How to Paint Fiberglass Doors to Look Like Wood in Living Rooms

Clean the fiberglass doors with an all-purpose cleaner and rinse well; the surface must be free of oil and dirt. Dry with a clean cloth.

Sand the fiberglass doors with 120-grit sandpaper to rough up the surface so that they will take paint easier. Sand in an up-and-down motion. Wipe off any residual dust with a tack cloth.

Pour acrylic primer into a paint tray and use a roller and 2-inch brush to thoroughly coat the fiberglass door. Apply only in an up-and-down direction. Let the primer dry at least two hours.

Pour the base coat into a paint tray. The base coat should be a paint color that matches the lightest color in the wood grain that you are matching. In the case of oak grain, for example, the base coat would be a light yellow-brown. Coat the door in the base coat using a 3-inch paintbrush and making straight up-and-down strokes. Let dry completely.

Mix equal parts top coat and glaze in a bucket, and apply with a 2-inch paintbrush. The top coat color should be similar to the darkest shade in the wood grain that you are matching, such as a dark brown if you are going for an oak grain. Work on only a third of the door at a time.

Drag the plastic rocker tool down through the section you just painted in one smooth motion from top to bottom, "rocking" it up and down to create the slightly wavy wood grain effects. The tool creates a variety of grains from narrow to wide, just like natural wood. Immediately drag one or more of the plastic combs down next to the rocker tool section to create additional wood grain effects. As with the rocker tool, drag the combs from top to bottom of the section in one smooth stroke, but not perfectly straight; some waviness will better imitate natural wood grain. These tools are sold in kits at home improvement centers.

Apply the top coat-glaze mixture to the next third of the door and repeat the graining effect. Working quickly, drag the rocking tool and a comb down through both sections so that it seamlessly continues the wood grain from the first section. Repeat once more for the final section. Let the glaze dry for 24 hours.

Apply a clear coat of polyurethane with a 3-inch brush to seal and protect the door.