How to paint a fiberglass door: a step-by-step tutorial on how to paint fiberglass doors with minimal sanding (full materials and directions below)! This was such an easy DIY that makes me happy every single day when I walk by it.
Our hallway before just reminded me way too much of the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Remember that movie ’80s kids? When he sticks his hand in and pulls out the heart. Yeah, well that’s what I felt like this door looked like. It was just brownish red all over. In the past two years of owning this house, I have done a lot painting, and this room was definitely one of the most impressive before & afters!
And after replacing my DIY Leopard bench with a DIY vintage table, and accessorizing, the room looks even better!
HOW TO PAINT FIBERGLASS DOOR
Materials:
- Wood Filler
- (optional) use only if you need to repair holes in the trim from nails
- Primer
- you want to use a good primer, after making the mistake and using another one I ALWAYS use Zinsser Smart Prime–it is no to low VOC and covers the best
- Paint
- I always use Benjamin Moore Semi-Gloss Natura in Simply White
- Paint Brush- use a 3″ angled trim brush
- I use this one (Purdy 3″ angle)
- Paint Trim Guard
- I use it to keep a solid edge on the hardwood floors, and to provide a guard against painting the parts of the door I don’t want to touch. It is also great for pulling back carpet, and painting baseboard next to wall-to-wall carpet.
- Shur-line Premium Paint Edger– seriously the best money you will spend.
- I use the Shur-Line Premium Paint Edger and should dedicate an entire post to it because it is amazing and it seriously saved my marriage! Without this tool I couldn’t do the amount of painting in this house in any timely manner!
- Rollers and Tape (I prefer 2″ to give yourself enough of a margin for error.)
DIRECTIONS:
- Preparation:
- Sand the fiberglass door lightly with 150 grit paper.
- Then vacuum and wipe down all surfaces with vinegar and water or just a damp rag. I sanded the door because because the door was so glossy. You want to make sure that the primer has something to adhere to, so make sure to rough up the finish enough.
- Tape off the floor and remove all electrical outlet covers, light switches, and vents and door hardware.
See how glossy the door is? Sand it lightly to remove some of the shine.
-
- a rel=”nofollow” href=”http://amzn.to/2d4jhwp” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>Primer
-
-
- Paint an even coat of primer over all surfaces. If you are going white with it, I would recommend doing a second layer of primer. Primer is a third of the price of paint, and its job is to cover up, block, and adhere what it is below. The primer bonded really well to the fiberglass, and a year and a half later, it is still holding up really well!
- Paint the Trim/ Door:
- Layer and repeat. Put a second coat of primer on everything that is going white (all trim except the fiberglass door). Then, I start with the semi-gloss. Two coats for the door which was black, two coats for all the trim. When painting the trim, I don’t tape the walls if I am going to paint them. The only thing I am careful with is the floor and the ceiling since I don’t want to paint those!
-
-
*TIP: To create a straight line on the quarter-round toe kick, I used not only tape to protect the floor but also used a Paint Trim Guard, wedging it under the toe kick as one more line of defense for getting paint on the floor.
-
-
- Paint the Walls
- Cut in first with the Shur-line Premium Paint Edger. Load the paint onto it with your paint brush. This way, it is much more controlled. Make sure to keep the “feet” clean and the wheels free of any paint.
- *TIP only load up the closest 2/3 of the pad (towards the wall) to reduce the formation of a bead of paint on the wall. If the bead forms, then go back through with a paint brush and just smooth it out.
- Then use a roller on the walls.
- Paint the Walls
-
Isn’t it so much better?
Remember, this is how she started…TEMPLE OF DOOM!
Have you painted any rooms lately? Have you ever painted a fiberglass door? I was nervous to but it turned out really well. No problems with adhesion! Are you a fan of painting oak trim?
Related: How to Paint Wood Trim and How to Paint Oak Trim
Owen Davis says
Wow it looks so great!! Amazing what paint can do to a space 🙂
joey says
That’s a labor of love if I’ve ever seen one, but it turned out so so beautifully! Absolutely lovely!!!
rach. says
great tips! i can totally use this for my door in my house!! THANK YOU
love the blog girl! if you get the chance i’d love for you to check out mine and give me your opinion on it! it’d mean a lot! 🙂
love, rach.
http://www.so–hi.blogspot.com
Erin says
WOW! What a difference….may have taken forever but will pay you back dividends.
Katie Elizabeth says
It looks SO good! I looove black doors, we have one too 🙂 Isn’t it amazing how much of a difference a little paint can make?! It transformed your entire entryway!
Annie says
Katie,
You are too sweet! I love a good black door! And YES it makes SO MUCh difference!
xo
Annie
Annie says
Erin,
Thank you so much! Definitely took forever but so worth it! I just need to build up my reserves for the back hall which has even more trim!
xo
Annie
Annie says
Rachel,
Heading over to your blog right now! Thank you so much for visiting mine and taking the time to comment! The black paint made SUCH a difference! GO for it girl!
xo
Annie
Annie says
Thank you Joey! You are too sweet! I am very happy with how it turned out!
xo
Annie
Annie says
Owen,
You are so sweet! Thank you so much! Hope you had a wonderful weekend–it looked like a wonderful time!
xo
Annie
Kate Welling says
That dark finish on the door makes a world of a difference. I have fiberglass doors that I have been desperately wanting to make over without destroying them. I am not the best at “staying inside the line” no matter what painter’s tape we use. I might have to bribe my husband to do the edges! Thank you for the wonderful idea.