Painting new Hume doors

[lindad]

I recently had new Hume doors (purchased from Bunnings) hung throughout the house and I am going to give it a go painting them.  I've been told to lightly sand the outside edge of the doors, put painters tape over the hinges, put one coat of primer and two coats of semi gloss on the doors, I think I'd like to use a brush rather a roller.  Has anybody got any other tips?

[redracer01]

Hello @lindad 

Welcome to Bunnings Workshop! Why not a combination of both? Use a quality brush to do the cut features on the door and a gloss paint roller to make the job easier and get a uniform finish all around. I often use saw horses to keep the door off the floor, but if your doors are installed then just possibly a good quality drop sheet under the door so that you will not get paint on the floor. I suggest planning your progress to which door gets painted first, second, third enough time for the paint to dry then the second coat. Remember to have enough ventilation in the house to facilitate drying and getting a superior finish. Please note that paint does take longer to dry in cold weather. I hope the tips help and please post a before and after photo to show our members who are thinking of doing the same thing. If you have any other questions please post it here on workshop. 

Cheers, 

Red

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @lindad. It's wonderful that you've joined us and many thanks for your question about painting doors.

It's great to see the knowledgeable @redracer01 has been assisting you. Have you started your project yet?

The only other piece of advice I could add is to make sure you go for a short nap roller. Something like the UNi-PRO 100 x 4mm Nap Little Ripper Microfibre Mini Roller Set would be perfect, and it will give you a very smooth finish and an excellent result.

Please keep us updated on your progress and let us know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[lindad]

Thanks for this tip.  I was told recently to not paint the top of the door as it's best to leave that unpainted so the door can breathe/expand?  My carpenter said I don't need to paint the bottom of the doors.  I've already put 2 coats on 2 doors (one coat of primer and one coat of semi gloss) including the top of the doors.  I had a look at the other doors that have been taken off and all of them aren't painted on the top or bottom.  Should I give the top of the doors that I've painted a light sand to remove some of the paint so they can breathe/expand?

[MitchellMc]

Hi @lindad,

On the contrary, painting all surfaces of your door, including the top and bottom, is highly recommended by Hume. Any unpainted section will suck moisture into the door and cause it to delaminate the skin, and any MDF components will expand. This is most often seen on exterior and bathroom doors where the underside is left unpainted. Raw timber is like a big sponge and sucks the moisture out of the air.

There is no reason why a door needs to breathe. There are vent holes on the bottom and top of a door, but these are not there to allow the door to breathe. They are part of the manufacturing process and allow air to escape as the skins are compressed and glued onto the frames. 

It would be best if you considered painting the bottom and tops of the doors to comply with warranty conditions, and I would highly recommend you doing so on bathroom, laundry and exterior doors.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell