When looking to refinish or revamp this portal to your domain you may be wondering whether to paint or stain it.
Paint or stain front door.
If your style changes or you alter your home s exterior later neutral hues will adapt with you.
A well painted front door looks fantastic offers strong surface protection and value and it can be completed at a fraction of the cost of staining.
Paint with a semi gloss finish is extremely popular because it s easy to.
However there are a number of intrinsic differences the main one being that paint lies on the surface of the item being painted whereas stain is absorbed into it.
However if the door is a composite one you ll need to incorporate a couple of extra procedures or you may have problems with adhesion.
Choose exterior or interior paint depending on where the door surface will be.
A wood stain will emphasize the door s natural material or grain pattern.
If you plan to stain or paint a composite door frame you need to know the proper preparation steps and the appropriate application techniques or you may end up with a messy disappointing result.
Paint and stain have one thing in common.
Latex based exterior paint is the most flexible type and is quite popular.
The most common kinds of exterior door paint are acrylic resin or latex based and with a semi gloss finish.
Even with proper sealing it s my understanding it will probably have to be redone in a number of years.
Semi gloss or eggshell finish is best for interior door sides.
Choose an acrylic clear sealer to cover the paint after it dries to prolong the life of the paint and make it easier to clean.
So you re ready to paint your front door.
Even deep reds and navy blues are classic front door colors that act as neutrals.
It fills in larger imperfections on a door s surface and resists cracking and chipping.
To put it in more drastic terms in most cases paint will last 10 times longer and cost 90 98 less than wood refinishing.
Both consist of the same ingredients pigments and a vehicle that coat a surface in a protective layer of color.
Another neutral option is to stain your door instead of painting it.
In addition to the design aspect there will be other considerations you will want to explore.
A gloss or semi gloss finish is best for exterior surfaces.
Our house faces south gets full sun and we don t have a storm door or much of an overhang to protect it paint pros.
Your front door can have a significant impact on the overall curb appeal of your home.