Repainting old interior doors without taking them off their hinges

Does the door have to come off the hinges

For a flat door painted or repainted in place, no. If you can prop it slightly ajar and reach all edges comfortably, painting it on the hinges is faster and avoids the fiddly job of rehanging it square afterwards. Most panelled and flush doors in older Tallinn buildings fall into this category.

Taking the door down is worth it mainly when you are spraying rather than brushing, when the door has mouldings or a raised panel that need to lie flat to avoid drips, or when you want to paint the top and bottom edges properly. It also helps if the hinges themselves are being replaced or repainted.

If you do remove it, lay the door across two trestles or a workbench, never straight on the floor, and mark the hinge positions with tape so it goes back in the same place. A door that has been rehung slightly off can rub the frame or fail to latch properly.

Tools and materials you will need

Nothing here is specialist. A sanding block or random orbital sander, 120- and 180-grit sandpaper, a tack cloth or damp rag, painter's tape, a scraper for any flaking varnish, and a couple of decent brushes — one flat for panels, one angled for edges and mouldings.

For the paint itself you want a door-specific enamel or a hard-wearing satin or semi-gloss designed for woodwork, not a wall emulsion. If the old finish is varnish rather than paint, you will also need a suitable primer so the new coat adheres.

• Sanding block or orbital sander, 120 and 180 grit
• Scraper for flaking or peeling old finish
• Painter's tape and dust sheet or old bedsheet
• Primer suited to the old surface (bare wood, varnish, or old paint)
• Door enamel or satin woodwork paint
• Flat brush and angled brush, or a small foam roller for flush doors

Preparing the old surface

Start by washing the door down to remove grease and grime, especially round the handle where hand contact has left an oily film that stops new paint gripping. A mild degreasing solution or diluted washing-up liquid works well, followed by a clean water wipe.

Sand the whole surface with 120-grit to key the old finish, then go over it again with 180-grit for a smoother base. You are not trying to strip the door back to bare wood, just dulling the sheen so the new coat has something to hold onto. Scrape off any flaking or bubbled paint first.

Wipe the door down with a tack cloth or a barely damp rag to pick up dust before you prime. Painting over dust is the single most common reason a repaint looks patchy or feels rough to the touch a few weeks later.

Protecting the hinges, handle and wall

Tape off the hinges with painter's tape rather than trying to paint carefully round them; a hinge caked in dried paint will squeak and eventually seize. If the handle and lock plate can be unscrewed in a couple of minutes, remove them entirely — it gives a cleaner line and a better result than taping round an awkward shape.

Lay a dust sheet or old bedsheet under the door to catch drips, and tape along the wall or frame edge where the door meets it when closed. Prop the door open at an angle with a wedge or doorstop so it cannot swing shut on wet paint while you work.

Choosing the right paint and the order to work in

Door-specific enamel paints are worth the extra cost over ordinary wall paint because they cure to a harder, more washable finish that stands up to handles, keys and the odd knock from a pushchair or vacuum cleaner. Satin or semi-gloss is the usual choice for interior doors; full gloss shows every imperfection in the surface underneath.

Work top to bottom and always finish with the direction of the grain or panel lines. On a panelled door, do the mouldings and recessed panels first with the angled brush, then the flat sections, then the edges last. Two thin coats give a better result than one thick one, with a light sand between coats if the paint feels rough.

Leave the door propped open until the paint is properly cured, not just dry to the touch — closing it too soon is how paint ends up stuck to the frame. Check the tin for recoat and full-cure times, since these vary by product.

When to call a painter or replace the door instead

If you have several doors to do, or the finish needs to look genuinely professional throughout a flat, a painter can get through the sanding and coats far quicker and more evenly than most people manage on a first attempt; our painting and decorating service starts from 12 € per job and covers work like this.

Replacement is the better option when the door itself is the problem rather than the finish — warped, swollen from damp, missing panels, or a lock and hinges too worn to hold it square. Our door installation service starts from 120 € per job if that turns out to be the case.