Can you paint UPVC doors? Yes, I painted my front door six years ago, and it’s still looking great! Let me show you how!
We bought our house ten years ago. It was in a bit of a sorry state – having not been touched in years – and it took us quite a long time to do all the work on it. We didn’t have the funds to do everything in one go, so we had to stop and save up.
As soon as we moved house, one of the things I wanted to do was replace the brown wood-effect UPVC front door. It was such a sad-looking door that it negatively impacted the exterior of our house.
However, binning a perfectly functional hulking bit of plastic didn’t sit well with me. Nor did the cost of a replacement door. Those things are eye-wateringly expensive! So, I did some research and six years ago decided to paint the UPVC door so that I could update it on a budget.
If you’re looking to paint your door, here’s everything I wish I’d known before I started – including details of where we ran into some problems so that you can avoid these:
The Before & After
First up, here’s the important before-and-after shot of our door.
In some houses, this brown wood effect would look good, but in ours, it didn’t. In order to maintain privacy, I’m just showing you a close-up of the door rather than the full external view of our house. You’ll just have to take my word for it that the brown door did nothing for our house.
I was a bit worried about the paint as I didn’t know how it was going to stand up to a) Scottish weather and b) general life. Was it going to be a very expensive mistake – one that would see us having to replace the door anyway?
Thankfully, the paint job turned out well. It’s held for six years now. This means I now know how the paint stands up to all weathers, time, and life. I’d hate to recommend something and for it to ruin your door, let alone my door. So definitely 100% feel confident in talking about door painting with some degree of authority!
What Paint Should You Use On UPVC Doors?
You can’t use any old paint to paint a UPVC door. For this purpose, I would really recommend Zinnser All Coat Exterior paint.
I did some pretty extensive research before taking the plunge in painting my door. I also talked to a few people more experienced in DIY than I am. Every time Zinnser All Coat was the paint recommended to me for painting UPVC exterior doors. This is the paint I used, in the shade ‘Anthracite Grey’. I’d say it’s more dark blue than grey.
You can buy the anthracite grey paint I used from JDC Paints, who sell via Amazon and offers free delivery. If you’d rather avoid Amazon, then you can also purchase the paint from Rawlins. Here you can select from a multitude of different colours, although there is a hefty £8 postage charge.
I’d just like to point out that this post is not sponsored in any way by Zinnser. The paint wasn’t a freebie. I bought it at full price with my own money. This is simply an impartial guide as to what worked for me, and I think might work for you if you are also looking to paint your UPVC door.
Matt or Satin – Which to Choose?
There are two different types of All Coat paint for use on UPVC doors – matt and satin. I initially painted my front door with the matt version of the paint. For about a week or so, the door looked great. However, then the entire door developed an unsightly white bloom that appeared in dry weather:
I emailed Zinnser, who was really helpful. They asked me to fill in a report – including details on how I prepped the door, the weather conditions when I painted it, and details on where my door is located. They also asked me to send photos of the bloom so they could investigate the cause.
It turned out that because my front door is north-facing, in a more exposed location, salts were being pushed to the surface of the paint, causing a white bloom. Zinnser told me the satin version of Allcoat Exterior was a better option in this case and arranged for a replacement tin of satin paint to be sent to me. Top-notch customer service.
If your door is north-facing or in an exposed location, then I would therefore really recommend using the satin paint. I re-painted my door in satin and have not had any further problems.
Is The Paint Eco-Friendly?
As this is an eco-blog, you might be wondering about the ingredients of the paint itself. I make no claims that UPVC paint for doors is an eco-friendly product.
What I think, though, is that if you have an old door that is functional but ugly, and that you are considering replacing, then do consider trying UPVC paint before replacing the door.
Since giving our door a fresh coat of paint and seeing how great it looks, we’ve decided there’s no need to replace it. It’s saved a huge amount of waste, as well as all the resources that would have gone into making a brand-new door. To me, that feels like a proper eco-win.
The Preparation
Preparation is key when it comes to painting UPVC doors!
First off, give your door a brush down to remove any spider webs, dust, or leaves. Next, wash your door with warm, soapy water, and rinse well. Then dry your door with a cloth or towel, or leave it to dry.
You’ll then want to wipe the door down with methylated spirits to remove any residue. There is no need to sand your door.
Next, using masking tape, mask off all the parts of the door that you don’t want to paint. I spent a lot of time masking off the door handle, letterbox, and glass. In fact, I probably spent more time masking than I did painting. I really think that the time spent was well worth it for a sharp finish.
The great thing with the Allcoat Exterior paint is that you don’t need a separate primer. The first coat acts as a primer, meaning that you can get straight on to painting!
How To Paint A UPVC Door
I’m not going to lie, it is pretty daunting painting something so expensive as a UPVC door. I would say that if you have never painted anything before, then your front door probably isn’t the best place to start. The paint dries very quickly. Pretty much as soon as it’s on the brush, it starts to dry – so you do have to work fast.
If you’re semi-experienced at painting, then as soon as you get your head around how fast you need to work ,then it will be a really straightforward job. The Allcoat Exterior paint gives really good, smooth coverage, and I was able to fully coat the door and frame within half an hour.
I used a brush to paint my door because of the glass section and various panels on my door. I figured it would be easier to get in with a brush than try to use a roller. If your door is less detailed than mine, then do try a roller. The paint dries so quickly and can leave brush marks if you aren’t careful, so a roller would help avoid this.
Zinnser suggests leaving one hour between coats, and they recommend using two coats of paint. The first coat acts as a primer, and the second coat acts as the topcoat and sealer. I was initially sceptical that two coats would give the desired coverage, but two coats worked a dream.
In fact, I had two-thirds of a can left over. I then painted my back door to match, and I have stored the remainder to be able to patch up any chips or scratches.
How Long It Takes To Dry
I was worried about not being able to close my door after painting. However, the Allcoat Exterior paint is touch-dry within 30 minutes, and re-coatable within one hour, so you don’t have to worry too much! I’d leave it at least two hours before closing your door, to allow the paint to cure.
How Durable Is UPVC Paint?
I was a little worried about how durable a painted UPVC door really could be. Thankfully, it’s been six years since I painted my door, and it’s stood up really well to the elements and to life. The above photo is my door two years after being painted. I would take a photo now, but it still looks exactly the same a further four years on!
I haven’t had to repaint it in the six years – just patch up some small knocks.
The tile paint I used, however, leaves a lot to be desired! This isn’t a Zinnser product, by the way, the tile paint was bought from B&Q.
The paint hasn’t weathered or faded. There are also no signs of blistering, flaking, or cracking. Zinnser says the finish can last for 15 years, and I quite believe this.
Of course, life happens. There are a couple of small scratches to the paintwork, as our door has taken some knocks in this time.
Our joiner hit the door with some wood when he was doing some work in our hallway, and that chipped the paint. My daughter also managed to scrape the threshold bar and the bottom of the door with her scooter. There are a couple of small scratches around the lock, from where keys have scraped it.
I guess this would be similar to how a painted wooden door would perform. I took some photos before I patched up these scrapes, so you can see, but overall, I’m mighty impressed.
If you have an unsightly UPVC door, then I would definitely recommend painting your door, rather than replacing it. Although the paint itself is not an eco-friendly product, if it makes the difference between replacing your door or not, then I think it’s a great compromise that yields great, long-lasting results.
More Sustainable DIY Ideas
Doing any more outdoor DIY? Take a look at these green roof ideas for more ways to make your space more sustainable.
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