Put Down The Painter's Tape: The Quicker Way To Paint French Doors

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French doors are a beautiful feature in any home that's lucky enough to have them. If you've inherited yours from the previous homeowner, or perhaps the ones you installed are starting to look a bit worse for wear, then painting them is a great way of giving them a new lease on life. A characteristic of French doors are muntin bars, the strips of either wood or metal that divide the large pane of glass into smaller sections. These look visually appealing, but unfortunately make painting your doors a tricky and time-consuming task. The obvious solution is to use painter's tape to outline your windows to avoid getting paint on them. However, this can take a long time and isn't fool-proof, as paint can still get under the tape. A quicker solution that makes painting French Doors a breeze involves using a razor blade to scrape the glass clean once your paint has dried. This technique will work well on most interior and exterior latex-based paints.

Painting your French Doors with this time-saving hack really couldn't be simpler. All you'll need is a standard razor blade or scraper tool, like this DIYSELF Razor Blade Scraper. Alternatively, if you have already have a sharp utility knife or box cutter in your tool kit, then this may also work. After the paint has been removed, you may be left with some residue, so have some glass cleaner and a cloth on hand to give the windows a good clean. 

Simply paint the French doors, making sure to cover all of the muntin bars as you usually would, but don't worry about getting paint onto the glass. Once your paint has fully dried, it's time to grab your razor blade. Hold your blade at a 45-degree angle to the glass, with the corner tight against the edge of the muntin, then scrape down the edge. The paint should peel up pretty easily without having to apply too much pressure, then you can wipe away any loosened paint. For even cleaner lines, lightly score around the edge of the glass with the tip of your blade before scraping.

If you've managed to get splatters of paint on your glass panels, then you can use a razor blade to remove these, too. Use a swiping motion at a 45-degree angle, adding pressure as you swipe down into the paint dots and then releasing pressure as you swipe up. Finish by cleaning your windows with glass cleaner and a damp cloth.

An obvious question that you may have when considering this hack is, won't the razor blade scratch or damage the glass? Naturally, this isn't 100% guaranteed, but as long as the blade is new and sharp you shouldn't have to worry. Be careful to maintain an angle and press with the straight edge; not the corners of the blade. On the other hand, if you use a dull knife or blade, then you definitely run the risk of causing scratches or micro-abrasions. If window scratches happen, there's one unexpected solution you may already own.