So...I have no photos...for this wonderful attempt at a tutorial...because as you all know...someone broke into my house and stole all my sh*t.
So here goes nothing.
I did quite a bit of research before beginning this project because I am no DIY expert and didn't want my door to look like it had been a canvas to a two-year old.
First I found out, it's a good idea to use a drill...removing the door with a screw driver is painfully tedious.
Once the door is removed from its hinges (yes, we went an entire day without a front door) place it on two saw horses and remove the rest of the hardware such as the door knob and any deadbolts. NOTE: I feel like this step is very important because whoever had painted the door before my fabulous attempt left the hardware on, and got a ton of paint all over the knob, making it look really shabby. Once I put the knob and deadbolt back on, it really made the paint look classy.
ANYWAYS!
After removing all of the hardware, wash the door with soap and water and sand the surface smooth.
Like I said before, whoever painted my door beforehand did a terrible job and there were a ton of paint drips, so I personally had to use a heavier grit sandpaper and then finish with a fine grit to get a really smooth finish, but if your door isn't too messed up, just a quick finish with a fine grit should be fine.
The paint I chose for the door was an enamel paint...this is very important...oil-based paints are not fun to work with and they ruin paintbrushes! I asked my local Lowes Paint Expert what she recommended because I planned on doing both sides of the door. She sold me a high gloss interior / exterior enamel-based paint. Boy was she right, it came out absolutely beautiful.
When painting, I started with a 1" angled brush and painted the outer part of the squares. Then I painted the rest of the door, including the sides, using a roller. NOTE: I probably used too large of a roller, the shorter one would have worked better for what I was doing. Any thoughts on this?
I used red paint, which requires quite a few coats to get an even finish, so I did about four coats, though I still think I could have used one more.
Unfortunately, I ran out of paint after finishing the outer part of the door, so the inside awaits another weekend.
Here is the best photo I could find, courtesy of Dave Hoffman, which looks like my new front door!
Check out his blog here!