If you require a quick answer, the best front door paint is the Dulux Weather Shield, which provides excellent coverage and is available in a choice of 8 attractive colours. Once applied correctly, the paint is also guaranteed to provide up to 10 years of protection. Another paint that’s guaranteed for 10 years and is a great option to consider is the Ronseal alternative but unlike the Dulux option, it benefits from a greater selection of colours with up to 17 to choose from.
To rate the front door paints within this article, we based our recommendations upon our experience of painting multiple front doors (an example shown below), plenty of research and a number of factors. Some of the factors that we took into consideration included the coverage, colours available, durability, ease of application, drying time, finish and value.
Table of Contents
Front Door Paint Comparison
| Front Door Paint | Colours | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Dulux Weather Shield | 8 | 18 m2 |
| Ronseal Weatherproof | 17 | 12 m2 |
| Rustins Small Job | 10 | 13 m2 |
| Sandtex Exterior Gloss | 8 | 15 m2 |
| Rust-Oleum Universal | 14 | 9 m2 |
| Fascinating Finishes Paint | 5 | 14 m2 |
Before attempting to paint your front door, we highly recommend that you use a paint stripper beforehand to remove any old paint. This is the preferred method because it avoids the time consuming task of sanding it down. Once the door has been prepared, it’ll give you the best possible chance of achieving a high quality look and finish with the paint.
Below is a list of the best front door paints that are available in popular colours and provide many years of protection.
The Best Paint For Front Door
1. Dulux Weather Shield Front Door Paint
The Dulux Weather Shield is a highly rated exterior wood paint that’s ideal for painting front doors. It’s available in 8 attractive front door colours and it provides up to 10 years of guaranteed protection.
For the best results whilst applying this paint onto your front door, it’s recommended that you apply 1 or 2 coats with a brush. However, if you opt for a darker colour, Dulux advise applying another coat.
Other features of the Dulux Weather Shield include:
- Choice of 8 colours
- 10 years of guaranteed protection
- Available in a satin or gloss finish
- Fast drying and touch dry in 2 hours
- Up to 18 m2 coverage per litre
- 750 ml tin capacity
Although this paint is suitable for a range of exterior surfaces, it’s perfect for painting front doors. It’s very hard wearing, fast drying and provides excellent coverage per litre, which makes also makes it great value for the money.
Check it Out
2. Ronseal Weatherproof Paint For Front Door
Ronseal are the main competitors of Dulux and they produce a variety of paints for each and every scenario. This weatherproof paint is a great example and it’s a hard wearing formula that also comes with a 10 year guarantee.
In terms of the application of this paint, it can be applied to a bare or previously painted front door and it’s completely weatherproof in just 1 hour. For the best results, the brand recommend that you apply two to three coats.
Other features of the Ronseal Weatherproof Paint include:
- Gloss finish
- 12 m2 coverage per litre
- 2 to 3 coats required
- Simple brush-on application
- Durable water resistant finish
- Rainproof in just 1 hour
- Guaranteed to last 10 years
- Available in 17 different colours
To conclude, the Ronseal Weatherproof Wood Paint is an excellent all-round paint for front doors and it won’t disappoint. Although it’s slightly more expensive than the Dulux alternative above, Ronseal offer a larger selection of colours to best suit your requirements.
Check it Out
3. Rustins Small Job Front Door Paint
Another popular paint for front doors is the Rustins Small Job formula and it comes in a small 250 ml tin. Unlike many of the alternatives, this paint is available in many unique colours such as the popular poppy red to candy pink.
Other features of the Rustins Small Job Paint include:
- Choice of 10 colours
- 13 m2 coverage per litre
- Water based formula that’s fast drying
- Interior and exterior use
- Low odour output
- Made in the UK
- 250 ml tin capacity
According to the brand, the 250 ml tin is more than enough for applying two coats to your front door but it’s advised to buy a second tin for peace of mind. To conclude, the Small Job paint by Rustins is an easy to apply paint that’s relatively cheap and perfect for a wide variety of front doors.
Check it Out
4. Sandtex Gloss Paint For Front Door
Another paint that offers 10 years of guaranteed protection is by the reputable Sandtex brand. It’s a high quality paint that’s suitable for most exterior surfaces and is available in many popular front door paint colours.
Other features of the Sandtex Exterior Gloss include:
- Gloss finish
- Choice of 8 colours
- 750 ml tin capacity
- 15 m2 coverage per litre
- Requires 16 hours between coats
- Flexible formulation that resists cracking
- Tough, waterproof and long lasting finish
If you require an ultra-glossy finish that provides a mirror shine upon your front door, the Sandtex Exterior Gloss is the best option. It isn’t the cheapest but as with the Dulux and Ronseal alternatives, it provides up to 10 years of protection.
Check it Out
5. Rust-Oleum Universal Paint
The Rust-Oleum Universal Paint is one of our most favourite paints because it’s suitable for pretty much any household surface. In terms of using it as a paint for front door use, it ticks all the boxes and it’s available in 14 colours.
Other features of the Rust-Oleum Universal Paint include:
- Paint and primer in one
- Choice of 14 colours
- Indoor or outdoor use
- 9 m2 coverage per litre
- Touch dry in 2 hours
- Requires two coats
- 250 ml tin capacity
For tackling any type of front door, the Rust-Oleum All-Surface paint is more than capable. Whether the front door is wooden or made from UPVC, this paint has the qualities to provide it with a new lease of life. The only main drawback is that it won’t be as hard wearing when compared to some of the alternatives that offer a 10 year guarantee.
Check it Out
6. Fascinating Finishes Anthracite Grey Paint
The Fascinating Finishes brand are relatively new within the paint industry but they produce a wide range of paints. This front door paint in particular is available in a range of colours but the anthracite grey is by far their most popular.
In terms of value for money, this paint is one of the cheapest on the market and it comes in a 500 ml tin that provides up to 14 m2 coverage per litre.
Other features of the Fascinating Finishes Front Door Paint include:
- Choice of 5 different colours
- Fast drying formulation
- Showerproof in 2 hours
- Self-priming and no mixing required
- Covers 12 to 14 m2 per litre
- Protects for up to 5 years
- 500 ml tin capacity
To conclude, the Fascinating Finishes Front Door Paint offers excellent value for the money and it won’t disappoint. It’s also the only front door paint that’s available in the desirable anthracite grey too.
Check it Out
How We Rated The Paints
Replacing your front door can be very expensive but painting the door instead of replacing it altogether can often save you a small fortune. As we own a number of properties, we’ve had the chance to test out a range of different paints on front doors over the years. As shown below, we recently transformed a tired looking black front door with a more modern and aesthetically pleasing deep teal finish. Apart from spending around an hour sanding and masking up the door to avoid any paint spilling over, the actual painting of the front door didn’t take too long at all.
As well as our experience of testing out a variety of paints for front doors, we also based our recommendations above on hours of research and a number of factors. Some of the factors that we took into consideration included the coverage, colours available, durability, ease of application, drying time, finish and value for money.
Conclusion
Your front door is often the first thing most people will recognize about your house. Therefore, it’s worthwhile spending your time to freshen it up with a high quality front door paint. They are available in a range of different colours and the majority can simply be brushed onto the door. If possible, it’s highly recommended that you strip any old paint from the door and fill in any imperfections for the best possible finish.
