Sometimes the interior of the house is boring and boring. Then there is a desire to change it or supplement it with something new. Particularly susceptible to aging and tarnishing are doors. although they are the most reliable and durable, but their frequent use erases the brilliance and beauty, leaves minor scratches.
Such doors are full-bodied and are made by pressing lumber waste, so painting MDF at home is difficult, but possible. It will also give your home an updated look.
In order to paint the doors, you will need paint for MDF. On some plates, this coating falls easily, on others - with difficulty. Such properties depend on the components from which the plate was made. The fraction of the material causes the coating that is applied to them to absorb too quickly.
In order for the color to lay down evenly, you need to choose one for MDF doors, which is suitable for the chemical composition of the material to be painted.
Therefore, when choosing paintwork materials for work, it is necessary:
- choose paints without a strong odor, for example, water-based;
- quick-drying. These include acrylic-based paints;
- with a high percentage of adhesion for strong adhesion of the coating and the surface of the object;
- with little expense;
- a certain color, so that the door harmoniously fits into the interior of the apartment.
Now on sale there is a special polyurethane paint for MDF. It is an environmentally friendly coating material, odorless and volatile components. Possesses high wear resistance and resistance to chemical elements.
Instruments
To paint the surface of an MDF door, we need certain tools.
- Tassels. Narrow for small parts and hard-to-reach places and large. Instead of a large one, you can use a roller or spray gun. The pile on the brush should not climb, so you need to buy a quality tool. Otherwise, then you have to collect hairs from the brush all over the door.
- Roller must be terry or woolen, because foam rubber slips on the surface.
- Mixer or drill with nozzle for mixing the coating composition.
- Special bath for working with paint, if a roller is used during application, or a small jar so that you can dip the brush into it.
- Stencils, adhesive tape, scissors, zero sandpaper.
How to paint an MDF door?
In order to paint or repaint from one color to another MDF door at home, it is necessary to lay the floor of the workplace with paper so as not to get dirty in the process. Place two timbers under the surface to be painted. This is done so that in the future, without effort, turn the canvas to the other side. MDF doors can be painted not only new ones, which are made specifically for painting, but also repainted from one color to another.
The procedure is quite simple and does not require any special costs or efforts. MDF doors are painted in several layers. Before each application, the previous layer must dry completely. But first you need to prepare the canvas.
Preparatory stage
For painting MDF at home, the door is removed from the hinges, freed from fittings, placed on prepared bars. With the help of heating, the old coating is removed, the material itself is prepared for staining. MDF is carefully sanded with sandpaper.
It is better not to use other tools, as the material can be damaged. The remaining debris from grinding is collected and mixed with PVA glue, used as a means to get rid of various defects that appeared during grinding.
If there are glass inserts in the door, then they must be sealed with adhesive tape so that paint does not get in and does not bring additional trouble.
After the MDF door is sanded, leveled, they proceed to the process of priming the surface. This is a very important point before staining.
Padding
Before painting MDF doors with paint, a primer layer must be applied. To do this, you can use drying oil. It is necessary to wait for the complete drying of the primer. Then again inspect the surface for defects and scratches. If necessary, cover all cracks, chips with putty and sand thoroughly.
Then two more coats of primer should be applied so that it can clog all the pores and reduce the amount of absorbed paintwork material.
And only after completion of thorough priming of the surface and complete drying, you can proceed to painting.
Painting stage
In the event that MDF doors are purchased for painting, we skip the first two stages. When the product is prepared, you can not be afraid and start painting the MDF with your own hands. It is necessary to paint over the ends and small details well. An alternative method of application is to spray paint if you do not want to mess around with a roller or brush. But, first you need to paint well all hard-to-reach places with a narrow brush.
After the first layer has been applied, it must be allowed to dry completely. Small stains will remain on the surface, but they will then be closed by the next layer. And, after the second layer dries, you can apply the final third.
