5 min read
Front door painting in Ireland looks like a small job and behaves like a technical one, because no other surface on the house takes as much direct rain, wind and UV. On the North Dublin coast a badly prepared door starts flaking within a single winter. Done properly, the same door still looks sharp four or five years later.
Preparation decides how long it lasts
Old coatings are sanded back, any flaking removed to sound material, and bare timber treated and primed. Rot in the bottom rail or around the letterplate is repaired before painting rather than filled and hidden. Hardware comes off where possible — painting around a knocker and letterplate is what makes a door look amateur.
- —Sand back and remove all flaking coatings
- —Treat and repair rot before filling
- —Prime bare timber and any repaired areas
- —Remove hardware rather than cutting around it
- —Two full coats of exterior-grade door paint
Timber, composite and uPVC are different jobs
Timber doors take a conventional prime-and-topcoat system. Composite and uPVC doors need a specialist adhesion primer and a coating designed to flex with the substrate — ordinary trim paint peels off plastic within months. We tell you which system your door needs before quoting.
Colour on an Irish street
Deep greens, navies, black and heritage reds hold up well against grey Irish light and hide road dirt better than pale shades. On south-facing doors, strong reds fade fastest, so a UV-resistant product matters more than the shade itself.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does it take to paint a front door?
- Usually a full day including preparation, with the door back in secure use the same evening. Deeper repairs or a colour change from dark to light can extend it.
- Can you paint a uPVC front door?
- Yes, with the correct adhesion primer and a flexible topcoat system. It is not the same product used on timber.