How you like them handles?
(Handles, apples. It’s all the same. Right Matt Damon? What? You don’t think Matt Damon reads this blog? Of course he doesn’t.)
Anyway, I’m back to share the hardware makeover play-by-play and a ton of pics that we couldn’t squeeze into our door-painting post on Wednesday. So fasten your seat belts. Oh yeah, it’s gonna get crazy. First I have a secret. The hardware on our sliding doors in the living room looked like this:
Le yikes, right? It’s all sorts of bad with the swoopy handle. If you look a little closer it’s not even shiny and new looking gold, it’s all rusted and neglected…
So as you can probably tell from the photo above (duh) down they came. We stripped the hardware off of both of the sliding doors in about five minutes (I took one side while John got the other one) by just unscrewing things on the front, back, and side to free them with a regular old philips head screwdriver…
… and then we removed the doorknob and the rusty old door knocker on the front door (also with a screwdriver – there were exposed screws that we just removed from the back).
You can check out our door-painting post for more details on that stuff (like how we sanded the paint around the hardware that we removed so it was nice and smooth before painting).
But back to our pile o’ removed hardware. Here we have the sliding door hardware along with the doorknob, deadbolt, and the door knocker from the front door:
It was like a Gold Hardware “Where Are They Now?” Special on VH1. Some folks weren’t as crusty as others, but they were all well past their prime.
So after some decent amount of online research and chatting up the paint pros at Lowe’s (there’s a woman at the one near us who is phenomenally knowledgeable) we learned that the most recommended method for refinishing hardware (to gain the most durability and long-lasting finish) was:
- Sand as much of the hardware as you can with high grit (200+) sandpaper to rough it up
- Use a liquid deglosser (like this one) to degloss everything to get oils and sanded particles off of the hardware before spraying
- Apply one thin and even coat of high quality spray primer meant for metal (we grabbed Rustoleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Coverage Primer in gray since we figured it would blend more than white)
- Apply two to three thin and even coats of high quality spray paint meant for metal in your color of choice (of course, our poison was: Rustoleum Universal Metallic All-Surface Spray Paint in Oil-Rubbed Bronze)
So I grabbed my high grit sandpaper and started on the first step: sanding.
Ahhhhhhhhh. Baaaad idea. The sandpaper left tons of obvious scratches in the gold finish that I knew wouldn’t completely be covered by thin coats of primer and spray paint. I should have taken a picture of the one side of the doorknob that I thought I ruined with the dumb sanding step but I was too busy freaking out. So naturally I made some sort of sound that resembled a walrus screaming and chucked the sandpaper as far away as possible while cradling/apologizing to my doorknob and promising him that I’d never hurt him like that again. Luckily I realized the knob would be installed with that part underneath, so only Clara-height children may be able to see the slightly roughed up texture on the underside. Whew.
Update: A few smarter-than-me commenters recommended trying steel wool or super high grit automotive sandpaper to rough up the surface, so I plan to try that next time. Just tossing that out there for anyone who might be doing this (who may want extra “insurance” that the spray will hold).
So it was out the window with step one, and on to step two: deglossing. I just used some rubber gloves and a rag to apply the deglosser and then let everything dry a little so it wasn’t soaking wet before moving onto step three: applying one thin coat of spray primer. But when I went to grab the primer I noticed something intriguing on the ORB can next to it. It said “paint & primer in one” right on the label. Duh. No need to beat a dead horse.
So I trusted my beloved ORB spray primer + paint to lead the way and just applied three thin and even coats to all of my hardware (that I strategically placed on cardboard so I could access all of the exposed parts by piercing the long metal interior hardware rods through the cardboard so they stood up). I will now repeat that thin and even is the key when it comes to spray paint. If you apply thin & even coats they won’t be globby and thick, and they’ll bond/cure very strongly, which will greatly reduce any issues with things flaking, scratching, or peeling down the line.
Oh and see that key? That’s a secret.
I decided I didn’t want to muck up the inside of my lock with spray paint, so I used a spare house key to block the spray from getting into the lock (while allowing me to access the rest of the knob). I didn’t push the key all the way in for fear that the top of the key would block some of the outside of the doorknob, so I just stuck it halfway in so it would block the interior part without inhibiting access to the metal facade around it. Then I just removed it and used it on the deadbolt’s keyhole when I sprayed that.
Oh and another spraying tip would be to put all of your screws into the hardware and pierce them through the cardboard so the ends of them get sprayed to match (like the two that you see below). Also, be sure to move things like latches back and forth between coats to make sure you can access all areas of the hardware with spray paint. Like this…
… and this:
About an hour later (I probably waited 20 minutes between each of my three thin and even coats, just to be sure it was nice and cured before piling more on) I was left with these beauties:
Who sees a winking face? Just me?
I probably waited six full hours after my last coat of spray paint before reinstalling anything. Just to give them a lot of time to fully cure and ensure that I wouldn’t scratch or ding something while putting them back on the doors. I can’t speak to the long-term durability of this process since it has only been… oh, about 48 hours. But I can tell you that reinstalling them went really smoothly and everything works just as well as it used to and nothing was even remotely marred or dinged during installation or in the past two days since.
