Front door painting and staining in Naperville

• Overview
• Options
• Cost
• How it runs
• FAQ

Why an entry door needs more than a quick coat

A door gets opened, kicked, leaned on and slammed, and it faces full weather on one side and a heated house on the other.

That is why we match the primer to the skin, whether fiberglass, steel or wood, and use a door enamel that levels smooth and hardens. Edges, top and bottom get sealed too, not only the face you see.

Published prices for painting an entry door

Fixr publishes these planning ranges for exterior doors; treat them as a guide, not as our price.

What moves the price

• One side only, or both sides and edges
• Restaining wood versus painting
• Rust or dents to repair first
• Sidelights, transoms and glass to mask
• Hardware and weatherstrip removal

Fiberglass, steel and wood doors: what each finish needs

The door's skin sets the prep, primer and finish.

Door work you can handle, and the parts to leave to us

A same-color recoat on a sound painted door is a fair Saturday job.

Fiberglass doors

Fiberglass doors come either smooth or with a molded wood grain, and many wear a factory finish that starts to peel after years of sun. We clean off wax and grime with a degreaser, scuff the surface lightly so primer can grip, and use a bonding primer before any color. On grained doors, a gel stain can imitate wood convincingly; on smooth ones, a urethane-modified enamel brushes out level. Glass inserts are masked tight, and the seal around the glass is checked for gaps before painting starts.

Steel doors

Steel doors dent, and the bottom edge is where rust starts, usually because the sweep and weatherstrip hold water against the metal. We sand rust back to bright steel, prime bare spots with a rust-inhibiting primer, and fill dents with a two-part filler where they would show. A dark door in full sun gets hot enough to soften some finishes, so if your entry faces south or west we steer you toward a product rated for that heat. The door comes off its hinges when that gives a cleaner result.

Stained wood doors

A stained wood door that faces afternoon sun can lose its varnish within a few years and turn gray along the bottom rail. Small worn areas can be sanded and recoated, but once the finish has cracked and water has darkened the wood, the door has to be stripped or sanded bare. We then stain it to the color you choose, seal the end grain and edges, and build several coats of exterior varnish with UV blockers, sanding lightly between coats so the surface stays smooth to the touch.

Colonial entries in Ranch View and historic-district doors

Front door refinishing, step by step

1. Remove hardware. Knobs, locks, kick plates and knockers come off and are bagged.
2. Prep the skin. Clean, sand or strip the door, and fix dents or rust.
3. Prime and seal. Bonding or rust primer, with edges and end grain sealed.
4. Finish coats. Enamel or varnish built up in thin, even coats.
5. Rehang and reset. Hardware back on, weatherstrip checked, door closing cleanly.

Door enamels and stains we trust

Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams door enamels for painted entries, Sikkens and Cabot for stained wood, and Rust-Oleum primer where steel has rusted.

• Sherwin-Williams
• Benjamin Moore
• PPG Paints
• Behr
• Valspar
• Cabot
• Sikkens
• Olympic
• Zinsser
• Kilz
• Romabio
• Ready Seal

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