When using a water-based or special polyurethane paint, a layer of dried coating on the surface will never prevent MDF doors from closing, as is the case if they are painted with nitro enamel.
antique
Glezal thinner can be used as a finishing layer. It will stiffen the fibers of a medium density MDF sheet. It also contributes to the creation of a textured surface. With this thinner, you can achieve this type of door decoration, such as "antique", "Venetian coating", "imitation bark beetle" and much more. The final step in painting will be applying a layer of varnish.
Most people infrequently deal with repairs and construction - once every few years, at most. And with the replacement of interior doors - less often, because not every repair is associated with their replacement - the door, as a rule, lasts much longer than, for example, wallpaper or linoleum. But at the same time, the door is an important element of the interior, it is what you always see first in any room (unless, of course, this room is not a hut). This article will help you figure out what MDF doors are, how they differ from wooden ones, where they can be used, where they can’t, and how to handle them: should they be painted and how, how to install them, how to do it yourself. In addition, we will deal with common reviews about such doors - after all, the experience of their use has already been accumulated quite rich.
What are MDF doors
Without exaggeration, we can say that today MDF is used in the manufacture of almost all interior doors, with the exception of solid wood. The name MDF is a finely dispersed fraction of wood, and it differs from the familiar and familiar fiberboard in density and manufacturing method - the main binder in the manufacture of MDF is paraffin, and this gives this material some moisture resistance.
As a rule, an MDF door is a wooden frame, to which two MDF boards are glued on both sides - i.e. such a door is hollow inside. It is worth noting that most manufacturers fill this hollow space with corrugated cardboard - like a honeycomb, this is done in order to give the door greater strength. The MDF boards themselves can be either smooth or with a three-dimensional pattern stamped on them. But the coating of such a door can be the most diverse.
The MDF interior door confidently holds its position in the market due to its affordable price and decent appearance.
Where can they be applied
MDF doors can be installed indoors as interior doors - in fact, this is exactly what they are designed for. It is strictly forbidden to install such doors outside the premises, as well as in rooms with high temperature and humidity - for example, in baths and saunas.
Attention! You can often hear questions - are MDF doors moisture resistant, and can they be installed in the bathroom? The correct answers are “no” and “yes”, i.e. MDF doors are not moisture resistant, but most of them can be installed in the bathroom. Below we will look at which ones, and why.
What are the door coverings from MDF
If you don’t specifically look for exotic options, then the whole range of possible door coverings comes down to a small number of options:
- Veneer.
- Furniture paper.
- Various types of PVC films.
- Paintwork.
It is also worth noting that MDF doors can also be sold without a coating at all - just opened with a primer layer (the so-called doors for painting).
Veneered doors
In this case, a thin layer of natural wood - veneer - is glued to the surface of the MDF board, as a result, such a door looks exactly the same as a wooden one.
The veneer covering the door gives it an expensive look of a product made of natural wood.
But here you need to understand that the veneer itself is not the final coating, the coating is the varnish with which this veneer is opened. And the moisture resistance of such a door is due to the moisture resistance of the varnish.
Doors coated with furniture paper or PVC film (laminated)
To laminate means to wrap. By itself, the term “laminated” door only says that the door is wrapped with something, but what it is wrapped with is the second question. In the simplest and cheapest case, this is furniture paper. It looks quite beautiful, but of course it doesn’t have wear resistance, moisture resistance - and it’s absolutely impossible to install such doors in the bathroom. The appearance of such a door will deteriorate very quickly simply because you hold it with wet hands several times. Another thing is doors laminated with PVC-based materials. These doors have a moisture-resistant surface - they are not afraid of water getting on their surface.
Advice. When choosing laminated doors, check the coating material with the seller - this will save you from surprises in the future.
Painted doors
Such doors need no introduction - this is perhaps the oldest type of door covering. Lacquers and paints used to cover doors make the surface of the door moisture resistant - and such MDF doors are also suitable for bathrooms.
