off with it. So I had to sand the frame and everything else. After this step, I added the new caulk to all of the places that needed to be filled, wiped it with a rag to make it flush and smooth, then scored the caulk with a razor.
When the caulking was done, I removed the grids from the sidelights and the starburst from the window above the front door so that I could paint them more easily. I was originally just going to remove them altogether, but later on I decided to put them back in (after I painted them) to make the front of the house look more cohesive, since all of my front windows have grids.
After the grids were removed, it was time to prime everything! I used Kilz 2 interior/exterior primer for this. Always make sure to put down a drop cloth or old sheet, even when priming, to protect the floor underneath. For the grooves, I used a paint brush, then rolled the primer over the flat surfaces with a mohair roller. Don’t worry if you get paint or primer on the window glass, because it can be scraped off later!
Time to Paint the Front Door
I had already painted the windows in the living room with Tricorn Black (satin finish), so I just used that to make it match. Before you start to paint, tape off any areas that you don’t want to get paint on with painters tape. I used the same method for the paint that I did the primer, brush for the grooves and a mohair roller for the flat surfaces. I also rolled over the grooves where I used the brush, so that the finish would be smoother. Paint one coat, let it dry, then sand between each coat, to also make sure the finish is smooth. It took 3 coats of paint for my front door to be finished.
A couple of hacks that I find useful when I am doing a painting project is inserting a ziplock bag into my paint cup, so that if there is any paint left over, I can just zip the bag and keep the paint fresh between coats. I also used wax paper for the door seams, to help prevent sticking. And for smaller areas, you can use a flat edge to protect other areas from getting paint on them, too!
Hardware for the Front Door
I got my black hardware from Kwikset. When I removed the old hardware, I did have to sand the areas underneath. Then I had to chisel the hole for the hardware to make it fit. Also, make sure that you level your hardware before you tighten it, so that it is straight when you’re done. I taped the door and made little holes in the painters tape, to make sure the hardware lined up where I needed it to. Make sure you use long screws for the door strike, because they make it harder for someone to break in. Not that we want to think of this, but it’s a good tip to know!
Finishing Touches for the Front Door
When I decided to reinstall the starburst for the top window, I chiseled off the middle pieces to make it a little more modern. I did tape the edges to prevent the wood on the remaining pieces from splitting. Then I spray painted the starburst and grids for the sidelights in black with a satin finish, so that it would match the finish for the front door and frame!
Love The End Result!
This project was detailed, but I love the way it turned out! It makes the front of my house just seem so much more modern and inviting. If you’re thinking about taking on a project like this, I hope some of these tips help you along in your journey! 🙂
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