This post was sponsored by HGTV HOME® by Sherwin Williams. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links may be used throughout this post. Readers pay no fees when using these links.

We have lived in our house for over 6 years and have loved our black front door. But with so much traffic coming in and out of our home, it had seen better days. I wanted to paint the door myself instead of hiring someone to do it, and also wanted to see if it was possible to do it in an afternoon.

I have used paint from HGTV HOME® by Sherwin-Williams in the past and loved its one coat coverage. You can check out the Modern Board and Batten Wall I did with them last year here. I am excited to be partnering with them again to show you how easy it is to paint your front door!

I have never painted my front door and have been very nervous to try it. Assuming it was super complicated, I always put it off. I started to do my research and found some simple techniques that helped me along the way. You can watch the video tutorial here on IGTV.

Choosing Paint

Finding the proper paint is key to a successful front door update. You cannot use regular indoor wall paint because of the elements your door will be exposed too. The HGTV HOME® by Sherwin-Williams brand exclusively at Lowes Home Improvement carries a line called EVERLAST™ EXTERIOR PAINT & PRIMER.

This heavy duty exterior paint has Water Beading Technology that repels water, which is very important to me in snow bound Utah. It also dries quickly and only requires one coat of paint because the primer is built in. Additionally, it’s weather tight finish flexes with changing temperatures to help avoid cracking and peeling – YES PLEASE!

Each HGTV HOME® by Sherwin-Williams Color Collection has 20 different paint colors for you to pick from and this helps you match easily the hues for your home. I knew I wanted a new color that matched the outside of my home, and settle on EVERLAST™ EXTERIOR PAINT & PRIMER in Anchors Aweigh (SW9179) color from Timeless Beauty Color Collection. It was a deep blue that looked good with the outside gray tons of my home.

I ended up purchasing a gallon, but looking back now I know you can paint your front door using just a quart.

Supplies

While I was there, a rep for the HGTV HOME® by Sherwin-Williams team was there working, and he has been with them for 23 years! He shared a lot of tips and tricks with me. He recommended the following paint tools for the project:

• Purdy 1.5 inch XL brush for the insets of the door
• Purdy Jumbo Mini Roller Frame for rolling the rest of the door
• Purdy Jumbo Ultra Finish Roller Brushes
• Frog Tape
• TSP Trisodium Phosphate Heavy Duty Cleaner
• Gloves
• Small Paint Tray
• Plastic Drop Cloth
• Sand Paper

Prep

You will want to give your door a light sanding. A 180-200 grit is a finer sand paper and great for getting out scratches or sanding down a coat of paint. Be very cared to not use a heavy grit sand paper (lower the number) and make large scratches in your door. I just lightly sanded the areas that had bumps and scratches.

Then you clean the door. Using the TSP Trisodium Phosphate really gets the dirt and grime off of the door. Make sure to use gloves as this will bother your skin. After you wash it down, you will then wipe it again with a clean rag. Ensure the door is free of dust and grime before you start painting.

One dried, you will tape your door. This part is the longest part! Take special care to seal the painters tape well to the spaces you do not want paint on.

Then I stirred the paint, put my painting clothes on and was ready to attack this project. Make sure you read the directions on the back of the can in regards to outdoor temperature on when is best to paint. It can not be too hot or too cold.

Painting

First Step – Paint The Trim

I painted the trim first to get that part out of the way. I used the roller for most of it then used the 1.5 inch brush to get into the small corners.

As the paint went on I got nervous because it was brighter than I thought it would be. But as it dried it was exactly how I had hoped!

I jumped up and down because I was so excited how it was turning out! The paint was so thick that it just filled in all the scratches I was worried about.

Second Step – Paint The Inlays

Next I painted the inlays of the door with my Purdy 1.5 inch brush. I was careful to not paint too far over onto the flat area of the door to avoid creating a brush pattern that I would need to cover up. I was also careful to not leave paint build up. This paint is thick and does not require 2 coats, so you can be generous with it.

Third Step – Paint The Door

Then I started at the top with my roller (generously filled with paint, but not too much where it splashes as you roll) and did it in sections. I crossed over about 1 inch when starting a new section with the old.

This paint dries quickly and if you have warmer weather (again make sure to see the directions on the back of the can) you can add another coat if desired after 4 hours. If the weather is colder you need to wait for 24 hours.

My first coat was beautiful, but I decided I wanted to add one more after the first coat dried. This is after the first coat.

Once the second coat was done I peeled off the tape to allow it all to dry.

This entire project took me just a day to accomplish. Total was about 8 hours because of dry time, but the time I spent actually working was 2 hours. Throw in an hour to shop for the paint and that is a pretty quick front door update – and it saved me tons of money!

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Let me know if you have any questions about using the HGTV HOME® by Sherwin-Williams EVERLAST™ EXTERIOR PAINT & PRIMER. I am sold on this paint and how well it covered my door. Worth every penny! Pin this project for later too!

Want to check out a few more projects we have done lately? You will love these!

• Wallpaper Art
• DIY Garden Beds
• Master Bathroom Renovation