Easy DIY: Make Sliding Glass Doors Look Modern Without Curtains Or Blinds

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A sliding glass door is a wonderful way to connect your indoor and outdoor spaces, bringing in plenty of natural light through the large expanse of glass. But even if it's still wonderfully functional, sometimes a basic white slider looks a bit lackluster. This could be due to an inherently uneventful aesthetic or if it has visible wear and tear. Either way, replacing a sliding glass door can cost thousands for the material and installation, so it may not be in the cards for many homeowners. However, this doesn't mean you're out of options to upgrade your unremarkable, utilitarian slider. If you're willing to put in a little elbow grease, social media is here with a solution to turn it into a modern showstopper.

TikTok user juliecarmonahome shared how she gave the interior of her basic white sliding glass door a modern refresh with one trick: painting it black. While this seems like a small-scale project, the impact of a black slider elevates the door from builder-grade to a high-end architectural feature. Plus, it can still leave the exterior frame as-is to match the rest of the home's windows. A DIY that's relatively beginner-friendly, this clever upgrade is a cost-effective alternative to replacing an outdated slider with a new door.

While the premise of painting the interior of your sliding glass door is simple, the execution takes a bit more thought. The TikToker has since commented on the original paint application and the way it's held up over a couple of years, and there are things she said she would now do differently. So let's break down the original prep and paint method, as well as alternate considerations for a more durable, long-lasting finish.

To prep for the project, the TikToker set up her own spray tent out of a simple plastic PVC pipe frame draped with plastic sheeting. However, you could also use painter's tape to hang plastic sheets from the ceiling and attach them to the floor. A spray tent helps to keep oversprayed paint off of neighboring surfaces, as well as helping to contain paint fumes. Next, give the door frame a good sanding for better paint adhesion. This is especially important where the sliding door frame makes contact with other parts of the door, as these areas are more prone to paint wear. After cleaning off the dust, use a heavy-duty primer suitable for your frame material on the entire door.

@juliecarmonahome

Call me crazy but these sliding glass doors just got painted!! 😱🤣 Do I love them black? Yup! Did I try and spray inside my house? YUP! Did I make my own spray tent? Yup! Was spraying in the house a bad idea? Ummm....why yes yes it was🤣 But nothing some sanding, priming, & rolling couldn't fix 🤣. Follow along for some more DIY!!! 🤪 #painting #diyproject #diyhomeprojects #diyprojects #diypaintproject

♬ TTYLXOX – From "Shake It Up" – Bella Thorne

Once prepped, the TikToker initially used a can of black spray paint to begin spraying the frame. However, without the ability to open the door for ventilation, she commented that she couldn't breathe, even while wearing a respirator mask. So she abandoned this method, opting to apply a roll-on formula, like acrylic latex water-based paint, with less fumes. The result is a chic and sophisticated black sliding glass door frame that updates and elevates the entire space with just one cosmetic change.

After years of living with her DIY paint job, however, the TikToker mentioned that the paint hasn't held up as well as she hoped in high-contact areas. She advised, in retrospect, that spraying on the paint would likely have yielded more wear-resistant results. However, oil-based spray paints with higher durability come with hefty, hazardous fumes. So, it's crucial to remove paint odors by directing them outdoors. Buying a fan, like VEVOR's Air Mover/Blower, can allow you to push fumes out of a nearby window. You may also be able to rent one from the hardware store. As the TikToker did, wear a painting respirator mask for safety. 

For more effective coverage on the heavily used track area, you could also temporarily remove the sliding door panel(s) from the track by following a tutorial on YouTube. This gives you unimpeded access to the full track for more comprehensive sanding, priming, and spraying. Plus, it would allow you to spray the door panel(s) outdoors, preventing indoor fumes.

The TikTok DIYer also noted that the door handle needed touch-ups, thanks to frequent handling. Sliding door manufacturers sell replacement hardware for each specific door model. So, replacing the handle with a black, factory-finished alternative would be a more durable solution. You can also take measurements to a hardware retailer to get a properly-sized aftermarket replacement.