Wash a wooden front door a couple of times a year, check the paint each spring and autumn, and touch up chips before water gets into the timber. Keep the hinges and lock working smoothly. A well-finished timber door needs repainting every 5 to 10 years, depending on how much weather it takes.
A simple yearly routine
Most of the work is a few minutes in spring and autumn. This checklist keeps a painted or stained timber door in good order:
- Wash the door with warm water and a little mild soap on a soft cloth, then rinse. Avoid pressure washers and scouring pads.
- Look closely at the bottom rail, the panel mouldings and the glazing beads, where water sits longest.
- Touch up chips and cracks in the paint straight away, so water cannot reach bare wood.
- Clear the weather bar and threshold so rain runs off rather than collecting under the door.
- Check the hinges and lock open and close smoothly, and follow the hardware maker’s advice on lubrication.
How to paint a wooden front door
Choose a dry, mild day and start early so the door can dry before evening. Then:
- Take off or mask the handles, letter plate and knocker.
- Wash the door, let it dry, and lightly sand the whole surface to give the new paint a key.
- Fill any dents, sand them flush, and prime any bare timber.
- Use an exterior paint that suits the existing finish. If you are not sure what is on the door now, test a small patch first.
- On a panelled door, paint the mouldings and panels first, then the middle rails and muntins, then the outer rails and stiles.
- Apply two thin coats rather than one thick one, and leave the door ajar while each coat dries.
A good brush gets into the mouldings. A small foam roller gives a smooth finish on flat areas; many people use both, rolling a section and then laying it off with the brush. You can paint over an existing finish if it is sound and well sanded, but flaking paint needs to come off first.
Why a wooden door sticks or swells
Timber takes up moisture in damp weather and gives it off when it is dry, so a door can feel tighter in winter than in summer. Before taking a plane to it, check the hinge screws: a loose top hinge lets the door drop and catch the frame. If you do plane an edge, seal the bare wood straight away or it will take up more water. If a new door sticks, call the company that fitted it.
Are wooden front doors secure?
Security depends on the lock, the hinges and how well the door fits its frame as much as the material. Our timber entrance doors come with multi-point locking and premium German hardware as standard, with reinforced options available.
When to replace rather than repair
Small areas of damage can be cut out and repaired. Replacement makes sense when rot has spread into the frame or the bottom of the door, when the door has warped so the lock no longer engages, or when draughts get past it whatever you do. A new entrance door typically takes our team a full day to install.
Our doors are made from hardwood or softwood engineered timber, treated with waterproof sealants and protective coatings, in an unlimited choice of colours including Farrow & Ball shades. The Heritage Collection covers Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian and 1930s styles. See the full range on our timber doors page, including French doors.
Do you need permission to change a front door?
For a house, a new door of a similar appearance usually does not need planning permission, and repainting door frames does not either, according to the Planning Portal. An Article 4 Direction, a listed building or a conservation area can change that, so check before you change the style or colour of a door on an older house.
Timber doors around Cambridge
From our Mill Road office in Cambridge we survey homes across the region, including Cambridge, Ely, Haddenham, Chelmsford and Colchester. For windows, see our timber window winter care guide.