Lacquer coating on the door will give it moisture resistance
MDF doors for painting - how and with what to paint
These doors are usually sold already pre-primed. How and with what to paint? You can paint with any moisture-resistant paint, both solvent-based and water-based. Good results are obtained if you use colored varnishes. Colorless varnishes, of course, will not work in this case.
Advice. Since you probably don't know what kind of primer your door manufacturer used, it's a good idea to test the paint for compatibility with the primer before painting the entire surface. To do this, you just need to apply the paint on the primer in a small, invisible area, let it dry, and look at the result: if the paint does not bubble, does not peel off, does not peel off, does not crack - everything is in order, you can paint.
DIY installation
Let's make a reservation right away - the process of installing interior doors is quite complicated, and requires a separate article. Here we will consider the main stages so that you can evaluate your strengths - is it worth it for you to take on the installation of doors with your own hands. So, the installation of interior doors includes:
- insertion of door fittings (hinges, locks, handles);
- cutting to the required size and assembling the door frame;
- preliminary fixing of the door frame in the opening;
- canopy of the door leaf, control of gaps, slopes, adjustment;
- final fixing of the door frame in the opening, trimming and installation of platbands (if any).
If you have never held a chisel in your hands and do not know how to use a manual milling machine, then you should purchase a door with fittings already embedded, or contact your nearest carpentry workshop for this service. Also, many door sellers insert fittings into the door during the sale. Experimenting on your own door is not worth it - the probability of spoiling it is too high.
Simplified diagram of fastening the door and door frame
When you have an already assembled box, we fix it in the opening. You can do this with wedges and spacers, but this method has its drawback - the spacers usually interfere with hanging the door leaf on the frame to check the closing, gaps, and flatness. Therefore, a novice door installer can be advised to fix the box with dowels or self-tapping screws, and be prepared for the fact that after hanging the canvas, you will have to adjust its position - and moreover, more than once.
Advice. You should not make gaps between the closed door leaf and the door frame less than 4 mm - remember that wood and materials based on it “breathe” and can change geometric dimensions depending on the temperature and humidity in the room.
After the box is finally set in the opening, and you are convinced that the door closes properly, the gaps are normal, the door leaf “does not run”, you can blow out the gap between the door frame and the wall with mounting foam. After the foam has hardened, we control everything again - it may well be necessary to partially remove the foam, correct the position of the door frame, and blow it out again. Then we remove the excess foam, cut to size and fasten the casing.
And in conclusion, we will dispel typical myths about MDF doors.
- an MDF door is light, which is bad, because a good door should be massive and heavy.
In fact, a light door is good, because the light weight of the door leaf reduces the load on the hinges and the door frame, and significantly extends the service life. - the MDF door is hollow inside, so it has poor sound insulation.
In fact, the soundproofing properties of the door primarily depend on the seal - if it is not there, then the sound insulation of any door will be unimportant, and only secondly - on the material of the door leaf. - MDF doors are much cheaper, and therefore worse than veneered ones.
In fact, a good half of veneered doors are made of MDF - veneer is only a finishing coating, and not the material from which the door leafs are made.
Video: MDF doors
After purchasing an apartment or after a certain period of time living in one place, you may want to make cosmetic repairs. If everything is clear with wallpapering, rearranging furniture, replacing flooring, then how to update door panels. Not every person knows how to paint MDF interior doors.
MDF is medium density fibreboard. It is made from wood chips, which can be large, medium, small fractions. It is pressed using special equipment. To bond the chips, adhesives (urea resins) are added.
The peculiarities of this material are that, due to its heterogeneity, MDF absorbs a large amount of the coloring composition. In addition to this, it is required to choose high-quality paint, otherwise, under the influence of environmental factors, the decorative layer will be covered with cracks. Due to the addition of urea resins for gluing plates, the environmental friendliness of the material is deteriorating. In order not to harm the human body, it is required to choose only environmentally friendly coloring compositions.
