Sometimes it’s the little changes that can make the biggest difference in your home. Replacing the hardware on your kitchen cabinets can be the quickest and easiest way to bring an updated feel to your kitchen.
Another easy trick that goes a long way is replacing door hinges. Especially if you’ve already replaced all your doors to be more modern, you should consider sprucing up the door hinges instead of using the same old ones that have been there for 50 plus years.
If the old door hinges still work great, though, it can feel like a waste to throw them away and get new ones. Instead, you can consider painting your door hinges.
So, how do you paint door hinges? To paint door hinges, you’ll have to take down the door and remove all hinges. Prepare the metal surface by sanding, then clean thoroughly with dish soap and water and lay them out flat on a piece of scrap wood or cardboard. Spray paint in segments, making sure to allow for dry times and turning over the hinges to get every angle.
When painting door hinges, it’s important to follow the careful instructions we’ll list below and make sure you have the right supplies. Using the wrong type of paint or skipping a step could ruin the integrity of your door hinges.
Should You Paint Door Hinges?
In general, it’s not recommended to paint door hinges.
Painting door hinges can lower the effectiveness of the joint, creating squeaking or making the door move less smoothly than it would have before painting.
The paint on door hinges often flakes off too, so the paint job may not be long-lasting and your hard work might end up being for nothing.
However, painting door hinges is not uncommon. Many door hinges are painted over simply because the painters are rushing to get the job done and they don’t tape over the hinges while painting the door and its frame.
Other times door hinges are painted on purpose to be an accent and look nice with the door.
For example, door hinges painted black go nicely with an all-white modern-style door. Painted door hinges can be an eye-catching interior design element.
While painting door hinges is not recommended, it is still an option. Many people who’ve painted their door hinges attest that their hinges are still in great condition 10-20 years later.
If you plan to paint your door hinges, make sure your read our supplies list and step-by-step guide below to avoid any mistakes that can ruin your hinges.
Supplies For Painting Door Hinges
Before you start unscrewing all your hinges and taking down all your doors, make sure you have the right supplies on hand first.
To paint your door hinges, you’ll need the following items:
- Spray paint
- Sandpaper
- Cardboard/scrap wood
- Dish soap
- Washcloths
- New screws (optional)
When choosing your spray paint, you want to make sure you get a paint that lists metal as an acceptable surface.
We recommend Rust-Oleum Flat Protective Enamel because it will work to prevent rust and corrosion, is resistant to abrasion, fading, and chipping, plus it adheres well to metal.
The Rust-Oleum spray paint we linked above is available in black, brown, red rock, and white. If you want more of a metallic finish, you can pick up some Rust-Oleum paint in silver, gold, or dark bronze.
You’ll also need to use sandpaper to prepare your door hinges to take on the paint. Whether your hinges have been previously painted or not, you’ll need to use sandpaper.
Make sure you get sandpaper that’s designed to work on metal like the pack we listed above. If you prefer to visit your local hardware store than buy online, just read the packaging instructions to ensure it works with metal.
One item that’s listed as optional above is new screws. While you can paint the screws, we recommend replacing them with a color that’s close or matches the new color you’ve painted your hinges.
Some people paint the entire screw while painting the door hinges and others paint the top of the screw head after it’s been reinstalled.
We don’t recommend doing either of these methods. If you paint the entire screw, you run the chance of weakening the threading.
If you paint the screw head when it’s installed in the hinge, you can get paint underneath the screw head that dries and seals the screw inside the door hinge. This can make it difficult or impossible to remove the screws in the future, if needed.
However, many people do paint their screws and don’t report any issues. So purchasing new screws is optional, and you are free to paint them if you’d prefer.
How To Paint Door Hinges
After gathering the proper supplies, you’re ready to paint your door hinges. Be sure to follow each step carefully, not skipping any of them.
- Remove the door from the hinges. You will need another person to help you with this process so the door doesn’t fall on you or on the floor.
- Remove the hinges from the wall, making sure to track where each hinge goes and each screw that goes with it. It’s best to put each hinge with their screws in labeled zipper bags until you lay them out.
- Once all hinges that you intend to paint have been removed, sand them. You’ll want to use a medium to fine grit sandpaper and run it over the entire surface of the hinge. The sanding is what helps the paint stick, so be sure to sand everywhere you plan to paint.
- Clean all of the hinges with dish soap and water. A thorough cleaning will remove any dirt, grease, grime, and other substances that might prevent the paint from applying evenly.
- Be sure to dry each hinge completely before moving forward. Hinges are metal, so you want to be sure to get rid of any residual moisture.
- Now is the time to lay out your hinges. Take your cardboard or piece of scrap wood outside and set it on a flat, even surface of the ground. Lay out your hinges in order so you can keep track of which hinge goes where. You may want to use a separate piece of paper and write out a diagram of the hinges with labels for each one.
- Read the directions on your can of spray paint and paint according to them. Generally, spray paint should be applied several inches away in large sweeps across the surface. You shouldn’t linger or hold the paint over one area for a long period of time. Apply each layer of paint thinly to avoid caking or uneven application.
- If the paint isn’t saturated enough in color after the first coat, wait for the paint to dry and reapply.
- Turn over the hinges and repeat the process on the back. You can even prop up the hinges in an upside-down V shape to ensure you’re getting every angle. Make sure that any part of the hinges that will be seen has been covered in paint.
- Allow the paint to fully dry. You may want to bring the hinges inside to dry overnight, safe from the outdoors. Lay the cardboard or scrap wood with the hinges on it in a well-ventilated room or a room no one will be in for an extended period of time, such as a garage or laundry room.
- Once the paint has fully dried, reinstall your hinges using new screws (per our recommendation above).
And that’s it! Painting door hinges is a fairly easy process. After some sanding and cleaning, all you have to do is paint and reinstall.
The door hinges should still move with ease when you open and close them. You can test out their functionality before reinstalling to catch any issues before putting the doors back up.
Alternative To Painting Door Hinges
Instead of painting your existing door hinges, you can always purchase new door hinges.
Some people don’t like this idea because it seems more expensive, but when you think about buying the spray paint and new screws and having to take all the time to paint the door hinges, the price of buying new may be worth it.
There are plenty of options on Amazon to get replacement door hinges. It’s easier for the classically-shaped door hinges with rounded edges than for some older models, but you can still certainly find any door hinge style needed.
If you can’t find what you need on Amazon, check your local hardware store and see what their options are.
For those who prefer online shopping, you can get black door hinges in a pack of 3, 6, or 18. A pack of 3 white door hinges is also readily available.
You can even find different metallic finishes for your door hinges. Grab this 18-pack of gold door hinges or check out the options from HOSOM. They have 18-packs of door hinges in brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze.
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