A door is the hardest flat surface in the house to paint well, because you look at it straight on from three feet away every single day. Brush marks show. Drips show. Here is how to avoid both.

Take It Off the Hinges

Painting a door while it hangs is technically possible and always worse. Pop the pins and lay the door flat on sawhorses. Horizontal surfaces let you keep a wet edge and gravity works with you instead of against you.

The Order That Matters

1. Remove the hardware and tape anything you cannot remove.
2. Sand lightly, then wipe with a tack cloth. Dust is what makes those little bumps.
3. Prime if you are going lighter or if the door has stains.
4. Cut in the recessed panels first with a brush, then roll the flat sections.
5. Lay off the final strokes in one direction, top to bottom, with a light touch.

Why Brush Marks Happen

Almost always one of three things. Paint that is too thick, a room that is too hot, or going back over a section after it started to set. Add a small amount of penetrating additive if the paint drags. Keep the room moderate. And once a strip is coated, leave it alone.

Use a foam roller for the flats and a quality angled brush for the panels. Cheap brushes shed bristles into the finish and you will find them after it dries, when it is too late.