Spray Painting Door Knobs and Levers

When we got our new house, it was equipped with horrid brass door handles. We lived with those in our condo, and I despised them! I like small amounts of gold here and there, but not for doors!! So, I began searching the Internet for people who have tried it and what they recommended. Everything I was reading, was that it was time consuming but worth it!

Let me just say, don’t attempt this if you will need your door handles for at least a week. With us not living in the house, it was perfect for me to take my time. Giving the handles a week to cure will allow longevity.

You will first want to start off by removing all door hardware and labeling. I just wrote on masking tape and placed it on the bottom. With our house, downstairs had nicer lever handles and upstairs had round, knob handles. So, I separated them that way. I grabbed an empty diaper box, flipped it upside down and used a screw driver to puncture holes for screws, locks, knobs and levers.

My best suggestion would be to get a lot of low grain sandpaper. It worked best for this project! Sand around the entire knob/lever until it is roughed up but smooth. Creating a smooth but gritty surface will allow the spray paint to adhere better. Sanding is going to be the most time consuming, but don’t skip this step!!

Once the sanding is complete, blow or wipe away any dust. You will start off applying at least three light coats of white (or grey) primer. Make sure to let each coat dry for at least 30 minutes. For technique on spraying both knobs and levers, you should hold them to start out with, upside down and spray the bottom side of the handle. Place it into your pre-cut box holder and spray the remaining top and sides. Next, grab your preferred spray paint ( mine was Krylon’s Satin nickel). I wanted the handles to resemble a stainless steel/ brushed nickel look. Make sure to stand at least two feet back and spray very light coats. Allow at least 30 minutes between light coats for drying. I would recommend the same technique for spraying the bottom side of the handles, as mentioned above. Depending on your covered, three full coats should be good! Once you have applied your last coat, the longer you allow these to sit, the better.

Once you allowed, at least a day of quality drying time, finish with a spray gloss. This gives the handles a finished, professional look! Although, this was a very time consuming project, I couldn’t be happier I did it! It completely transformed the entire house and matches with every detail!!

If this is a project you are thinking about trying, give it a go! I spent about $80 total on spray paint and supplies to cover 18 door knobs/levers and accessories. I would have spent a minimum of $350 for new door hardware if I bought new ones. My husband didn’t feel it was a necessity to do it at the time, so I opted for this. He was extremely impressed with the finished result!