FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 22ND 2020 [POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS]
Painting uPVC? You say… YEP! People are generally amazed when I say our front door started out as a boring, very standard white uPVC door! I’ve always dreamt of a beautiful thick wooden door, with golden accessories and gorgeous stained glass - but it just isn’t in the budget right now! And it really isn’t a ‘necessity’ to replace either!
But who says that just because it isn’t necessary to replace something you dislike - that you can’t make the most of it!! This is exactly why I love a good budget makeover… bathroom still working fine but not to your taste? Do it up!! It doesn’t have to cost a fortune! And here’s how I painted my uPVC door and made it into my door of dreams without the big price tag!
YOU WILL NEED:
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Cloth [I tend to use a microfibre cloth]
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Sand Paper or Sanding Block
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Masking Tape - I use Frog Tape
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Paint Brushes [big and small, or a small one and a paint pad - meaning you’ll also need a paint tray.]
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Paint - here’s where you have two options… I used the ‘Ronseal One Coat All Surface Primer’ [which goes a really long way and it great for so many projects] with a tester pot of an exterior paint on top the first time, OR you can use ‘Frenchic Al Fresco’ range which can paint directly onto uPVC without an undercoat. Again only a tester pot size should be needed!
I have used both painting methods on my front door and other uPVC items! Both are just as effective!
Now lets take it step by step, because it really is easy and doesn’t take much time or money for such a beautiful transformation!
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Put on your CONFIDENCE PANTS and tell yourself ‘I’m gonna do this’ and that it’s only paint, it’d not the end of the world if you change your mind on colour [ahem, like me!!]
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Take your cloth and pour on some sugar soap, this will help get any grease marks or dirt off the door ready for painting and give it a good rub all over.
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Get your sand paper or sanding block and give the whole door a quick buff, nothing too severe and no need to spend too long doing it either! It’s just an extra way to help the paint grip better!
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Pick up the dry end of your cloth [or a new one - whatever floats your boat] and give the door another quick wipe to remove any dust from sanding.
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Time to protect your hardware and glass - personally I think our door could do with a new handle and letter box, but I’d much rather buy more cushions right now, so best protect what we’ve got! Use your masking tape to go around the edges of your hardware and glass so that you can slap that paint on without a care in the world!
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a. Now option one here is to use the Ronseal One Coat All Surface Primer on your uPVC first - this will go on no trouble unlike other paints that won’t stick to plastic - and act as a base for you to paint your Exterior paint on top! We’d chosen Stiffkey Blue by F&B and had B&Q colour match it into a tester size pot of exterior paint for us. After one coat or primer I then applied two coats of exterior paint. And voila the job was done! Exterior paint is waterproof, mould proof, weather proof etc so doesn’t need sealing.
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b. Second option - if they have a colour you like - is to use a paint from the Frenchic Al Fresco range. This doesn’t require a primer on uPVC and is intended for exterior and indoor use so fully water proof etc. After a year I managed to persuade my husband to let me have my pink door of dreams as my ‘Valentines present’ - still did it myself, but he got out of buying anything and I was happy! I’ve since used the same pot of Frenchic Dusky Blush on my bath panel, bedroom radiator, coffee machine and a few other bits too!
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Step back and admire and congratulate yourself on plucking up the courage to paint your uPVC door!!
Yes, those are beautiful wedding nails you can see there covered in paint! As soon as we were married [Aug 29th 2019] we started work on the house, using wedding money to get the hallway done and a few other bits too! Totally worth it and even a year on we’ve not had a honeymoon - though we are in a national pandemic right now so hey!
Anyway… I used a smaller brush for the detailed areas of the door and a big brush for the rest and just slapped it on… Two things to note - 1. The first coat always looks pants, so don’t panic, the second coat looks beautiful! And 2. I’ve never been good at painting, I’m seriously messy and have no real ‘technique’ so don’t be afraid to just go for it!
Once dry I couldn’t resist adding a little something extra and bought this gorgeous Brass Bee Knocker on eBay - last year he cost me £20, but I know a lot of people have these cuties now so shops must have caught on and the cheapest I can find is here for £30 inc postage!
Fast forward to Feb 2020 and I got my pink door of dreams AND I’d gained a lot of confidence in interior design and just running with what I love with NO limitations - so the door got it’s second makeover with a few extras too!
For my Valentines door makeover I took extra steps toward creating my dream front door! We live in a 1930’s end terrace which means we only have a very small entrance/hallway and our door is down the side of the house, so it’s nice to make the most of what we’ve got!
I used Frenchic Dusky Blush from the Al Fresco range and then added in extra accessories inc this outdoor motion sensor light from B&Q that is a god send when it gets darker earlier, two faux hanging baskets from The Range [because I’ve mastered house plants during lockdown, but I’m yet to become green fingered!] and this vinyl which says ‘stay awhile’ in metallic gold and still looks as good as it did when I applied it!
I also made the my own faux wreath using an embroidery hoop and gold leafed the roses as I wasn’t a fan of the red with the pink! I’ve since sanded the drain pipe, applied anti rust primer and painted it black and started turning the fence/gate into a charcoal grey tone - our gardens are in serious need of some TLC but with this years pandemic it’s been put on hold until at least next year - so I am trying to reign myself in a little with the outside!
If you’ve any other questions please comment below and I’ll be sure to answer - today I’ve added on a home made Autumn wreath and I’m already getting excited to Christmas-ify our pink door!! if you’re bored of your white uPVC door - just DO THE THING and grab your paint brush!
[Some, but not all, of the links in this blog post are affiliate.]
And if you’d like to try the autumn wreath for yourself here is a link to the rattan base, the foliage is dried from last Christmas believe it or not!!! I love the colour its gone! And here are the pumpkins which you’ll be seeing more of here soon as I’ve done multiple makeovers with them to suit anyones home!