Sand the doors down and do it well. Fill any damage with ronseal 2-pack wood filler. Sand the filled areas again. Then paint the entire door x 2 with zinsser BIN - Not 123. If you use the latter, the knots will likely bleed through and quite frankly it’s a weak primer at best. After this apply 1/2 coats of oil based satinwood (gloss isn’t used much anymore). If you put it on well enough it will only need 1 coat. Alternatively you can have them dipped but there are pros and cons to this. Professional decorator Answer from Deleted User on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/diyuk › painting old brown varnished doors white?
r/DIYUK on Reddit: Painting old brown varnished doors white?
January 27, 2022 -
What product would work for this job? We have fantastic solid wood doors, great for limiting noise from one room to another. Problem is that they're finished with this really dated-looking dark brown varnish and I loathe the idea of having to scrape all that off.
Is there a type of primer/paint/etc that can go straight onto this old brown varnish? I'd really like to paint them white if possible.
Top answer 1 of 5
3
Sand the doors down and do it well. Fill any damage with ronseal 2-pack wood filler. Sand the filled areas again. Then paint the entire door x 2 with zinsser BIN - Not 123. If you use the latter, the knots will likely bleed through and quite frankly it’s a weak primer at best. After this apply 1/2 coats of oil based satinwood (gloss isn’t used much anymore). If you put it on well enough it will only need 1 coat. Alternatively you can have them dipped but there are pros and cons to this. Professional decorator
2 of 5
1
Get them dipped and stripped. Cost about twenty quid a door and then finish them with a decent product. Shame to paint them imo.
Family Handyman
familyhandyman.com › home › house & components › parts of house › trim
How to Paint Varnished Doors
November 5, 2025 - putty knife to work the compound into the wood grain pores and to fill holes. Wait for the compound to dry, then hand-sand with 220-grit sandpaper. Roll on a second coat of primer.
MyBuilder
mybuilder.com › question overview › question
What is the best way to paint my light oak varnished doors white? - MyBuilder
February 28, 2024 - so if i were painting doors the stages i would use are as follows 1 rub doors down to remove varnish 2 clean off doors and treat any knots with knotting solution 3 prime using a primer such as alliminum wood primer 4 rub down apply a minimum of x1 undercoat best x2 coats 5 rub down using a finishing paper, tack cloth doors and apply topcoat as mentioned you can use waterbased primers etc but if you have children and toys etc hit doors they will chip lot easier.
Can oak doors be painted white?
Yes, absolutely. However, you want to make sure to use a high-quality stain-blocking primer. This will prevent any door stains from showing through the finished coat of white paint.
wikihow.com
wikihow.com › home and garden › home maintenance › doors and windows › painting doors › how to paint oak doors white (with pictures) - wikihow
How to Paint Oak Doors White (with Pictures) - wikiHow
Can you paint over stained wood without sanding?
Yes, but scuff-sanding with 180-grit improves adhesion significantly. If you can’t sand, clean thoroughly and use a high-bond primer like BIN Shellac.
imageworkspainting.com
imageworkspainting.com › blog › painting-over-stained-wood-doors-windows-trim
How to Paint Over Stained Wood Doors, Trim & Windows
What is the best primer for painting over stained wood?
Shellac-based primers block tannins best. For a low-odor alternative, acrylic-urethane bonding primers like Insl-X STIX also provide excellent adhesion.
imageworkspainting.com
imageworkspainting.com › blog › painting-over-stained-wood-doors-windows-trim
How to Paint Over Stained Wood Doors, Trim & Windows
Leader Online
leaderonline.com › blogs › blog › how-to-paint-a-varnished-wooden-door
How to paint a varnished wooden door – Leader Online
July 4, 2022 - Once you’ve done this, wipe the whole door down with a damp cloth or give it a vacuum to remove the dust and prepare the surface for the paint. Using a paint roller, brush, or a combination of both, apply your primer.
Leader Doors
leaderdoors.co.uk › home › how to paint a varnished wooden door
How to paint a varnished wooden door
Internal doors are essential for homes and businesses, reflecting the owner's style and personality. Leader Online provide luxurious internal doors at an affordable price, spanning wonderful door styles & types like stunning oak & white internal doors, various glazed internal doors & fire-rated doors for kitchens.
Wikihow
wikihow.com › home and garden › home maintenance › doors and windows › painting doors › how to paint oak doors white (with pictures) - wikihow
How to Paint Oak Doors White (with Pictures) - wikiHow
March 10, 2025 - Pour white primer into a paint tray and coat a roller with it. Apply a thin layer of primer to the door, coating the panels before you work on the crossbar. If you miss any spots, touch it up with a paintbrush.
Emerald Doors
emeralddoors.co.uk › blogs › news › how-to-paint-over-varnished-wood
How To Paint Over Varnished Wood – Emerald Doors
July 7, 2025 - Use white paint that offers good opacity and apply two coats for even coverage. Shabana Kauser, the Director of Emerald Doors, brings over 20 years of invaluable expertise in the door industry.
El Gato Painting
elgatopainting.com › home › how to paint or varnish your entry door
How To Paint or Varnish Your Entry Door - El Gato Painting
June 14, 2024 - Then apply a bead of wood glue or epoxy into the small open gap and use a furniture clamp to compress the door until glue or epoxy cures. Once cured and set – begin your varnish removal off the door surface.