Necessary tools and materials
It is important to know not only how to paint, but also how to paint MDF doors at home. Initially, it is required to prepare tools, materials, additional devices that will be useful in carrying out the planned work.
Instruments:
- Brushes. They are necessary for coloring inaccessible and patterned places. The roller cannot catch them. The main thing when choosing brushes is to check the condition of the pile. It should not crumble and climb during work.
- roller. When buying this tool, you need to choose a terry or wool working part. Foam rollers leave empty spaces when painting.
- Tray for coloring composition or primer. Its size is suitable for applying the coloring composition to the working surface of the roller for further work.
- To stir the paint, you can use any metal stick or an electric drill with a mixer.
These were the main instruments. You will also need a set of screwdrivers, a screwdriver or a mount. They are needed to remove the door leaf. Plus, masking tape, scissors, a sharp blade for sticking decorative elements. Stencils are useful for creating artwork. The question of whether it is possible to paint MDF doors coated with PVC film often arises. In this case, it is required to initially make smooth plastic rough. To do this, you need to buy fine sandpaper.
Paint selection
Before you start painting the door leaf, you need to pay special attention to the choice of coloring composition. There are a number of requirements that you need to pay attention to when choosing a coloring composition:
- Choose paints that smell less. These include water-based formulations.
- It is important to choose formulations without the addition of toxic and harmful components to the body.
- When choosing a paint, you need to pay attention to wear-resistant compounds. Doors are used all the time. Not every coating can withstand heavy loads.
- Choose quick-drying paints and varnishes. This is typical for water-based and acrylic paints.
- MDF has a porous structure, and a matte paint composition will look ugly on such a surface. The glossy outer layer hides this flaw.
- On the purchased container should be written "high adhesion".
Important! Pay attention to paint consumption. The normal indicator is 1 kg of paint and primer on a door leaf measuring 2000 × 800 mm.
In the markets, in construction and hardware stores, you can find various paints. All of them can be divided into three groups.
Acrylic enamels
You can find a huge number of colors. The advantages of acrylic formulations are that they do not exude an unpleasant odor and dry quickly.
Alkyd and alkyd-urethane enamels
These compounds are considered the most popular. Consumers appreciate such paints for their low price, wide range of colors. Alkyd compounds have significant disadvantages. They exude an unpleasant odor for 3 days after application and dry for a long time. Alkyd paints should not be used to cover the doors to bedrooms and paint anything in rooms where people with allergies live.
Polyurethane enamels
The advantages of these paints are durability and beautiful appearance after application. But the high price, toxicity, unpleasant odor are not suitable for all buyers.
Attention! Any type of decorative coating needs a certain time to dry before further work is carried out.
Painting process
When tools, materials, accessories are prepared, it is required to create a working atmosphere. In order not to stain the floor, you need to cover it with polyethylene. Paper is not suitable for this, as it will be saturated with paint and traces will remain on the surface. When the surface is covered, you can begin to carry out the main work.
Preparatory stage
First of all, you need to remove the door leaf from the hinges. If the door is old, a mount is used for this. It must be placed on one side under the canvas to make a lever. With pressure on the other side, the canvas will go up and come off the hinges. In new doors, the hinges are fixed to the door with self-tapping screws. You can unscrew them with a screwdriver or screwdriver.
Two people need to remove the canvas. This is due to the large weight of the structure.
It is required to clean the door with sandpaper. Sweep away debris with a brush. Decorative inserts made of metal or glass are sealed with masking tape.
Padding
When the canvas is prepared, it is necessary to apply a primer. It will hide various defects. After applying the composition, you must wait for the time indicated on the package. When the first coat is dry, inspect the surface for scratches and cracks. In total, 3-4 layers of primer are needed. This amount will reduce the absorbency of the MDF.
Painting stage
When the primer is dry, you can start painting. First of all, hard-to-reach places are stained. For this, a brush is used. The surface is painted with a roller. The first coat must dry before continuing.
