How to Paint a Panelled Door Correctly: The Professional Brush Order

Why Panel Doors Demand a Specific Approach

Six-panel doors are found throughout London's period properties, from the grand entrance doors of Belgravia townhouses to internal doors in Victorian terraces across Clapham and Islington. They look magnificent when painted well, but the multiple surfaces, edges and mouldings create plenty of opportunities for drips, fat edges and visible brush marks.

The key to a professional result lies in working in the correct order, using the right brushes, and maintaining a wet edge throughout. Our decorating teams follow a consistent sequence on every panelled door they paint, and the method below is exactly what we teach new members of the team.

Preparation: The Foundation of a Good Finish

Before any paint touches the door, thorough preparation is essential.

Remove furniture where possible. Take off handles, escutcheons and any latches. This saves time on cutting in and prevents paint building up around ironmongery. In Knightsbridge and Chelsea properties with original brass fittings, protecting these from paint splashes is critical.

Clean the door. Wash with sugar soap solution to remove grease, dust and finger marks. Rinse with clean water and allow to dry fully.

Sand the surface. Use 180-grit sandpaper on previously painted doors to create a key. Pay particular attention to the panel mouldings where old paint tends to build up. On bare wood doors, start with 120-grit and finish with 180-grit.

Fill any defects. Use a fine surface filler for dents, cracks and nail holes. Once dry, sand flush and wipe away dust with a tack cloth.

Prime bare areas. Any exposed wood needs a coat of primer-undercoat before the topcoat. We typically use Zinsser BIN on knotty pine doors to prevent resin bleed, which is a common issue in Edwardian properties across Hampstead and Highgate.

The Correct Brush Order for Six-Panel Doors

This sequence prevents wet paint from being disturbed and ensures every edge stays sharp. Work from the inside out, top to bottom.

Step 1: Panels First (Top Pair, Then Middle, Then Bottom)

Start with the two top panels. Using a 2-inch angled brush, paint the recessed panel face first, then the moulding edges surrounding it. Brush vertically on the panel face to match the grain direction if the door is timber.

Move to the middle pair, then the bottom pair, following the same method. Complete all six panels before moving on.

Step 2: Central Vertical (Muntins)

The vertical strips between the panels are called muntins. Paint these next, using the same 2-inch brush. Work from top to bottom in long, even strokes. Feather the paint where the muntins meet the horizontal rails to avoid build-up.

Step 3: Horizontal Rails (Top, Lock, Bottom)

Now paint the three horizontal rails. Start with the top rail, then the middle lock rail, then the bottom rail. Brush horizontally, following the direction of the rail. Where rails meet stiles, cut in carefully to keep a clean junction.

Step 4: Outer Stiles

The two vertical stiles on either side of the door are painted last. Work from top to bottom with long, continuous strokes. This final step ties the whole door together and covers any overlap from the rail edges.

Step 5: The Door Edge

Paint the hinge edge and the leading edge in the colour of the room the door opens into. This is a convention our teams follow across all London properties to maintain a consistent look when doors are open.

Brush Selection and Technique

• 2-inch angled sash brush for panels and mouldings. The angled tip reaches into corners without overloading.
• 3-inch straight brush for rails and stiles. The wider brush covers these flat areas efficiently and reduces stroke marks.
• Load the brush to one-third of the bristle length. Overloading causes drips in panel mouldings, which are difficult to correct once they begin to set.
• Maintain a wet edge. Work at a steady pace so that each new section blends into the previous one while both are still wet. In warm Mayfair flats during summer, this means working briskly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Painting with the door open at 90 degrees makes it unstable and hard to reach both faces. Instead, open the door just enough to access the hinge edge and prop it firmly with a wedge.

Applying too thickly in one coat rather than two thin coats. Panelled doors have many horizontal ledges where excess paint pools. Two thinner coats dry faster and produce a smoother, harder finish.

Forgetting to check for drips after completing each panel section. Before moving to the rails, glance back at the panel mouldings and lightly brush out any runs while the paint is still workable.

Drying and Reassembly

Allow the manufacturer's recommended drying time between coats, typically four hours for water-based eggshell and sixteen hours for oil-based. In basement flats across Marylebone and Bloomsbury, ventilation is often limited, so we use portable fans to encourage airflow without creating dust.

Once the final coat is fully cured, usually 24 hours, refit handles and hardware. Take care not to over-tighten screws through fresh paint.

A well-painted panelled door elevates the entire room. If you would like professional results across your London home, our team is ready to help.