Sherwin-Williams
vanderkolkpainting.com › can-you-paint-over-varnished-wood-helpful-tips-and-step-by-step-guide
Can You Paint Over Varnished Wood? Helpful Tips & Guide
November 19, 2025 - Yes, you can paint over varnished wood! With the right products and methods, you can paint over your varnished wood furniture, kitchen cabinets, or doors to give your home a fresh, modern look.
Call 616-202-6570
Address 225 Graham Street SW, 49503, Grand Rapids
Imageworks Painting
imageworkspainting.com › blog › painting-over-stained-wood-doors-windows-trim
How to Paint Over Stained Wood Doors, Trim & Windows
July 15, 2025 - Fill nail holes with shrink‑free wood filler. After it dries, sand flush and wipe clean. Caulk open seams where casing meets walls for a seamless finished edge. Apply one solid coat of bonding primer.
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to paint over stain / varnish surface - No Sanding - YouTube
This is the best way to paint over a stained or varnished surface without sanding, de gloss or varnish stripper. Shinny glossy surfaces are usually difficult...
Published August 1, 2020
DoItYourself.com
doityourself.com › doityourself.com community forums › interior decorating, design, painting, upholstery and fabrics center › painting & staining. all interior and exterior surfaces › painting over stained and varnished wood doors
Painting over stained and varnished wood doors - DoItYourself.com Community Forums
May 22, 2014 - Fast forward a few years later and the doors were wanting to be painted white- so they were heavily stripped of stain/varnish layers with Citri-strip gel, cleaned, and then painted with Behr Semi Gloss paint- a few coatings of it.
Four Generations One Roof
fourgenerationsoneroof.com › home › diy tutorials › how to paint stained wood white (before & after)
How to paint stained wood white (before & after)
September 29, 2024 - How to paint stained doors white by lightly sanding and applying a quality primer. Follow these 3 easy steps to paint over wood stained doors.
YouTube
youtube.com › krakonosh
How to Paint Varnished Wooden Doors NO SANDING! - YouTube
It can be a fiddly process to get the paint to look absolutely perfect (like they're not painted at all!) but I've done it and it looks fantastic. This is a...
Published November 12, 2017 Views 26K
TikTok
tiktok.com › charlottedecorator (@charlottedecorator) | tiktok › how to prep and paint a varnished door! did you know varnished doors need to be stain blocked before painting? zinsser bin is a shellac based primer and is perfect for stain blocking many surfaces like varnished doors, water stains and damp/mould stains. i purchased this from @screwfix along with the wooster pelican paint kettle and liners which has the built in magnet to hold your brush! #howto #diy #screwfix #diytutorial #homerenovation #ad
How to prep and paint a varnished door! Did you know varnished doors need to be stain blocked before painting? Zinsser Bin is a shellac based primer and is perfect for stain blocking many surfaces like varnished doors, water stains and damp/mould stains. I purchased this from @Screwfix along with the Wooster Pelican paint kettle and liners which has the built in magnet to hold your brush! #howto #diy #screwfix #diytutorial #homerenovation #ad | TikTok
Did you know varnished doors need to be stain blocked before painting? Zinsser Bin is a shellac based primer and is perfect for stain blocking many surfaces like varnished doors, water stains and damp/mould stains.
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Paint a Stained Door - Peak Pro Painting - Denver, Colorado - YouTube
Peak Pro Painting here to tell you how to paint a stained door. Peak Pro Painting offers residential and commercial painting services to the greater Denver m...
Published March 27, 2017
MissPompadour
misspompadour.com › counsellor › painting stairs, doors & windows › paint doors: diy instructions and pro tip
Painting doors: it's quick & easy | Home DIY
September 20, 2021 - If you want to paint plastic doors, you can use MissPompadour To Bond & Block to ensure better adhesion of the paint. This white primer also makes it easier to apply an opaque coat of paint to light white tones.
Hotian
hotianwindows.com › home › uncategorized › how to paint wood doors white
How to Paint Wood Doors White - Hotian
June 20, 2025 - Prime: Use a primer designed for varnished doors. Paint: Apply the paint with even strokes. Bold Dark Colors: Add a dramatic touch with black, dark gray, or navy doors, bringing the depth of a twilight sky indoors.
Address Hefei City, Anhui Province
Quora
quora.com › Can-paint-go-directly-on-varnish-like-a-wooden-door
Can paint go directly on varnish like a wooden door? - Quora
Answer (1 of 5): I usually heat varnish with a heat gun while scraping with a putty spatula or paint scraper to remove it. I learned a trick off YouTube. It might work for varnish too. I haven’t tried it on varnish. You can try it and let us know in a comment how it went.
Sherwoodpaint
sherwoodpaint.com › can-you-paint-over-varnished-wood
Can You Paint Over Varnished Wood In Your Home? - Sherwood Painting Services
July 29, 2025 - You can paint over varnished wood as long as you use the right materials and painting process. The best paint to use is a water-based acrylic one. If you’re using an oil-based paint only use an oil-based primer, not an acrylic one.