How to paint a door for beginners. A professionals guide to getting a perfect finish.

There is one item when it comes to decorating which beginners struggle with most. That's why we've come up with this guide. How to paint a door for beginners is here to go through the details on how to get a perfect finish. We'll make the job as quick and easy as possible. We'll talk you through all the budget friendly tools. We'll also tell you which paint to buy so you doors will stay looking perfect for longer. Carry on reading to get your interior doors looking like you've been paying a decorator.

List of items to purchase before painting an interior door.

See below a list of what to purchase before painting a door. Note brands and types of each item as what might seem like a similar item from another manufacturer can actually give you significant problems. The majority of the items below are tried and test by ourselves and known to give a good finish and make the job as easy as possible at the same time.

• Joncryl Primer Undercoat 1L - £18

• Johnstones Trade Aqua Guard Satin 1L - £23

• Hamilton 4 inch medium pile roller set - £5

• Axus Brush Set - £12

• Ciret Sanding Sponge Medium / Coarse - £2

• Frog Tape Delicate (or any masking tape)- £8

Preparation for starting to paint an interior door.

Now you should have everything around you and ready to start painting the door. First job put a sheet down in front of the door. Even better is a large piece of cardboard if you have one. which you can push slightly under the door.

With everything protected take your sanding block and give the whole door a very light sand over. A light rub over the surface is fine. If you see any previous runs or damage then spend some extra time here to smooth everything out before you start to paint. Once you've done that give the door a quick wipe over and mask off any door handles or hinges.

Don't skip this step to achieve the perfect finish.

This step is the difference between getting a pro finish that lasts, as opposed to one which looks streaky and has your paint chipping off in no time.

No is the time to open the primer and give the door a very light coat of the Joncryl Primer. Using the primer is surprising easy and actually easier than using the main white paint.

Start by using your brush to get around all the hard to reach areas like around handles and hinges. Once you've done these then you can do most other things with the roller. Add a small amount of paint to the roller and start off with any grooves / panels which you might have in the door. Go along the grooves ensuring you've only left with a light coat of paint in the grooves. One the grooves are finished then you can start on the flat areas. Again only apply a light coat and ensure the paint is well rollered out across the door. Once finished rollering look around the door for any drips which might form. Using the roller helps apply a nice even amount of paint which reduces the chances of runs and makes the whole process a lot easier in my opinion.

Once finished repeat on any other doors which need painting. Then thoroughly clean out the roller tray and brush. You can throw away your mini roller sleeve as you should have spares.

How to paint interior door topcoats

Now you've applied the primer you should have a good feel what it's like to paint a door. Check over the door and ensure everything is as it should be. Don't worry if the paint feels slightly rough. This is just the primer and it's expected to be like this.

Now put the Johnstones Trade Aqua Guard into you roller tray. The primer should have dried by now as it is generally dry in less than an hour. If that's the case then we're good to go with the top coats.

Repeat as you did with the primer. Take the brush and do any fiddly bits, like around the door handles or around the hinges. If you struggled to do the grooves in the door with the roller then you can you the brush for these also. Once finished wrap your brush in some cling film to keep it from drying out.

Now onto the rollering. Using a fresh roller sleeve it's exactly like you did with the primer. Make sure you don't get too much paint on the roller and you spread the paint as thinly as possible. Don't worry if the surface looks like orange peel at this stage. It will smooth out as it dries as long as you apply a thin layer of paint evenly.

Once you've finished the first coat, leave for around 2 hours (4 if you're not using Aqua Guard) and check your work. If there are any bits / lumps or bumps / runs then give them a light sand. Repeat like the first coat, ensuring you leave a nice thin layer and that's it!

Once finished be careful with the doors as it takes around one week for the paint to fully harden.

If you've got this far and you're happy with your result then congratulations. This is one of the hardest jobs you can do in decorating. Use the skills you've applied here and apply to all the other aspects of your home. Happy Decorating!!