Update your home by painting door hinges! Learn how to paint your door hinges with black spray paint with this step-by-step guide.
This blog post has been updated with our NEW YouTube video that also details how to paint hinges. Take a minute to check it out; it is worth the watch!
My mom purchased a small house down the street from us. We spent several months updating the house before my Mom moved into her new home. When renovated her house, we painted all the door hinges in her new home WITHOUT removing the doors.
Fast forward…we recently updated my craft room. As part of this renovation process, we painted the doors and hinges. We did remove the doors because I also painted the doors.
In both instances, we ordered new black doorknobs and painted the hinges to match so we decided to spray paint them flat black.
Before and After Pictures
Below is a picture before we painted the door and hinges in my craft room.
Below is a picture after we painted the doors and hinges (and renovated the room):
Materials needed for painting door hinges:
- Drill with bits or screwdriver
- Hammer
- flat bar (or can use a flat screwdriver)
- Soap and water (and maybe some type of cleaning spray)
- Scrub brush
- Sandpaper (if the hinges are smooth and need to be “roughed up”)
- Flat Black spray paint
- Some type of drop cloth, plastic, cardboard, wood, etc. as a pallet for spray painting
- Black paint or black Sharpie (for touching up screw heads)
Removing the hinges:
If you DON’T WANT TO TAKE THE DOORS OFF THE HINGES, then you can do this in stages. I did this in our previous house and it worked like a charm!
- First, remove (using a drill with a bit or a screwdriver) and paint all the top hinges, and then reinstall them. SEE DIRECTIONS BELOW FOR HOW TO PREPARE, PAINT, ETC.
- Next, remove and paint all the middle hinges and then reinstall them.
- Finally, remove and paint all the bottom hinges and then reinstall them. It will take a little extra time (maybe a few days) because of the drying time, but it was much easier than removing the doors.
Removing hinges in preparation for painting your door hinges:
Close the door so you can access the pin that holds the two hinge pieces together. Use a flat bar or a flat screwdriver and pry the hinge pin in an upward direction. You might need to use a hammer to tap the flat bar or a screwdriver to jar the pin loose. Warning: The pin might be greasy, so don’t get this on your clothes. Once you remove the pin, open the door and use a drill and bit or screwdriver to remove the screws that are holding the hinges in place. Remember, just remove one hinge at a time if you don’t want to remove your doors. Be careful not to strip the heads of each screw. You want to reuse these screws if possible.
Sand if the hinges are new or have a smooth surface:
If the hinges are relatively new or have a smooth surface, roughly sand them to create a more porous painting surface. This will help the paint stick.
Clean the hinges:
I used warm water and dish detergent to clean all the hinges; this will ensure the paint sticks. If your hinges are really dirty, use a more abrasive cleaner to ensure a clean paint surface.
Layout the hinges:
I used a leftover piece of cardboard as my pallet.
Shake spray paint before painting the door hinges:
We used black flat spray paint. Be sure to read and follow the directions on the spray paint. Shake the can for several minutes to ensure the paint is even mixed in the can. There is a ball in the can so you should be able to hear the ball easily moving.
Spray painting the door hinges:
It is crucial to paint all the angles. As hinges open and close, different sections of the hinges are seen. It is very easy to miss a section (as I initially did). If you do miss a section, just remove and touch up – – no biggie!
Tips on spray painting:
- Hold several inches away from the hinges.
- As you spray paint, keep the can moving (i.e. don’t concentrate in one spot so as not to have drips).
- It is better to spray paint several coats rather than apply the spray paint too heavy. Patience is the key!
Ensure each section of each door hinge gets painted:
Click HERE to watch a video that shows each stage of spray painting.
Lay them flat on one side and spray paint. Make sure you paint the edges. Allow them to dry. Don’t rush this process!
After the hinges dry, flip over and paint the other side. Make sure you spray paint the edges. Let them dry.
Then prop them up, spray paint, and allow them to dry.
Then open the hinges and lay them flat. Spray paint and allow them to dry.
Be sure to open and close the hinges and examine them from multiple points of view to ensure all visible parts have been painted.
Be sure not to rush! Take your time so each hinge has an even coat of paint
Paint the Screws
You have two options for painting screws.
Option 1:
Install the hinges and paint them in place with black flat paint and an artist’s brush.
Option 2:
Stick each screw in cardboard (maybe use a box) and spray paint. You will likely have to touch them up once you install the doors. Do this with black flat paint and an artist’s brush or with a black Sharpie.
Reinstalling the freshly painted door hinges:
Once the hinges are painted, reinstall using a drill and bit or a screwdriver. Be sure you reinstall the hinges correctly. See the graphic below to understand how the hinge works.
In addition, our YouTube video has some helpful hints (starting at 6:15) in reinstalling the door.
Here is a closeup after the screws were painted in place at my Mom’s house.
Below is the final result of our freshly painted door hinges at my Mom’s house.
The picture below is the freshly painted door AND HINGES in my craft room after we renovated.
Below is a before and after picture you can pin for later. The before picture is before we installed vinyl floor planks.
And now enjoy your updated hinges. Isn’t it amazing how this small change makes your doors look so much better?
Special Note about doorknobs: Because doorknobs need to be more durable due to constant contact, we opted to purchase and install all new doorknobs. It was worth the investment.
Check out our NEW YouTube video that also details how to paint hinges. It is worth the watch!
Tell us what you think or if you have questions, please comment below.
