How to Avoid Cracks Appearing When Painting Inside Doors

Using a mild soap and water, wash the door, removing any dust, hair or other materials stuck to it. It’s usually easier to do this while the door is still up, but can be done with the door on sawhorses.

Remove the door from its hinges and place it across the sawhorses. Using the paint scraper, completely remove any loose paint on both sides of the door. Apply wood filler to any large cracks and allow it to dry completely. This fills in cracks in the wood so that they are invisible once painted.

Sand the entire surface of the door with the sander until it is smooth and even. You may need to use sandpaper and sand by hand around areas like the door knob or on any detailing.

Wash the door again with water to remove any grit left behind by the sanding. Paint the door, when dry, with primer, starting with the edges and moving inwards to the beveled edges in the door panels, then the panels themselves. When the door is dry, hand-sand it completely and wash off any remaining dust. Allow the door to dry. Using primer helps prevent the paint on the door from cracking as it dries.

Allow the primer to dry and then paint the door with paint, working in the same method, from edges to center. Use a wide paintbrush with enough paint to cover 4 to 5 inches at a time. Let the paint dry before rehanging the door.