After drying, you need to apply another layer, wait until it dries, and cover the canvas with the outer layer. The final layer must be applied carefully. After coating, it is necessary to check the finished surface for defects.
antique
To age the door, it is necessary to use a glaze as a finishing layer. This is a special thinner that can be purchased at the same place as the paint. It strengthens the structure of MDF, draws the structure of the material. The last layer in the work will be varnished.
When the varnish dries, you need to install the door leaf in place, remove the masking tape and throw out the garbage. The varnish will strengthen the paint and protect it from mechanical stress.
To paint an MDF door, you do not need to have additional skills. It is important to know the features of this material, to perform a certain sequence of actions. We must not forget about sanding the canvas with sandpaper and coating it with a primer.
In a harmonious interior, every detail is important. This applies not only to furniture and decor, but also to elements such as doors. Without these components, no modern dwelling can exist. The door leaf should be not only functional, but also attractive in order to successfully complement the existing ensemble. Often the owners want to update the doors, but do not know how to do it right. Today we will talk about how best to paint this element of the home to make it even more attractive.
Advantages
It's no secret that over time, all the details in the interior wear out and gradually lose their original appearance. Better and more reliable materials age a little more slowly, while inexpensive and unnatural materials age much earlier. Noticing that the interior or front door to the dwelling has lost its visual appeal, many owners want to restore its former attractiveness.
A good solution to this issue is the usual painting. Fortunately, modern manufacturers produce coatings that easily fit not only on wooden canvases, but also on metal or plastic surfaces, so you can choose the best paint for any material.
However, often people turn to such an update of the door structure, not because it is very worn out and requires restoration, but in order to revive the interior a little and bring fresh colors to it.
Do not underestimate the role of the door leaf and its colors in the interior, as often such elements radically change the tone of the ensemble and give it one style or another.
Lacquer coatings are good not only because they decorate and update the doors, but also in the choice of shades. Today in stores you can find mixtures of not only classic and neutral, but also the most unexpected and even acidic tones. This suggests that the modern consumer is free to create absolutely any interior, from classic to crazy avant-garde.
Many users prefer painting doors also due to the fact that everyone can handle this process. It is not too complicated and does not require special knowledge and skills. It is enough to know only the basic basics of painting door panels.
Product materials
Almost all types of modern interior doors are suitable for painting. High-quality wooden or veneered canvases are ideal.
Today on the furniture market there are many attractive and durable models made of hardwood, which include:
- Beech. Otherwise, this breed is called the "tree of kings" because of its unsurpassed quality and good appearance.
- Oak. Oak doors boast enviable strength, reliability and a unique shade. This is especially true of luxurious bog oak.
- Nut. This attractive wood has an interesting moiré pattern and a rich dark tone.
- Ash. In terms of strength, this material is comparable to oak, but it costs much less.
- Linden. This wood has a light shade and is inexpensive.
No less popular are canvases made from coniferous tree species, such as:
- Spruce. This material is not the most durable, but it is ideal for an interior door.
- Pine. Pine canvases have a pleasant and calm color. In addition, these doors are inexpensive and look attractive.
- Cedar. Cedar doors are highly reliable and resistant to mold.
- Alder. Alder doors in their characteristics are in many ways similar to pine models, but are more resistant to temperature extremes and exposure to humid air.
Hybrid products are also suitable for painting, which include a frame made of veneered or solid pine wood or an inexpensive canvas made of materials such as MDF, fiberboard or chipboard. Often such products are covered with veneer.
In addition, attractive veneered specimens can be panel or paneled. Paneled designs are ideal for installation as a traditional piece of furniture. Regular shield options can be used a little differently.
Because of their smooth surface, they are often used to create hidden interior paintings. Otherwise, such elements are called "invisible" doors.
You can paint not only a wooden, but also a plastic door. But if you want to achieve the most durable and attractive result, then you will have to stock up on a special aerosol paint in cans. For example, it could be the popular formulation of Amphibolin 2000.
How to paint in the apartment with your own hands?
