Painting Hinges On Doors

Pull out all the pins and then have someone help you carry the door outside to a pair of sawhorses.

Painting hinges on doors.

Most of the time this can be accomplished with a quick coat of spray primer and paint. But for a smooth finish you have to lay it flat and remove the hinges knobs and other hardware. Remove the door and all of the hardware. When metallic hinges become old and dingy many people choose to liven them up with a fresh coat of paint.

An advantage of painting attached doors is that you don t have to wait for one side to dry before painting the other. Leave the door on its hinges if it is a flat door. Painting a door typically takes three to five hours depending on the condition of the door and how fussy you are. Wedge a chisel or flathead or cabinet tip screwdriver in the joints between the hinges and the top of the hinge pins and then lightly tap the screwdriver handle with a hammer until the hinge pins come loose.

Lay the door flat to avoid drips and runs for convenience it s tempting to leave a door hanging on its hinges when you paint. But add in the drying time and it s a full day project. In most cases the hinge will not be exactlyflush with the door itself so you will likely have a recessed edge. With the door laid flat on sawhorses you can spread paint more quickly and not worry about drips and paint sags.

When this sets in you ll find parts of the affected hinges falling off as the door is used. Set the hinges flat on a a sheet of old newspaper with the parts you want to paint facing up. Find your line next smooth your finger along the edge of the hinge. Leaving on its hinges makes it possible to paint both sides of the door at once instead of waiting for it to dry and then flipping it.

So if you re painting a door you can t live without like a bathroom or exterior door start first thing in the morning so it can be back in service by day s end. Cover hinges with painter s tape if you want to keep them free of paint. Put on a respirator and spray a coat of metal primer on all the hinges using an aerosol can. When painting a panel door a paint brush may be more effective than a roller.

You can also leave a paneled door on its hinges though it might result in more paint runs than laying the door flat. Begin by applying paint to the inside of the top panels. However if you re planning to paint brass hinges there are a few things you need to know before you get started. After a while the corrosion will make the hinges unresponsive and completely broken requiring complete change.

First take a strip of painter s tape and cover the hinge you are trying to protect.