How to Paint Your Door Frame and Door Jamb

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12/21/2021 - 17:16

/ Brickman‘s Ace Hardware

How to Paint Your Door Frame and Door Jamb When you are painting your door, it is essential to distinguish between the door jamb and the door frame, as the jamb refers to only the interior side of the frame as a whole. Besides the jamb, the frame also consists of the head, sill, and doorstop, as well as, weather stripping on exterior doors. Knowing how to paint your door and frame can improve your home’s appearance. This article will walk you through all the stages of painting your door frame and jamb. High gloss or semi-gloss latex paint is best suited for painting interior doors and trim. The gloss gives the frame a shiny look and is easier to clean up once finally dry. Latex-based exterior paint is best for painting the trim on doors that open towards the outside. A high-quality paintbrush will ensure better precision. Make sure the brush is not wider than the widest part of the door trim. In order to ensure better control of the paint brush, hold the brush by the metal band and use an angled tip brush for the tight areas. Prior to painting the door frame and door jambs, allow access to all the frame’s parts by removing the door off its hinges. Begin by loosening the hinge pin by tapping it with a hammer and nail until loose enough to pull out. Next, partially open the door and allow the door to drop off the hinges, and then put it in a secure area. If you cannot remove the door, try covering it with a plastic drop cloth and allow access to as much of the frame as possible. To protect your workspace from paint, you’ll first need to cover the floor and hinges with a drop cloth. You can cover the wall around the door frame with painter’s tape. Before you begin painting your door jamb, consider repairing the door jamb’s minor damages first. Once ready its time to clean and sand your door frame and door jambs. Begin with removing dirt by cleaning the door frame and door jambs with grease cutting soap and water, as it will allow the paint to adhere properly. Afterwards, fill small chips and gouges with wood filler or spackling. If needed, you can seal gaps between the frame and wall with caulking. Before proceeding, make sure that both the wood filler and caulk are entirely dry.

Before you begin painting your door jamb, consider repairing the door jamb’s minor damages first. Once ready its time to clean and sand your door frame and door jambs. Begin with removing dirt by cleaning the door frame and door jambs with grease cutting soap and water, as it will allow the paint to adhere properly. Afterwards, fill small chips and gouges with wood filler or spackling. If needed, you can seal gaps between the frame and wall with caulking. Before proceeding, make sure that both the wood filler and caulk are entirely dry. Next, use fine grit sandpaper to sand the door frame while smoothing any possible bumps. Finally, remove any dust or dirt by wiping down the door frame. For the smoothest results, begin by painting the inside of the door trim first, as it will allow you to smooth any excess paint on the trim’s face afterwards. Using the tip of your angled brush, Paint the upper inside corner of the door jambs and door stops while aligning the brush tip to the corner. Next, use a long sweeping stroke to move down the door frame to the bottom of the jamb. Finally, cover the surface of the door frame by using a linear up and down stroke. You can then use the brush tip for smoothing out the paint. After you complete painting the jamb, only the exterior frame is left—start from the top of the door frame and work your way to the bottom while overlapping at least half an inch. Again, make sure the paint isn’t too thick so it won’t drip down the door frame’s sides . Once the first coat of paint is dry, you can apply a second coat. Finally, you are ready to reattach your now repainted door.