Time-Saving Hacks For Painting Doors More Efficiently

Some new homeowners may feel like their recently purchased property isn't quite theirs yet, even if the deal is done on paper. Or, maybe you've lived in your home for years and have fallen out of love with some of the now-dated features. While you may be tempted to do an entire remodel, this is not always possible due to either time or financial constraints. 

Fortunately, there are simple and fairly cheap methods to make your home uniquely yours. For instance, an easy way to change up the look is to paint your doors — or even just one door. A freshly painted door can really give your home a brand-new feel! However, even though this task really isn't that difficult, it can be tedious and you may accidentally forget parts of the door-painting process. So, here are some tips to make the process easier while still getting great results.

If you've decided not to take your door off its hinges, you may run into a few problems. For one, an opened door will swing, even with little force. This means you'll have to wrangle it as you attempt to give the door an even coat. Talk about a challenge! While it may not be immediately obvious, a common summer toy can be quite helpful in this situation. Fortunately, this genius pool noodle hack makes painting doors so much easier!

Essentially, a pool noodle-turned-door stabilizer can be a great help as you paint. Just cut about a 3-to-5 inch-section from the pool noodle and make a center slit. Then, take the tube and slide it on the bottom of the door, closing the gap between it and the floor. Voilà! You now have your very own door stopper to stop it from swinging back and forth.

As mentioned, not removing your doors can trim some time off the painting process. However, it can also cause some issues along the way. So, you may want to consider taking the doors off the hinges prior to getting out your painting supplies.

To make painting both sides of the doors quicker and easier, create a stand using thicker pieces of wood. A few feet of sturdy trim, some 2-by-4s, or leftover fence posts can create a makeshift stand. Just screw them to the bottom corners of the doors and they will allow the door to stand freely, giving you 360-degree access.

You can also make your painting process less time-consuming with a similar paint stick hack. Simply secure two wooden paint sticks to the door, this time at the top. Lean the door on a wall (the sticks elevate it from the surface) and begin applying paint with a roller or a sprayer. Then, wait until the door is dry to the touch, and carefully flip it over to paint the other side.

Using your screwdriver, secure lengthy screws to the center of the top and bottom of the door. Just make sure the screws stick out a couple of inches from the wood. Then, rest the screws on two sawhorses. From there, you can paint the entire surface of the door, effortlessly flip it over, and then paint the other side in one session. 

That being said, the door may swing a bit when using this method. To remedy this issue, you can use two screws on each end for added stability. You can still flip the door over. You'll just need to wait until it's dry enough to be picked up to do so. 

You can speed up the painting process, even on inlay doors, by using a roller and a square brush. Use the brush to paint the area surrounding the door knobs. This will be the most tedious part of the painting process. You'll want to invest in a good, expert-recommended paint roller for your project. A quality product, like Wooster Brush's Jumbo-Koter Mohair Blend Roller, can give you a flawless finish and is the ideal size for tackling doors. As long as you're careful with your application, you'll find that this can make painting doors go a whole lot faster. 

If you have a lot of doors to paint, there's another option to make the process more efficient. A tool like HomeRight's HVLP Paint Sprayer can speed up the process of coating the doors. Just keep in mind that you'll have a little extra prep time to protect the surrounding surfaces from overspray.

Painting doors with windows can be difficult. Even the most skilled painters may get a drip or two onto the glass. Now, you can always protect the glass windows with plenty of painter's tape. However, the process of putting strips of tape on a relatively large surface is a bit of a nightmare that can be very time-consuming.

Thankfully, there's an easier way to protect your windows as you paint! You'll just need a can of Associated Paint's Masking Liquid. Using a clean paint brush, apply a thick layer of the masking liquid onto the windows. Once the substance has a plastic wrap-like consistency, you can begin to paint the door. After you're finished painting, use a knife to trim around the edges of each window and peel off the dried masking liquid.

If you aren't interested in taking down your door, you can save time and keep it on its hinges as you apply the paint. However, placing painter's tape over the hinges, locks, and handles protects the door's metal parts and prevents you from having to tediously trim around them. In fact, using this type of tape is a great way to paint your home like a professional, as it gives you clean lines while protecting the door's components. A tool like X-Acto's Hobby Knife can help you be more accurate when trimming the tape to cover the metal. This way, you can quickly paint over the tape and still be precise in your application.

Now, there's a chance that paint might still land somewhere it's not supposed to, despite taking precautions. If that happens, it's not a huge deal! But, it's always a good idea to have a baby wipe on hand to quickly get rid of any unwanted drips.

If you have to spruce up a few interior doors at once, you'll love this painting hack. Take down the doors and place them vertically in a row in a zigzag pattern on top of two boards to elevate them off the floor. Then attach another set of wood boards on the tops of the doors to stabilize them. Then, you can paint the doors using a roller, a brush, or a spray gun.

This is a great way to make painting your doors in a smaller space, like your garage, more efficient. However, if you've chosen to do this project inside, don't forget to open your windows and lay down a tarp to protect your floors prior to setting up the doors. You'll also want to cover any nearby furniture to protect it from overspray or paint splatters.