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

Steel doors make an excellent choice for home entrances because they are durable, but these doors do not provide the warm and homey aesthetics that wood doors evoke. Fortunately for homeowners, you can paint or stain a steel door so that it looks like wood. Knowing how to pick the right stain or paint for the job is one of the key elements in transforming your door.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Hammer
• Bed sheet
• 2 sawhorses
• Painter’s tape
• Warm water
• Soap
• Scraper
• Sandpaper
• Direct-to-metal primer
• Wood stain
• Wood-graining tool
• Polyurethane
• Plywood (to use as makeshift door)

Instructions

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

Tips & Warnings

• Get exterior acrylic latex type paint for your wood stain. Oil-based paint can contract or expand depending on the weather and it can begin cracking just months after retouching your new door.

• Your door will be out of the frame for several days. You can use plywood the size of your door and attach it to the door frame with hinges. You can also add a latch for added security.

References

• Painting and Decorating Concourse: Faux Painting
• The Columbus Dispatch: Doors of Fiberglass, Steel Look like Wood