The choice of a suitable paint and varnish coating mainly depends on what appearance of the door leaf you plan to get as a result, on your experience in such matters and, of course, on the conditions in which the painting will be carried out. If you are going to process a door outside the walls of a living space, then you need to choose an odorless finish so as not to harm the health of those around you.
There are several types of enamel paints on the market that can be used to process the door and its constituent components:
- Acrylic. Such paint perfectly hides any defects on the painted surface. It also protects the material from moisture and moisture, and the formation of mold. It can also be used for glass. Today, many companies produce high-quality acrylic compositions that are environmentally friendly.
- Alkyd. Such a composition is very similar to traditional oil paint, but has more significant protective characteristics that can last up to 4 years.
- Polyurethane. This paint is highly durable and long lasting. It perfectly fills the pores of natural wood, which protects it from the penetration of moisture and pollution.
- Water dispersion and water emulsion. These paints dry quickly and do not contain substances harmful to health. In addition, they do not emit a pungent odor and they are durable.
- Powder and hammer. These options appeared on the market relatively recently. They are not designed for wood finishing. As a rule, metal sheets are covered with them.
- Wax and oils. These specific coatings are more commonly purchased for wood finishes. They allow the material to "breathe" and have a restorative effect on damaged surfaces. However, wax coatings are not quick-drying, so it will be possible to use the treated door only after 3-4 days.
For patination, which is fashionable today, the following compositions are used:
- Acrylic paint, presented in a wide range of colors.
- Bituminous, giving a dark brown tint.
- Wax patina, which can have both natural and green-blue tones.
- Shellac patina available in colors ranging from gold to red.
- Oil patina, which is used extremely rarely in modern interiors.
Required Tools
To paint the door leaf, you must have the following materials and items:
- "goats" or other similar structures for laying the door in a suspended position;
- tassel;
- dry brush;
- small pile roller;
- special pallet for paint;
- hammer;
- screwdriver;
- sandpaper;
- spray gun;
- craquelure for door decoration.
What color to choose?
Modern manufacturers produce paintwork in a variety of colors. Thanks to such a rich assortment, homeowners will be able to easily realize even the most non-trivial design ideas.
Nowadays, there are several leading trends in the coloring of interior door structures:
- soft and delicate shades, light notes of blue, peach, grassy, pink or lavender;
- dark dense shades of brown, cherry, blue and chocolate;
- saturated and juicy shades (red, orange and yellow);
- noble tones imitating natural wood such as wenge, oak, walnut or cedar.
In addition, many designers recommend that owners adhere to the following recommendations when choosing the right color.
- Deep and dark hues such as cherry, red walnut or dark chocolate will bring luxurious and elegant notes to the interior of the living room.
- As for discreet light colors, they are best suited for cozy bedrooms or children's rooms, as they create a peaceful and calm atmosphere.
- If the room has a beautiful white bedroom set, then it is better to choose a door in a similar color scheme. It can also be complemented with gilded panels.
- In a wooden house, solid wood canvases treated with transparent oil impregnation will look perfect.
- For a classic ensemble with antique interior items, you can purchase an interesting artificially aged model made of wood.
- As for the door frame, it should be slightly lighter or darker than the main wall finish.
Technology for painting a new canvas
Previously untreated wood strongly absorbs moisture. If, for example, you put such a canvas in a bath without treating it with special impregnations, then it will swell pretty soon and simply stop closing securely. This suggests that before the direct installation and painting of a wooden door, it must be properly prepared.
All work must be carried out indoors so that dust and dirt do not get on the treated canvas.
First, the door without any fittings is laid on a flat and stable plane. As a rule, at the production stage, the canvases undergo preliminary grinding, but often they still have minor roughness or protrusions, so it’s worth going through the grinder or sandpaper again.
Before painting, the canvas must be treated with a primer. First, all the recesses of the canvas are covered with it, and then even surfaces.
