Your front door endures a lot – heat, cold, wind, rain, and more! Because of the exposure to the elements, it’s important that your door’s paint also stands the test of time. To help, use your door material to dictate what kind of paint you should use.
- If your door is made of wood that does not bleed (like pine), you should go with water-based exterior paint. Water-based paints dry faster and result in less color fading.
- If your door is made of wood that bleeds (like cedar), you should go with an oil-based exterior paint. Oil-based paints are less susceptible to tannin bleed-through, which can leave yellowish splotches in water-based paint.
- If your door is made of metal, you should go with oil-based paints, which also stave off rust.
- If your door is made of fiberglass, you should go with a water-based paint, since thinner paints more easily coat slick surfaces like fiberglass.
After the color coat, finish your door off with a semi-gloss finish. This will increase the durability of your door and give it a professional look.