How to Paint a Flush Door

Prepare your sanded or primed door for painting. Tape off the doorknob and push your cardboard or tarp or an old towel under the door. Put wooden shims (small triangular pieces of wood) between the door and the frame to hold the door open. Clean hinges with rubbing alcohol and then paint with two coats of rubber cement -- this will peel off for easy clean up when the paint is dry.

Paint the frame of the door first. Begin at the bottom left and paint up so you can minimize drips. Paint up the other side and then across the top. Use long even strokes with a nearly full paintbrush and a firm hand for the best coverage.

Begin painting the door at the top left corner. Paint in long vertical strokes, covering about one third of the door in length. Paint three or four long stripes and then go back across those lines with horizontal strokes. Continue this pattern across the top third of the door and then do the middle section and the bottom section the same way.

Paint vertically across the top of the door. Watch the paint carefully for brush marks. With a light touch, lightly brush out any brush marks in long strokes in the opposite direction of the brush mark.

Let the paint dry thoroughly and sand lightly if you need a second coat. Use the brush attachment on the vacuum cleaner to get all traces of dust off the door it will show. Paint the second coat in the same fashion.