Front door painting in Dublin is one of the quickest, cheapest ways to lift the look of a house. A worn, faded or peeling door drags down the whole frontage; a crisp, freshly painted one lifts it instantly. Dublin Deco Painting hand-paints timber, composite and uPVC front doors across Dublin city and county, in a hard-wearing finish built to survive a Dublin winter.

We have been painting doors and houses around Dublin since 2017. Whether you want a tired hardwood door brought back to life, a builder’s-grade composite door repainted in a sharper colour, or a glossy navy or Farrow & Ball-style finish to set off a red-brick terrace, we will tell you straight what is possible and what it will cost — for free.

What we paint

Not every front door is painted the same way. The door material decides the prep, the primer and the paint system we use.

  • Timber / hardwood doors — the classic repaint. We sand back, treat any bare or rotten spots, prime and finish with an exterior-grade gloss or satin. Old doors with lots of flaking paint take more prep, and we will flag that before we start.
  • Composite doors — yes, you can repaint a composite door, despite what some installers tell you. It needs the right primer and a specialist topcoat that flexes and bonds to the GRP skin, otherwise it peels. Done properly, it is a fraction of the cost of a new door.
  • uPVC doors and surrounds — hand-painted with a dedicated uPVC paint system after a thorough degrease and key, so the colour holds without flaking.
  • Door frames, sidelights, fanlights and Georgian surrounds — we paint the whole opening so the new colour reads as one finished piece, not a mismatched door in an old frame.

How we paint your front door

Almost every door we paint stays where it is. We mask off the glass, the door furniture and the frame, wash and degrease the surface, sand and key it, spot-prime any bare or repaired areas, then hand-paint the door with fine-finish brushes and a high-density foam roller, laying the paint off so it dries flat and even.

If a door needs more than a light sand — heavy stripping, a rotten bottom rail, or the top and bottom edges that never got painted properly in the first place — we lift it off its hinges and work on it flat on trestles at the house, then rehang it. The door never leaves your property, so you are never left with a hole in the front of the house.

The door is not out of action for long:

  • Prep and the first coat usually go on in one visit, and the door is back on its hinges, closed and locked before we leave.
  • The topcoat goes on the next dry day. We work with the weather — an exterior coat does not go on a door in rain or late-evening damp.
  • Once the last coat is on, leave the door standing open for a few hours where you can, and go easy on it for a couple of days while the paint hardens off.

Most single doors are done across two short visits. A door with a frame, sidelights and a fanlight takes longer, and we will tell you how many days when we quote.

Painting composite and uPVC doors

This is the question we get asked most: can you actually paint a composite or uPVC front door, or do I have to buy a new one? You can paint it, and a properly done repaint costs a fraction of a replacement door.

The catch is that composite (GRP) and uPVC are not timber. A standard gloss brushed straight onto them will peel — but that is down to the surface, not the brush. Done properly, the door is degreased and keyed, then given a specialist adhesion primer and a flexible exterior topcoat made to bond to a PVC or GRP skin and move with it through hot and cold weather. That is the difference between a repaint that lasts and one that flakes off the following winter.

  • Composite door repaint — any solid colour you like, matched to your frame and windows. Great for tired builder’s-grade doors or a colour you never liked.
  • uPVC door and frame — door, frame and sidelights painted as one so the whole opening matches.
  • Satin, gloss or matt sheen to suit the door and the rest of the frontage.

It is all done at your own front door, glass and frame masked, no mess beyond the doorstep. Hand-painting also means you can keep it looking well: a knock or a scuff years later can be touched up locally in the same paint instead of redoing the whole door.

Colour and kerb appeal

The colour is the fun part — and it is where a door earns its keep on resale and first impressions. Deep navy, racing green, classic black, oxblood and warm greys all work well against Dublin’s red-brick and pebbledash. We can colour-match almost any shade, including Farrow & Ball, Dulux Weathershield, Colourtrend and Fleetwood ranges, and we will hold a sample against your door and brickwork before committing. If you are weighing up colours, our exterior painting team can advise on the whole frontage at the same time.

Durability and weatherproofing

A south- or west-facing Dublin door takes a beating from driving rain and UV. The difference between a finish that lasts five-plus years and one that flakes in eighteen months is almost entirely preparation and the right paint system — not the brand on the tin. We:

  • Degrease, sand and key the surface so paint actually bonds.
  • Treat and seal any bare timber or moisture-affected areas first.
  • Prime correctly for the material (timber, composite or uPVC each need a different primer).
  • Finish with exterior-grade, UV- and weather-resistant topcoats rated for Irish conditions.

What it costs

Every door is different, so we quote per job after a quick look or a few photos — but here is a realistic guide:

JobTypical price (from)Notes
Timber door repaint€120–€220Depends on prep and number of coats
Composite door repaint€180–€300Specialist primer + topcoat
uPVC door repaint€180–€320Includes frame degrease and key
Door + frame / surround€220–€400Whole opening painted as one

Prices are a guide only — heavy stripping, rot repair or two-colour work can change them. Your written quote is fixed and free, with no obligation, and we reply within one working hour.

Why Dublin Deco Painting

We are a family-run Dublin painting and decorating company, fully insured, working across the city, the county and the Kildare, Meath and Wicklow commuter belt. We turn up when we say, keep the area clean, and leave you with a door you are happy to stand at. Front door work often pairs with a wider exterior repaint or interior painting job — we can handle the lot in one visit.

Serving North County Dublin, South County Dublin, Dún Laoghaire and everywhere between.

Ready to refresh your front door? Get a free, no-obligation quote or call 085 178 2117 — we reply within one working hour.