So I guess we’ll check back in with an update about how they hold up over the long haul (these doors are used every single day thanks to a dog who loves going in and out). But so far, so good. And it definitely beats buying all new hardware (we figured we didn’t have anything to lose in trying to make the old stuff work before resorting to trashing it and splurging for all new hardware).
Oh and it bares noting that things look pretty black in some of these pics, but it’s just because ORB is a mystical creature. So it’s hard to capture the true color that you see in real life (which is a rich metallic-y chocolate). Actually, the exterior sprayed shots above show the true color really well. It still looks like that inside, it’s just seemingly impossible to get it on film.
Perhaps the most exciting thing is that in taking this style quiz, the thing that I loved most about the room they said was “my style” was the white door with the dark hardware. And now it’s mine. All mine. Mwahahaha. (<– yup, I broke out my maniacal laugh)
I think it looks delish with the oil-rubbed bronze curtain rods and the dark beams. And John digs it too (delish just isn’t an adjective he’s apt to use).
Me-ow old sliding door friend. My how you’ve matured. Well, as much as a twisty twirly old 80’s knob can really mature.
And you’ve already seen our freshly sprayed front door hardware, but let’s just revisit it for a moment:
So yeah. We’re happy with our little almost-foiled-by-the-sandpaper process. Although I must admit that after I sprayed the underside of the knob, the scratches were hardly noticeable. So maybe if you’re a staunch rule follower (and not a freaked out walrus impersonator like me) you could get away with the sanding step. Either way, I have high hopes that the deglosser and included-primer will do their job when it comes to adhesion (especially since our old scratched and rusted fixtures weren’t too glossy or shiny to begin with).
As for the ORB finish: Hi my name is Sherry, and I’m addicted to oil-rubbed bronze. They say you can’t help who you love. But it could be worse. I could be addicted to sanding things, which would have been a cruel joke since sandpaper was the kryptonite of this project. I wonder why. Has anyone else successfully sanded their metal hardware before spraying it? Was it not all scratched up? Maybe it just looked “brushed” in the end? I just didn’t trust myself to do it all in one consistent direction (aka: not make a hot mess that was oh so obvious after the spray-job). So in summary, my method was just to: use a liquid deglosser (although I’ll also try steel wool or extra high grit sandpaper next time), lay everything out on cardboard standing up so it could be sprayed evenly from all angles, use a half-inserted key to block any keyholes, spray everything thinly and evenly in 3 coats applied every 20 mins or so, be sure to move toggles and locks so all parts of the hardware were sprayed, and let it cure for about 6 hours before rehanging it.
Oh and the total cost of this project was $6 for the spray paint (I was able to return the unopened can of primer and I already had the deglosser and that dastardly sandpaper on hand). But for someone who needs to purchase deglosser, you might want to budget four more dollars for that. Considering a new knob, deadbolt, knocker, and two locks and four handles for our sliding doors would probably come to about $200, I think we got one heckova deal. So I’ll let you know how they hold up. If they’re anything like our ORBed sofa legs (which we sprayed five months ago, and they still look mint) we’ll have bona fide jazz hands going on. So it’s probably only a matter of time before I really go nuts and remove every last interior brass door and hinge and go to town. Like I said, my name is Sherry, and I’m addicted to oil-rubbed bronze. Holla.
Update: Our handles are still holding steady. Check out the update post here.
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Leah Kerbs says
I want to spray all of our door knobs…right now they are all shiny gold, its awful! Did you take all your doors down to also spray the hardware that holds the doors on? Does that make any sense at all? I think they are called hinges…but to paint them so they match we’d have to take the doors down and then put them back up. Just wondering if you all did that or how you made them match or if it even matters. Thanks in advance!! Your blog is my go to whenever I’m taking on a project in our new home! I tell my husband…”if young house love can do it, so can we!!” You all are So inspiring :) thank you!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Our hinges were already tarnished and dulled enough not to look bright and brassy, so we left them on and didn’t address them at all. For some reason all of our knobs were brassy but the hinges weren’t!
xo
s
LaDonna Arcona says
I know this is an old post but I just wanted to pop in and say I LOVE your blog and have used this tutorial on the drawer/cabinet pulls in my masterbathroom and am now going through doing this to every knob and pull in the house LOL. All the door knobs are in my yard on a piece of cardboard with the first coat on them as I type LOL.
Thank you so much for this tutorial. You have saved me alot of money and alot of explaining why I need new hardware to my hubby.
Shannon says
First, I love your blog. So inspiring for young homeowners that are new to the DIY world! Second, I REALLY am tempted to do this to my front doorknobs but I’m nervous the the spray paint will not hold up on the on a front door. Can you email me some pictures or post pictures of what your door handles look like today? I’m interested to see how well they held up. Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
They still look mint! There’s actually an update post with photos that we linked to at the bottom of this post (in bold). Hope it helps :)
xo
s
Ashly says
I was so excited to complete this project in my home as well! We finished the job and my husband began installing the door knobs… which no longer worked! The knob wouldn’t open the door when turned. After a frustrated husband climbed out an office window I put the door knobs away in a drawer. I don’t know what to do to fix the problem and there they have stayed.
