Baron wrote:
"Matt" "No Email" wrote in message
...
I have a new interior door and I have some new acrylic paint
from Lowe's. Whats the best way to paint it so that there is
a smooth finish?

I bought a fine brush, but I don't have the technique down
so that I can lay the paint smoothly. I also used a roller
that paints it evenly but doesn't leave a very smooth surface.

Thanks for your help and time,
Matt

You've been given a tremendous amount of good advice here, some of it
perhaps more involved than it needs to be but you will still get the desired
results.

I'd like to point out that 100% acrylic paint is much more tricky to use
properly than 100% vinyl paint. Vinyl and mixtures of vinyl and acrylic
paint are what many people refer to as "latex" paint. The word latex really
refers to a water suspension. The polymer being suspended may be different.
Acrylic paint can more easily be overbrushed than vinyl or vinyl-acrylic
paint. That means don't fiddle with it. If you are really having problems,
you might try adding a retarder like Floetrol but that will also thin the
paint. The beauty of acrylic paint is that you "flow" it on, not brush it
like an elementary school child. Don't "overwork" the brush. The paint has
levelers in it so after it is applied, it will level to an even surface
before it dries.

As far a primer is concerned, one of the best is BIN made by Zinsser.
BIN is a several pound cut of white pigmented shellac. The nice thing about
it is that in addition to its priming and stain blocking abilities, it
completely dries in about two hours enabling you to recoat or paint very
quickly. The main reason to prime in your case, after filling any nail
holes, dents, and dings and doing some finish sanding, is to provide a white
"canvas" for your paint. I have used two coats of BIN for this very reason
on some painted furniture and some sheetrock walls which had wallpaper
stripped from it. After both primer coats, I lightly sand with a fine grade
paper. Since it is shellac, it sands beautifully and it takes only 4-5
hours for both coats. Surface prep is very important for a smooth finish.

As for what type of brush, I find that synthetic brushes are best for
water based finishes and natural hair brushes are best for solvent based
finishes. A really good synthetic brush is the Chinex Takalon type. If the
surface area of the door is too much for you to handle with a brush given
your level of experience, you could try a short-nap roller, 1/4 - 1/2 inch.
It won't leave a glass smooth finish but I bet it will be very close.

With the right paint, one coat should do it. If you like, you can
gently sand and apply a second coat but keep in mind that acrylic paint
requires two weeks to fully cure hard enough to sand.

People are right when they tell you that it is easier to get a smooth
finish with oil (solvent) based paints. Oil paints do not dry as quickly as
water based paints. Once you understand how to adjust your painting
techniques for water based, especially acrylics, you would be surprised at
how smooth the finish will be.

Good Luck.



Thanks for the excellent tips.

Matt