S has been wanting to get the front door painted for a while now, so yesterday, we finally did it. And we picked a doozy of a day too; we literally could have cooked our lunch on the door as it was sitting in the sun.
In doing research for the project, I ran across a few references to an additive that would smooth out brush lines, but when we went to Sherwin-Williams yesterday, the guy at the counter said using a foam roller would work fine.
First step was removing the hardware, taking the door off the hinges and cleaning it. Since it’s been a muddy spring, and Sadie likes to wag her tail (she’s a happy dog), there are mud splatters all over the house. So, propped up on a pair of saw horses, S wiped it down. Once clean, it had to dry, which took all of about 45 seconds.
For the painting part, S did the panels with a brush, and I followed with a roller. I’d probably recommend either not doing it on a 90 degree day, or setting it up in a shady spot. I don’t think it had any adverse effects, but the surface must have been about 130 degrees, and thus the paint dried pretty quickly. We had time, so we ended up doing three coats, letting it dry for about two hours in between each coat. C was a very good boy and took two naps of about an hour and a half each, so we were able to go more or less uninterrupted.
After about six hours total elapsed time, we were ready to put it back up. We still need to finish up the side panels, but overall, we’re pleased with the results!
Overall level of difficulty is not high. Requires a couple of tools to remove and reinstall hardware and take it off the hinges, along with paint, a small brush, and small roller, but nothing major. More than anything else, you need some time (at least a few hours) and a steady hand.
looks great! good choice