When it comes to fashion, color can be a door to your personality. It reflects individualism and lets you stand out from the crowd. This also applies to your home! When you paint your front door a vibrant, high-gloss color, it adds curb appeal. Did you know that it can have a historical significance as well? For example, a red door in Early American times symbolized a welcoming home to travelers. Historically, this took on a more significant meaning in the nineteenth century for establishments that were stops along the Underground Railroad.
In Scottish tradition, a bright red door signified that the owners had paid off their home. While in China, a red door represents good luck and happiness. Today, when it comes to colors, many families opt for colors to express their individuality.
As far as finishes go, there is nothing more striking than a high-gloss door to create that “wow” first impression. More and more, Richmond homeowners are choosing this distinguished look to differentiate their homes.
To create this popular look on your own, follow these steps:
1. Take the door off the frame, and remove all hardware. Tape off the edges and hinges. It’s very important to remove visual evidence of old paint. To achieve this, manually sand the door, use heat, or a gel paint and varnish remover.
2. Next, fill in any holes or dings with a wood-filling compound. Let these spots dry, and repeat the sanding process.
3. To give the surface a new skin, apply one or two coats of brushing putty or Swedish putty. This fills in the surface from previous paint jobs as well as imperfections such as pronounced wood grain.
4. Now, you can put the door back on the frame to paint. (If the door will be painted at a shop, the opening will sometimes be secured with plywood while the door is down.) For do-it-yourselfers, the door will be dry enough to shut after four to six hours.
5. It’s time to paint! There are thousands of paint and finish options. However, we recommend a high-end paint like Fine Paints of Europe, especially for smaller jobs like this one. A better-quality paint will show fewer brush marks and will have richer color and depth. In addition, using a marine-grade paint means the door’s color should resist fading from the elements. For best results, apply a minimum of two to three finish coats with a 24-hour wait time in between.
The final result is a beautiful, polished door that reflects your personality and serves as a welcoming, dramatic complement to your home.
Photos: H.J. Holtz & Son
