How to Paint or Stain a Steel Door to Make It Look Like Wood

Take off your door from its hinges. Do this by placing your screwdriver under the head of each door hinge pin and tapping it with a hammer. The pin should automatically move up after one or two taps.

Cover the top of your two sawhorses with the bed sheet. Place your door on top of the sawhorses and mask any glass portion of the door with your painter’s tape. Unscrew the doorknob with your screwdriver and take off other hardware.

Wash your door using warm water and soap. Allow it to dry for a few minutes. Remove any hint of paint with your scraper and sand it with fine-grade sandpaper.

Apply the primer to the entire door surface and allow it to completely dry.

Paint the interior panels with your wood stain using your paintbrush. Proceed to the door’s edges after painting the interior panels. Paint vertical strokes for the lengthwise areas and use horizontal strokes for the crosswise edges.

Use your wood-graining tool and run it down your door following a constant rocking movement. This will make the wood grain appear more natural. Check if all corners of the door have been properly painted. Let it dry for 48 hours.

Coat the door with polyurethane to ensure its durability and to unify the staining. Let it dry for a few hours and repeat the same step on the other side of your door.