How to paint a primed mdf barn door?

AJD1

I’m receiving my new barn door today and wanted to know do I need to put an undercoat on it? It’s a Hume primed MDF. I was thinking as it’s primed maybe I don’t have to or is it still advised? I will need undercoat on the tops and bottoms still I’m assuming. Any help appreciated. I’m getting Dulux 1L vivid white low gloss aquanamel enamel paint for the top coat and was going to do two coats. How long do I wait before doing second coat. I’m short for time.

Thanks 

JacobZ

Hi

@AJD1, 

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

Even though the door comes pre-primed, it is still worth applying an undercoat to ensure uniformity of the surface and the best finish possible.

I'd suggest giving the door a light sand with 240-grit sandpaper to remove any imperfections in the original prime coat, then apply a coat of Dulux PRECISION White Maximum Strength Adhesion Primer with a high quality, short nap roller such as this UNi-PRO 230mm You Can Do It Microfibre Roller Cover 4mm Nap, ensuring you "lay-off" the undercoat after coating. As you have said, you should also apply your undercoat to the top and bottom of the door.

To ensure the best adhesion of both the undercoat and paint, water-based products should be given at least 2 hours between coats. You might like to read through Dulux's Paint Finishing Schedule for a bit of information.

You might also like to have a look at How To Paint a Door for some further guidance.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob