There s actually a product you can buy called liquid mask that you paint on over the glass on your french door or on windows if you have windows to paint.
How to strip paint off french doors.
Painting the french door.
The best way to paint french doors especially if they have old glossy paint on them is to start with a coat of zinsser bin shellac based primer.
You can make quick work of this step with the use of a varnish paint remover solvent and a sander.
Apply a chemical stripper to the surface of the door painting it on with a clean brush according to the manufacturer s directions.
Paint the exterior door using an spray machine and tips 411.
Step 1 strip the first step that should be undertaken is removing the existing varnish.
Process for remove the paint after paint an french door.
Be generous and put a good thick layer onto your item.
You apply two coats and the liquid mask dries into a clear stretchy plastic.
That said i didn t use primer on this particular door.
You ll never go wrong starting with a primer.
When stripping paint from a door frame use a standard paintbrush and generously apply the stripper in even strokes that do not overlap.
Spread the stripper liberally over the side of the door facing up with an old paintbrush and allow it to work for about 20 minutes.
Lay the door flat so you can work on one side at a time.
Lightly press this down all over the paint stripper trying to remove as much air as possible.
Get your good old plastic wrap yes lunch wrap glad wrap or the equivalent and lay this down over the stripper extending a small way past the ends of the piece.
It sticks to pretty much everything and any paint will stick to it.
One of the tasks that should be performed regularly on traditional wood french doors is stripping existing varnish and paint then resealing the doors.
You then paint your door just like i did and remove the liquid mask by tracing around your panes of glass with a utility knife.