Front Door Refresh with Fusion Mineral Paint

Happy May!

The shining sun is a welcome sight during these crazy times. After a long, cold, snowy winter, everything is drying up and after distancing ourselves since March, we are preparing to re-open businesses and start our new normal this month. Everyone is getting outdoors and starting to prepare for the summer season and there's no better weekend project than painting your front door.  

Reasons to Paint your Front Door this May

Here are 3 great reasons to tackle this super-easy project:

• You will change the focal point of your home, drawing everyone's eye to your front door. This makes people feel welcome when they come to visit and makes your house stand out for a good reason!
• You can inject some personality and character into your entrance by simply adding a pop of colour! This is a low-maintenance, year-round solution, unlike other entrance additions like plants or seasonal decorations.
• Fusion Mineral Paint provides a low cost (only $25 a pint!) and quick update to dramatically change your entrance.

This is your Front Door on Fusion

Fusion Mineral Paint comes in over 50 colours - plus it's blendable into unlimited shades - so there's no reason to leave your front door a boring beige or the bland off white that it came in. Fusion is both water and UV (fade) resistant - so it's the perfect, durable, and easy-to-apply choice for an exterior door. Check out these gorgeous Fusion-painted front doors! Some of these have been done in the last couple of weeks while everyone has been spending more time at home.

Katie from Baker Nest changed her front entryway by painting her previously Lichen door in the new French Eggshell. And yes - you can use Fusion indoors! (P.S. Do you love the barn quilt design on Katie's Lichen door? Watch for them in our upcoming workshops!)

This door is painted in a custom blend of Homestead Blue and Pressed Fern by our friend Kamie.

Donna from Funky Junk Interiors has painted her door with Fusion more than once! This is a great example of how changing the colour of your door can make a huge difference in the aesthetics of your home.

Long time Chiks friend Victoria painted her door in Bayberry this spring - it brings a nice brightness to her entryway. 

How to Refresh your Front Door with Fusion Mineral Paint

What you’ll need:

• Fusion TSP Alternative or another degreaser
• Sanding paper or sponge in about 120 grit
• Painter’s tape
• Fusion Ultra Grip (in some cases)
• Your fave Fusion colour
• Paint brush, applicator pad, and/or microfibre roller
• Optional top coat (Tough Coat, Natural Stain & Finishing Oil)

Here’s how to refresh your front door with Fusion Mineral Paint:

1. Clean your front door with your degreaser. We recommend leaving the cleaner for a minute or two to break down the dirt - exterior surfaces see a lot of dust and debris! Then, wipe away the dirt with a lint-free cloth and repeat until the door is clean. If you are using a cleaner other than Fusion’s TSP Alternative, we recommend rinsing with water. (Fusion makes a biodegradable concentrated formula of TSP that doesn't have to be rinsed, just sayin. #saveastep)
   
   
   
   
2. If your door is wood, give it a light sand in the direction of the wood grain. If it has a varnish or chipping paint or stain, sand it smooth to give it the best surface to paint. Any rough surfaces left from old paint jobs will show under the new paint. If it is not wood, just a quick scuff with a sanding block will rough up the surface slightly, giving the paint a surface it can bond to.
   
   
3. Unless you are a very careful painter, use green painter's tape to tape off your door jamb and any exposed hardware, glass, etc. to protect it from the paint. You’d be amazed at what Fusion sticks to when you don’t want it to!
   
   
4. If your door has been painted with an oil based paint or primer, you might need a thin coat of Fusion Ultra Grip applied with an applicator pad, brush, or microfibre roller.  This is an adhesion primer that makes "unpaintable" surfaces easy to paint with Fusion. Let dry for 12 hours before painting your colour.
   
   
   
   
5. Paint two coats of Fusion Mineral Paint on your door with a brush or microfibre roller, leaving a few hours between coats. Don’t worry if the first coat looks streaky - this is 100% normal and the second coat will make a huge difference!
   
   
   
   
6. Fusion Mineral Paint has a built in acrylic top coat that is super durable and easily wipeable. However, if this door is your main entrance and gets a lot of wear and tear or a lot of exposure to the elements, consider putting a coat or two of Tough Coat or Natural Stain & Finishing Oil (for dark colours) overtop to protect it. You can also use these top coats to change the finish from matte to satin or gloss if you prefer.
   
   
   
   
7. Pro-tip: if you need to close your door overnight while the paint is still curing (it takes about 3 weeks, but is only fragile for a day or two), rub some Vaseline on the parts that will touch the weather stripping - this will keep the paint from sticking and keep your refresh looking good.
   
   
8. Choose some flowers for a spring planter on your doorstep that look beautiful with your new door.  Don't be afraid to mix it up with colour this summer - after the spring we've had - we all need some colourful reasons to smile! (Optional, depending on how green your thumbs are!) 

Win a Front Door Makeover Package!

Leave a comment on this Facebook post about what colour you would paint your front door and include a photo of your current front door to be entered to win a complete package with everything you need to make the transformation!  Winner will be chosen May 8th, 2020 (in time for Mother's Day weekend.) Here's an idea - paint your mom's door for her next weekend!  Know someone whose front door needs some love?  Share this blog post or our FB post with them so they can enter too!  (Must be a resident of Grande Prairie, AB and area.)

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