The first thing that people notice about your home is the front door. Make your entry door the star of your home’s exterior with the right color and type of paint. You can also add a pop of color to your front door to make it more welcoming while showing off your design skills. But how do you choose a front door color that is lively yet not too over the top? The Paint Manager is here with this guide to help you choose – and apply – the right color for your front door!
Choose the Right Type of Paint and Paint Color for Your Door
Your front door forms the first impression of your home in people’s minds, and affects how they feel about your house. Whether you plan on staying in your home or selling it, a front door that stands out for the right reasons adds a great deal to its curb appeal. Moreover, your front door has to withstand the elements every day, so you want the right type of paint to avoid peeling and fading. For example, according to Joe Cruz of Family Handyman, fiberglass doors need acrylic, polyurethane or epoxy paints that won’t weaken the integrity of fiberglass.
For doors made of other materials, Cruz recommends the following:
Semi-gloss acrylic latex paint – This is one of the overall best types of paint for your front door. Many homeowners like it for its durability, color compatibility and easy clean-up. It’s great for steel, wood and fiberglass doors.
Semi-gloss latex enamel exterior paint and primer in one – This eliminates the need for a primer coat. It works well for any type of door.
High-gloss oil-based exterior paint – This paint is highly dynamic and resistant to cracking and chipping. It is ideal for wood or steel doors, but won’t work well with fiberglass doors. Also, unless your front door is extremely high-quality, a high-gloss finish will bring out its blemishes.
Water-based latex paint – This dries faster than oil-based paints. However, oil-based paints will prove to be more durable in the long run. Water-based latex paints are generally easy to work with and clean up quickly with water. Moreover, water-based latex paints can be found in no-VOC or low-VOC form, making them more eco-friendly.
According to HGTV, The most important thing to note is whether you have a latex- or oil-based paint. This is especially important for touch-ups, as you never want to paint oil over latex paint or vice versa. The type of primer you use also needs to match the type of paint you use (latex or oil-based).
Now that you know which type of paint to apply to which type of front door, let’s get down to choosing the right paint color!
The color of your front door should portray your unique personality and distinct style. Also, as colors have the ability to influence our mood, it is essential to choose a proper color for your front door. Your entry door color can communicate a subconscious message to your guests and create a welcoming, positive emotional reaction.
Quality Overhead Door offers this list of the most popular front door colors, and the psychology of each:
- Red: A bold red entry door will help a home stand out. As a bonus, red is regarded as a lucky color in some cultures.
- White: A white front door is ideal for traditional homes, and gives people an impression of an organized, well-maintained house.
- Blue: This is one of the most calming options when it comes to painting your front door. The color conveys tranquility and peace. It also goes well with various colors.
- Green: A harmonious hue, green is a key color found in nature. A green front door indicates a peaceful home with a friendly owner, and signifies a peaceful, welcoming environment.
- Yellow: The color of sunshine, yellow denotes optimism and cheerfulness. A yellow-colored front door will attract the attention of your visitors immediately.
- Purple: A pop of color can brighten up your mood as well as that of your visitors. A purple front door will signify a free spirit, and make your visitors smile every time they enter your house.
- Black: As a traditional, elegant door color, a black front door shows passersby that the homeowner has refined taste. This dark shade suggests the interior of the home is equally sophisticated.
Tips for choosing the right color for your door:
- Look at the outdoor environment of your home to draw some inspiration. The natural lighting, the color of the porch area, and the surroundings can help you decide the color of the front door.
- Take your exterior design and home’s structure into account.
- Consider the classics to never go wrong with your front door color selection.
- Make a monochromatic color scheme your best friend if you have a smaller home, as it will visually expand your home and make it appear larger than it really is.
- Use the color wheel for reference. Better Homes & Gardens provides a helpful guide to using the color wheel to show which hues go together.
- Introduce an elegant accent color throughout the door trim to pull together the rest of the exterior colors.
To help in the selection process, you can tape paint chips to your front door to understand how the color will look in natural light during different times of the day, and the overall design of your home’s exterior. If you have narrowed it down to two or three color choices, you may also purchase small samples of paint to perform a larger color swatch. Again, check out the color swatches that you have done at different times of the day to understand how the color looks when the light brightens or dims.
With your color selected, be sure you also choose the right time to paint! In Florida, this can be tricky, as there is actually a rather narrow window for exterior painting projects. Our blog post – “When is the Best Time of the Year to Have My House Painted?” – covers the challenges of exterior house painting in detail. The basic parameters are October through late March. These months are relatively dry, and Central Florida doesn’t have sustained periods of frigid winter temperatures. Pollen season starts in spring, depositing a thick, yellow layer that adheres to every stationary object – including houses. Hurricane season then quickly follows, running from June 1 through November 30. Summer also brings daily afternoon thunderstorms, giving house exteriors little chance to dry completely to be successfully painted.
Assuming you’re planning to do it yourself – and you’re confident you won’t get rained out or covered in pollen during the project – here are the steps to follow.
How to Prep the Front Door
The key to a long-lasting, attractive front door paint job is to properly prep the door. Painting over dirt, dust, cracks, holes, or peeling paint will significantly reduce the lifespan of the paint job.
There are two options for prepping and painting a front door: remove the door and place it on sawhorses or a folding table; or paint it in place. Whichever option you choose, Family Handyman provides the following preparation steps:
- Scrape any loose or chipping paint using a paint scraper or putty knife.
- Fill any dings or scratches with an all-purpose plastic wood filler.
- Sand the entire door with 120-grit sandpaper, smoothing over any imperfections and flaws.
- Vacuum or blow off all the dust and debris that may have collected. Wipe the entire door with a clean damp cloth.
- Use painter’s tape to mask off any glass or edges of the door you don’t want paint on.
Front Door Painting Techniques
Start your front door painting by applying the primer, making sure to cover the entire door. You can use a roller to distribute the primer evenly. You may need to apply a second coat of primer to the areas where the initial primer application was thin.
Once the primer dries, use a paintbrush to cover up any details or trim work on the door. Next, finally, start painting the door. You can use a paintbrush, foam roller, or a low-nap roller for this.
If you want a nice hand-painted look, opt for a paintbrush. You can also use a roller first and then use a paintbrush while doing the final coat to attain this look. Make sure that the door is completely dry before you start reattaching the hardware (if you have removed it).
Taking the DIY approach to painting your front door can be successful if you have a good skill level and experience in home improvement projects. As you’ve learned, preparation, patience and a steady hand are essential to achieving a great result! Since your entry door is so important to making a good first impression, you want a professional-quality job.
If you’re not confident in your DIY skills – or would rather leave it to the pros – call The Paint Manager! We’ve proudly served Central Florida since 2000 with quality residential and commercial painting services. Our experienced team will use the right primer and paint for your door, seamlessly applied to make the perfect statement for your home!
Visit our website to learn about many other services we provide – including pressure washing, roof cleaning and stump removal. Become a member of The Paint Manager to receive a 15% year-‘round member’s discount. Contact us to learn more about our services and membership discount offer. We look forward to meeting you!