Anyway able to help?
Ashly
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no!! My only thought is if the paint was too thick it might make them get jammed but can you apply some pressure to get them unjammed? That would be my only guess…
xo,
s
Bridgette says
checking in before I go crazy on our interior doors. have they held up to 2013? Thx…
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, they look great! Definitely follow the sanding/steel wool prep and use the same exact primer + spray paint for the same results though (if you skip steps or use another product the outcome might be totally different) :)
xo
s
Gracie Herbert says
Hi there,
I love this post and actually spray painted the awful brass hardware inside my house. As I was putting the doorknobs back up, I realized that the door hinges are still awful and I didn’t think of that. Do you have any suggestions on how to spray paint those without spray painting the wall or worse having to take the door off the hinges. Thanks for the awesome and cheap fix!
Hope your wee one had a great birthday, you should take her to the Lebanese festival this weekend!
Gracie
YoungHouseLove says
I think I’d lean towards just replacing those since they can rub off and might not look great for the long haul. Anyone have any tips for Gracie?
xo
s
Melissa says
I’m retreading this post in preparation for spraying my door hardware. I’m nervous because our house was just built 6 months ago and I’m already over the brushed nickel fixtures I picked out! I need a little support to know I’m doing the right thing and that it’ll hold up! I’m planning to spray door hinges over a three day period removing and spraying one at a time. That way I don’t have to take the door completely off the hinges.
Joe says
Thanks for posting this, I love the way that these handles look!
Zoe says
I love this idea!!!! Do you think it would work with kitchen hardware as well? I have dark/reddish hardware in my kitchen, but would love for it to look like stainless steel. Thanks!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes I think that should work if you prep them nicely and use high quality spray with a primer in it (ex: Rustoleum Universal).
xo
s
Camille says
Have you tried doing this to bathroom hardware that can’t be removed? We have a bathtub where you can’t remove the hardware without taking the cover off the side (make sense? probably not). We had painters spray the gold faucet and knobs but it’s already scratched off. I have no idea if they followed your genius steps, but I’m ready to do it again. Thoughts? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I don’t know how I’d do it if I couldn’t get them off. Anyone have tips for Camille?
xo
s
Sarah says
I just did this with my 30 gold knobs in the kitchen. I used the steel wool to prep and everything else you suggested. They look amazing! Thanks for helping me save money and update me kitchen!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
xo
s
Lexa says
In the process of giving this a shot on the hardware for our garage and shop doors. Such a great way to update (along with some orange paint on the doors!) these less noticeable areas while saving some cashola. Just what we needed – Thanks! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck!
xo
s
Maggie says
These look fantastic! Do you think this same technique could work on a hideous brass lamp that I inherited from my parents?
YoungHouseLove says
Totally!
xo
s
Harriette says
Enjoyed reading this thread–and such good ideas. Thank you. I’m about to paint my front door and need to loosen up a 1940s era brass front door lock–but don’t want to mess up the lock & deadbolt mechanism.
Annie says
I know this is an older post but how did this hold up? I am looking to do this to my own door knobs. The whole house has that shiny gold finsh and it will cost a fortune to replace. Did it start to chip ever?
YoungHouseLove says
Ours held up really well (we moved, but before that they were doing well)! Definitely follow the sanding/steel wool prep and use the same exact primer + spray paint for the same results though (if you skip steps or use another product the outcome might be totally different) and hopefully yours will be good for the long run!
xo
s
Amanda says
I bought the metallic orb, paint and primer in one by Rustoleum and saw that you can get some other spray called “self etching primer” which is like liquid sandpaper( as I hate sanding) have you heard anything on this product??? I’m redoin all nasty brass in my home so want to get it right before I do 20 handles!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Never tried that, although we have had luck with “clean metal primer” to make things stick really well to shiny metal. Good luck!
xo
s
Chris says
Just wondering how these have held up over time….I have shiny brass throughout my house and I am very tempted to paint.
YoungHouseLove says
We no longer live there but up until we left they were doing well!
xo
s
Karen says
I cannot thank you enough!! We are having the house plastered and painted (everything except bedrooms) and in the process updating all of the door knobs and light switches etc. We have three sliding doors which are brass and wood and when I eventually found a handle to replace them with, not only would I have to fill a hole but they were $250 each (plus tax and shipping)!!! I don’t even like the shape of the new ones. So, you can only imaging how thrilled I was to come across your solution (and blog for that matter – it is great) for about about $12 for de-glosser and metallic primer and paint!! I had never spray painted before and so tested the process out on a brass paper towel roll my nine year old son had pointed out we would need to change. It worked so well I braved a sliding door handle on a room the painters are not up to yet – it worked brilliantly! Really, thank you so much!!! I think I could become addicted to the transformative powers of spray paint though……
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
xo
s
manal says
so I tried this but The finish feels sticky. what do I need to do So it doesn’t feel sticKy? Love the color. I waited 24 + hours to let it dry.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like they still need more drying time. Maybe you sprayed it on thicker or it’s more humid right now so it needs additional cure time?
xo
s