The latch edge
Takes the knocks, the handle wear and the rub against the strike plate. Chipped paint here is usually the first sign a door needs attention.
Auckland Roof Painting Pros
Auckland Door Painting
Thoughtful preparation. A considered finish. Start with a conversation about your property.
Start with the surface
Door Painting in Auckland
Our Auckland Door Painting service starts with the property and the surfaces involved. For door painting, the important considerations include door materials, moving edges and hardware protection. Understanding the existing material, coating and condition helps define the right preparation before a finish is selected. Tell us about visible wear, previous work and any areas that need particular attention.
A useful proposal should set out the surfaces included, preparation, any agreed repairs, the coating system and access arrangements. Timing also needs to allow for suitable application and drying conditions. Share your address, photographs and preferred timing through the enquiry form, or call to discuss the project. We can then clarify the details that need assessment and the next step for your property.
Moving edges
Where a door actually wears
A door is painted on its faces but it fails on its edges. Knowing where the contact points are explains most of the preparation questions worth asking.
The hinge side
Paint building up in the gap between door and frame can make a door bind. Ask whether hinges are masked or the door is lifted off.
Top and bottom edges
Rarely seen, easily skipped, and often bare timber. An unsealed edge can take in moisture, particularly on a door that faces the weather.
Panels and mouldings
Recessed corners collect paint and show runs. A steady hand and a light touch matter more here than a heavy coat.
Hung or lifted off
Painting a door on or off its hinges
Lifting an interior door off its hinges and laying it flat gives clear access to every edge, keeps drips under control and gets the hardware out of the way. It does need room to work, and each door should be marked so it returns to the opening it came from.
An entry door is a different decision. It usually stays hung so the house can be locked up, which makes the hinge side and the bottom edge harder to reach. Ask how the door will be secured while the paint dries and when it can be closed.
- Interior doors can often be lifted off
- Entry doors need a plan to stay secure
- Mark each door so it returns to its own opening
Door materials
What the door is made of
The material sets the preparation. Describe it as accurately as you can, and send a close photo of the worst edge.
Timber that moves with the seasons
Solid timber swells and shrinks with humidity, so joints can open and edges can bind. Bare or weathered patches need sealing before the topcoat, and soft or split areas may need repair first.
- Check for open joints and splits
- Bare timber needs a suitable primer
A smooth skin over a light core
Many interior doors have a smooth skin over a lightweight core. Dents and scuffs show clearly on a flat face, so careful filling and light sanding matter. Heavy stripping can damage the skin.
- Fill dents before coating
- Keep sanding gentle
Factory finishes need a closer look
Steel and other factory-finished doors can resist ordinary paint if the surface is not prepared for it. Ask what coating system suits the finish, and whether a small trial patch makes sense before the whole door is done.
- Treat any rust spots first
- Ask for the coating system by name
Layers of old paint on the face
Older doors can carry many coats. Glossy surfaces need dulling so new paint can grip, and flaking or heavy build-up may need removing back to a stable layer. Older coatings are best assessed before any sanding starts.
- Dull gloss before recoating
- Assess old paint before sanding
Interior and entry
Hallway doors and the front door
Two doors in the same house can need very different treatment. Exposure, handling and security all change the plan.
Bedroom and hallway doors take daily handling
The entry door faces sun, rain and wind
Frames and architraves beside the door get the same attention
Colour samples held against the door in its own light
Hardware and fittings
Handles, hinges and latches
Fittings are where a painted door either feels right or catches. Agree what is removed, what is masked and what is left alone.
Remove
Handles and knobs
Taking them off gives a cleaner result than masking around them. Ask who refits them, and keep the screws together in a labelled bag.
Decide
Hinges
Paint in a hinge makes a door stiff or noisy. Ask whether hinges are removed, masked or painted on purpose to match the door.
Protect
Locks and strike plates
A lock that sticks after painting is usually paint where it should not be. Entry locks should be protected, and tested before the job is signed off.
Mask
Seals and weather strips
Paint on a rubber or brush seal can stop it working. On an entry door, ask how seals will be kept clean of coating.
Cut in
Glass panels and beads
Glazed doors need a tidy line where paint meets glass. Ask how the glass is protected and how the line is kept straight.
Check
Gap and clearance
Extra coats thicken edges. If the door is already tight in its frame, ask how clearance will be checked before the door is rehung.
Beside the door
Work that shares a door opening
A door sits inside a frame, in a wall, next to other joinery. These pages cover the surfaces around it.
Trim Painting
Architraves and door linings frame the door, so their sheen and colour should be decided together with it.
Window Painting
Windows share the same joinery colour in many homes and face the same moisture and moving-part concerns.
Paint Stripping & Surface Preparation
Doors with heavy old build-up or flaking layers may need coatings removed before they can be repainted.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting & Refinishing
Cabinet doors raise the same hinge, edge and handling questions on a smaller scale.
Interior House Painting
Doors are often scheduled alongside the walls and ceilings of the rooms they open into.
Door list for a quote
Tell us which doors need work
Send the number of doors, which are interior and which are entry, the material if you know it, and photos of the edges and hardware. We can then talk through what needs assessing.