Since the structures will be in a horizontal position, streaks and drops will not appear on them, and the primer will be absorbed as evenly as possible. After that, you need to let the product dry completely and make a second processing.
Now you can go directly to the coloring of the canvas. Shield models are best covered with a roller, and paneled models with a narrow brush. Make sure the paint is not too thick. If its consistency is such, then it should be diluted with a solvent.
Do not decorate the door with too thick a layer of paint, since such actions can only spoil the product. Depending on covering characteristics, 2-4 coats of paint may be required. Keep in mind that each of them must dry completely before applying the next. While the door leaf itself dries, you need to process the opening.
If a stain is chosen for finishing a new canvas, then a primer does not need to be applied.
drastic color change
A previously primed and painted door can be repainted at home. First you need to carry out all the necessary preparations. First of all, the old paint layer is removed. With the complete removal of the previous layers, the door can be repainted in any color, whether it be classic brown, white or black, as well as brighter and more colorful tones. However, in the second case, you should check how appropriate the paint will look in the room. To do this, you need to put it on a couple of boards and attach it to the door leaf.
After these procedures, you can start repainting the door according to the algorithm:
- The canvas needs to be plastered. You can purchase a special composition for wooden doors.
- Then the putty is dried.
- After that, you need to treat the surface with sandpaper.
- Now we apply a layer of primer, oil or wax (you can pick up fireproof materials).
- You need to paint the doors from the top corner.
- Small elements are painted with a brush.
- The paint should be applied exclusively in the direction of the wood fibers.
Now you need to let the canvas dry completely. It is desirable that it be in a horizontal position.
How to remove old paint?
To soften previous layers of paint, a chemical wash coat can be applied and allowed to soak into the surface. This job may take up to 2 hours. After a while, the old paint will begin to bubble and peel away from the door. It can be qualitatively removed with a spatula until the canvas is completely cleaned.
Also, to remove the old paint, it can be heated with a building hair dryer and removed with a spatula. As long as the finish is well heated, it remains as soft as possible and is much easier to remove.
You can use both of these methods. Especially often this method is used to clean oil paint applied in many layers.
You can degrease a wooden door with a metal brush and fine or coarse sandpaper. In especially difficult cases, a planer or aggressive chemical compounds are used. Plastic models are degreased with acetone and white spirit.
How to quickly putty?
Puttying is the final stage of preparing the door for painting and does not take much time. Depending on the condition of the canvas, it can be puttied completely or partially. After that, you need to wait until the composition is completely dry and you should walk along the door with sandpaper (over the entire surface or in separate areas). There is no need to rush here so as not to harm the canvas.
Coloring with two colors
If you want to paint a door in two different colors, such as a contrasting black and white, then you first need to apply a base coat. In this case, white. After that, you should wait for it to dry completely and treat those areas that will be painted in a different shade. Also, in the course of work, you can stick certain surfaces with adhesive tape so that paint of a different color does not get on them.
After drying and processing the base layer, you can re-glue the tapes on it and start painting the previously closed areas black.
Making an antique door
If you like vintage style and an antique look, then the door can be decorated with a patina.
This procedure takes place in several stages:
- first, the surface of the door is treated with an iron brush;
- then a white primer is applied;
- after it dries, a gray patina is applied;
- its top layer will need to be removed with a grinding bar;
- at the end, you need to apply at least two layers of enamel.
Of course, there are no trifles in repair, each work requires attention and respect. But still there are those who do not require much knowledge, skills, or time. These include solving the issue of how to paint MDF or wood interior doors.
The choice of how to paint interior doors is quite large both in terms of paint color and its basis.
It is only necessary to choose the right paint specifically for work in the interior, impeccable from an environmental point of view, but the rest of the operations should not cause any difficulties.
The photo shows only a small selection of possible proposals.
Although there are many operations to be done.
Painting order
The following is to be done:
- first carefully examine the condition of the old paint and make one of two decisions:
- if the old paint “sits” well and it has not lost its appearance, then it is not at all necessary to remove it completely, just very carefully (but there can be no compromises here) remove waves and bumps,
- putty them completely, and,
- clean with sandpaper;
The instruction does not oblige you to first remove the old paint, but it is very desirable to do so.
- if a decision is made to remove the old paint, then you can’t do without special devices:
- first we try to move as far as possible with a conventional spatula, being very careful with the wood without damaging it;
- then we prepare a hair dryer, better - a special, powerful building one - and we remove it with a spatula, preheating the paint layer;
- a more radical remedy - an iron or its construction analogue - can help a lot to remove paint; this one will not be able to help in difficult uneven places, but on flat surfaces it is simply irreplaceable;
Mechanical grinding is required after removing paint and putty
- complete removal of paint obliges then to grind the surface, preferably with a grinder;
- as a final chord, we prime the entire surface;
- we wait for it to dry completely and grind everything again;
- when, one way or another, the problem of the paint layer is solved, the surface is primed, and the primer is processed with sandpaper, we proceed to painting. Here it will be necessary to follow only one strict rule - painting must be carried out in at least 2 layers, and the first one should be applied with a thicker consistency, before applying the second layer, be sure to wait for the first to dry completely.
Everything can be done with your own hands, especially in hard-to-reach places for a typewriter.
Useful advice! There is another, very effective, way to remove old paint - the so-called chemical, using special solvents, which are also called "paint destroyers".
But we do not recommend using it indoors, and even on a vertically placed door. You will have to remove the door and do all the outdoor work. By the way, all other work on the doors is also best done when they are removed and in a horizontal position.
Perhaps, before painting, the puttied door will not look very aesthetically pleasing, but in just an hour everything will change dramatically
Paint selection
It remains to solve only the most important question, how to paint interior doors. He will immediately say that specialized, more related to the cold galvanizing method, zinga conductive paint will not work here (learn also how and with what to paint the plaster).
Do not use fire-retardant paints for metal polystil. But even with this exception, the choice does not impoverish at all.
Requirements
But first, about the selection requirements:
- Firstly, the paint must be good from an aesthetic point of view, and its appearance must be kept for a long period of time after completion of work.
- Secondly, paint must be impeccable from the point of view of ecology, this is a requirement for all materials used in interiors.
- Thirdly, since the paint for the door, it must be strong enough for abrasion, because interior doors are in motion and in constant use for all 24 hours a day.
- Fourth, and this is very important, the paint must be resistant to fire, God forbid, if you ever have to check this quality, but we highly recommend checking this characteristic when buying.
Painting can be done with a roller, it’s faster, but you can’t do without brushes, in any case, put at least two layers
Offers
We have several paint options on the market to choose from:
- Alkyd. This is now the most common, due to its durability, a large number of colors and cost. But the alkyd paint base for 2-3 days, until it dries completely, emits a not very pleasant smell. On the scale of environmental friendliness, this paint also cannot be given a maximum score of 100 points - it is not higher than 80. In other words, you should not paint the door to the nursery and where people prone to allergic reactions live with this paint.
- acrylic enamel. There is also a large range of colors, no smells for you. But it is already noticeably more expensive and strength suffers, so often the paint layer is additionally coated with acrylic varnish.
- Nitroenamel. The high cost of this proposal for many is more than compensated by the wonderful appearance of the surface on which this paint will fall. But such paint requires increased attention to personal safety during the work, it is toxic.
If the work area is small, then everything can be done in just a few hours, do not forget that the putty must be allowed to dry completely
conclusions
Painting an interior door is the operation that you always strive to perform on your own and it’s not even a matter of saving money. I just sometimes want to do something with my own hands, when the price of work in terms of time costs is not so great (find out here how and with what materials to prepare drywall for painting).
Treat your work with the utmost respect, as always, carefully prepare the entire surface by removing the door from its hinges. Before you finally decide on the paint, test its samples.
Be sure to watch the additional video in this article, it will help you more accurately navigate when choosing.