Painting Saloon Doors

1. Order the best material for your finished project.

Soft maple is the best option for painted doors. Soft maple has a light grain that covers easily for a smooth, refined finish. Poplar is also a great option for painted doors but may require an extra coat of primer or paint to obtain better  coverage of the grain. Read more about the difference between soft maple and poplar here.

2. Prepping the doors for paint

All custom saloon doors come fully sanded (even the finish sanding) DONE!  Before you start finishing the doors, we recommend that you wipe the doors down with a soft cloth to remove any traces of dust or dirt.

3. Prime Coat

A coat of primer is always recommended for new unfinished wood. You can choose your favorite paint brand. The primer will ensure a better adhesion of paint to the doors. The primer also helps with durability and additional protection for the doors.

4. Painting the doors

We recommend 2 layers of the finish paint color. Start painting one side of the door. Spraying will give you the best look. If you have the ability to spray the paint we recommend Sherwin Williams pre-catalyzed primer and a pre-catalyzed color.  Satin will give the best coverage without showing the grain of the wood.  You will need to paint both sides of the doors. Make sure door(s) are fully dried before flipping the doors to paint the other side. 

We also recommend Sherwin Williams if you are rolling/brushing on the paint.

Make sure to pick good quality brushes/rollers as this will make a big difference with the look of the finished result.

5. Drying Time 

Let the doors dry fully before installing them. It is important to make sure the paint cures before you handle them. 

Painting Louvered Doors 

Painting louvre doors can be more difficult because you need to ensure that you get paint on the entire louvre surface. We recommend spray painting the louvered doors for consistent coverage. Make sure when setting up the louvered door, you can see the full door from above and beneath to catch any drips before they dry. 

Painting Panel Doors  

Paint internal panels first, making sure that the paint does not run and that you get all the angles fully covered. Then you can brush the flat surfaces. Finally, paint all the rails and stiles making sure that you have full coverage with all coats.