Best Paint for Interior Doors and Trim

October 7, 2026

The best paint for interior doors and trim is a 100% acrylic semi-gloss, two coats. A color change, a deep color or a rough surface may need an extra coat. Kompozit PRO Semi-Gloss is 100% acrylic paint and primer in one at $58 a gallon. We mix it to any brand's color in Brooklyn and deliver it across New York and New Jersey.

What makes the best paint for interior doors and trim

Semi-gloss sheen. The shinier film takes wiping best and shows what's under it, so fill dents first.
100% acrylic, water based. Brushes wash out with soap and water, and VOC stays under 50 grams per liter.
Primer in the can. Spot-coat each patch with PRO and let it dry, then roll the two full coats.
A fast second coat. PRO is dry to the touch in about an hour and takes a second coat after 2 to 4 hours, at 77°F. Cooler or damp air takes longer.

Interior paint for doors: semi-gloss or satin?

Semi-gloss is the interior paint for doors that get touched all day: the entry, the bathroom, the kitchen and kids' rooms. Satin suits a bedroom or closet door with dings in old wood. Its lower shine shows them less.

Paint for interior doors with old oil paint

The paint for interior doors with oil underneath is still PRO Semi-Gloss, over a bonding primer. In a home built before 1978, test old paint for lead before you sand or scrape it, and follow EPA lead-safe practices if it tests positive.

Rub a hidden spot with a rag and rubbing alcohol. It's a quick first check only, and it doesn't test for lead.
Paint on the rag points to latex. Sand it dull and paint PRO over it.
A clean rag points to oil. Scuff sand it, roll a bonding primer and paint a test patch before the whole door.
For an unknown old coating, use the same bonding primer and a test patch.

Prep

Take off the knobs and the strike plate, or tape over them.
Wash off hand grease with water and detergent. Rinse and let it dry.
Fill dents with spackle and sand the patches flush.
Sand glossy old paint until it's dull, then wipe off the dust.
Wear gloves, goggles and a mask as the label directs, and keep the room ventilated while you paint and while it dries.

Paint a door in this order

Recessed panels first, edges of each panel with a brush.
Then the middle rail and the top and bottom rails.
Then the two long side stiles, top to bottom.
Finish with the edges and the casing around the door. Keep the paint thin on the door edges and the stop, where a fresh door sticks.
Work between 50 and 90°F. Wait 2 to 4 hours at 77°F before the second coat. Cooler or damp air takes longer.
Keep the door open and the room ventilated while it dries. Give it at least 24 hours before heavy use, and longer before you close it tight against the frame. Don't wash it for four weeks.

For a smooth finish, keep a wet edge, brush with the grain and finish each section with one long, light stroke. A light pass with 220 grit between coats leaves it smoother. On a flat slab door, use a roller with a 3/8 inch or larger nap and brush the edges. Taking the door off its hinges? Our step-by-step for doors and windows covers sawhorses and sanding grits.

Baseboards and trim

Vacuum the floor edge and wipe the boards with a damp rag.
Caulk the gap along the top with a paintable acrylic caulk and let it set.
Tape the floor, or slide a wide putty knife along the bottom as you go.
Brush two coats of semi-gloss, with the same wait between coats as the door. Pull the tape before the second coat dries hard.

How much to buy

A gallon covers 300 to 400 square feet per coat. A standard 3 by 7 foot door is 21 square feet a side, so both sides at two coats come to 84 square feet. Add the edges and the casing and plan on about 100 square feet a door. One gallon does about three doors. An extra coat for a color change, a deep color or a rough surface adds half again, so plan on two doors a gallon.

Boards 4 inches tall run a third of a square foot per running foot. At that rate, 300 feet of baseboard at two coats is 200 square feet, and one gallon covers it. A 5 gallon pail covers 1,500 to 2,000 square feet a coat, about 15 doors with casings at two coats. For a building's worth of doors, a business account adds invoices and a price that follows your volume.

Price and delivery

PRO Semi-Gloss is $58 a gallon and $285 for a 5 gallon pail. One tinted gallon delivered comes to $73 before tax. Local delivery in New York and New Jersey is $15 per order, free over $150. Three gallons ride free on our own truck. From November to March a forecast of 32°F on the delivery route holds the order until we call you; details on our delivery page. Made in Deerfield Beach, Florida, 100% acrylic, low VOC, with an 18-year limited warranty to the original buyer printed on the can. Custom tinted orders placed before 2pm on a business day are normally mixed that day.

Order PRO Semi-Gloss: gallon $58

Questions we get

Brush or roller on a door?

Brush the panel edges and the casing. Use a roller with a 3/8 inch or larger nap on the flat parts, then brush them out lightly while they're wet.

Is oil-based paint better for interior doors and trim?

Oil paint can yellow with age and cleans up with mineral spirits. PRO Semi-Gloss is water based and cleans up with soap and water.

Do I need to prime interior doors?

Not over sound latex paint or most bare wood: PRO primes as it paints. Cedar, redwood and knotty pine need a stain-blocking primer first to hold back tannin bleed and knots. Old oil paint needs a scuff sanding, then a bonding primer.