Paint Interior Doors and Trim

A. Finished-Project Specification

Scope: one interior door and its surrounding casing, stops, and jambs, prepared, primed where required, and finish-coated to the approved sheen and color, with all hardware reinstalled and operating correctly after full cure.

B. Assembly Component Schedule

Component	Existing Condition	Preparation Required	Coating System
Door face (both sides)
Door edges (top, bottom, hinge, lock)
Casing
Stops
Jambs

Complete this schedule from the Chapter 1 findings for this specific assembly before beginning Section E. Do not proceed with a coating system that has not been confirmed compatible with the recorded existing condition.

C. Hardware and Labeling Record

• Hardware removed: record each hinge, knob, lockset, strike plate, or stop removed, with its original location.
• Hardware masked in place: record each item masked rather than removed, and confirm masking covers the full hardware face without blocking latch or hinge movement.
• Labeling: label the door and every removed hardware item so reassembly restores original fit and function.

D. Acceptance Standards

Check	Standard
Coverage	Full, uniform coverage on all panel recesses, rails, stiles, edges, casing, stops, and jambs with no holidays or thin spots
Sequence	Panel recesses and profiles coated before rails and stiles; rails and stiles coated before edges
Hardware condition	No coating on hinges, latches, strike plates, weather seals, or labels; hardware reinstalled only after full cure
Operation	Door opens, closes, and latches without sticking, dragging, or binding against casing, stops, or jambs
Surface defects	No runs, sags, brush ridges, or lap marks visible under raking side light
Cure	Full recoat and handling cure times observed before reassembly and before the door is closed or turned

E. Preparation and Hardware Removal

1. Review substrate, existing coating, finish type, sheen, door hardware, seals, and recoat requirements. Confirm this against the Chapter 1 readiness decision and the approved finish and color schedule before touching the assembly.
2. Confirm the door and trim are secure, adjusted, clean, and dry. Check that the door is properly hung and does not currently bind, drag, or fail to latch; correct hardware alignment issues, if any, before coating rather than after.
3. Remove or mask approved hardware. Remove hinge pins, knobs, locksets, and strike plates where permitted; mask hardware in place where removal is not appropriate.
4. Label doors and hardware where components are removed. Record each removed item's original location on the Hardware and Labeling Record.
5. Clean grease, hand oils, polish, and dust. Degrease high-touch areas around the doorknob, kick area, and push points using the specified cleaner from Chapter 3.
6. Scuff-sand glossy sound coatings using dust control. Sand lightly across the full surface to be coated, using the least aggressive grit that dulls the gloss, and control dust with vacuuming as you go.
7. Feather chips and failed edges. Blend the edges of any chipped or failed coating area into the surrounding sound coating so no ridge remains.
8. Fill approved dents and fastener holes. Apply the specified filler with a putty knife, slightly overfilling to allow for sanding shrinkage.
9. Clean all sanding dust. HEPA-vacuum and wipe the door, trim, floor, and surrounding surfaces before proceeding to primer.

F. Priming

1. Apply bonding or spot primer where required. Prime any glossy sound coating requiring a bonding primer per the finish schedule, and spot-prime filled defects and any bare repaired wood.
2. Allow primer to dry and sand lightly if specified. Follow the primer manufacturer's stated dry time before sanding or recoating, and sand only if the product data sheet calls for it.

G. Door Face and Edge Coating Sequence

1. Paint door edges in the required sequence. Coat the hinge edge, lock edge, top edge, and bottom edge before the door faces, keeping paint off the hinge leaves and strike-plate opening.
2. Paint paneled-door recesses and profiles first. Cut the panel recesses and their surrounding profile with the sash brush before coating the surrounding rail and stile field.
3. Paint rails and stiles in the specified order. Coat the horizontal rails first, then the vertical stiles, blending each into the wet edge left by the panel recesses.
4. Maintain wet edges and brush with the grain or profile direction. Keep each section's leading edge wet until the adjoining section is coated, and finish each stroke in the direction of the wood grain or profile line.

H. Casing, Stops, and Jambs

1. Paint casing, stops, jambs, and trim without bridging moving joints. Work the full length of each piece before moving to the next, and keep the coating out of the clearance gap between the door and the jamb or stop.
2. Keep paint off hinges, latches, weather seals, and hardware. Check each pass against the masked or removed hardware locations before moving to the next section.
3. Prevent the door from closing against wet paint. Prop the door open on a doorstop or wedge positioned so it does not touch a freshly coated surface.
4. Allow the coating to dry before turning or closing the door. Observe the product's stated dry-to-handle time before any operation of the door.

I. Additional Coats, Cure, and Reassembly

1. Apply additional coats within the recoat limits. Recoat only within the manufacturer's stated recoat window, and maintain the same coverage and sequence used for the first coat.
2. Reinstall hardware after sufficient cure. Confirm the coating has reached the manufacturer's stated cure time for hardware contact before reinstalling hinges, knobs, locksets, and strike plates.

J. Inspection and Documentation

1. Inspect runs, sags, brush marks, sticking, edge buildup, coverage, and operation. Side-light the finished door and trim, and operate the door through a full open-close-latch cycle.
2. Document products, coats, cure, and hardware restoration. Record the primer and enamel products, coat count, cure times observed, and confirmation that hardware was restored to its original, labeled position.