Shopping for a new internal door can sometimes feel a bit like decoding a menu in a fancy foreign restaurant. You might see terms like fully finished, primed or unfinished and be left wondering things like, “What does unfinished door mean? Is there something missing from the door? Is an unfinished door of poorer quality?” 

Fear not, no door is left half-built! These labels simply describe the level of finish applied to the door’s surface in the factory. In this guide, we’ll break down fully finished vs primed vs unfinished doors, answer common questions along the way and help you decide which option fits your needs and your appetite for DIY.

What is an unfinished door?

If you’re asking this question, think of a door that’s a completely blank canvas. An unfinished door is a door that comes without any paint, stain or protective sealant applied – essentially bare wood waiting for a finish. This means you will have to apply the finish yourself, whether that’s paint, varnish, wax or oil.

The beauty of an unfinished door is the total freedom it gives you. Want a bright yellow door to match your funky living room, or a natural wood look that shows off the grain? With an unfinished internal door, you can finish it literally any way you like. It’s the perfect choice for those who love customisation and want a hands-on project.

One word of caution: don’t leave an unfinished door unprotected for long. Until you apply a finish, the wood is much more vulnerable to moisture, stains and wear. Plan to prime and paint (or varnish) it soon after fitting (preferably before). Once you do, you’ll have a completely personalised door crafted to your taste.

Pros and Cons of Unfinished Doors

• Pros: Usually the most budget-friendly option upfront and offers maximum customisation. Great for DIY enthusiasts, you can choose any colour or finish and get a real sense of accomplishment from doing it yourself.
  
• Cons: Requires the most work and time. You’ll need to sand, possibly prime and apply multiple coats of finish yourself. Mistakes can be costly to fix. An unfinished door also can’t really just be hung and used immediately without finishing, so it’s not a quick solution.

What is a primed door?

Now, what about a primed door? If you’ve been wondering, “What does primed door mean?” It’s essentially a door that comes with a base coat of primer already applied at the factory. In other words, the door has been undercoated (usually in white or light gray primer) but has not yet been top-coated with a suitably tough paint. It’s partway finished, you still get to choose and apply the final paint colour.

A primed internal door is a nice halfway house between unfinished and fully finished. The primer sealer on the wood means you don’t have to do that initial prep and it means the top coat of paint will adhere well when you do paint it. You save a bit of time and effort, yet you retain the freedom to pick any paint colour for the topcoat. Essentially, the manufacturer did the boring part and left the fun part to you!

Do you have to undercoat a primed door?

Generally, no. A primed door already has an undercoat, so you can move straight to applying your topcoat of paint. The factory primer is designed to make sure you get good adhesion of paint. Some professionals still like to add an extra coat of undercoat or primer for an ultra-smooth finish, but it’s not strictly necessary. In most cases, you can paint a primed door without doing another undercoat.

Do you have to paint primed doors?

Yes. A primed door still needs a final coat of paint to be considered finished. The primer isn’t a durable finish – it’s there to prime the surface. Your door may arrive looking white and semi-finished, but without a proper topcoat of paint it won’t have adequate protection against wear and moisture. So be prepared to put on a couple of coats of your chosen paint colour before using. 

The good news is that painting a quality primed door usually requires fewer coats of paint than painting bare wood, since the base is already sealed and smooth.

Pros and Cons of Primed Doors

• Pros: Saves you some work compared to an unfinished door. Pre-primed means you skip the messy primer step and go straight to colour. A primed door still offers flexibility in choosing your final paint, so you get a custom look without as much effort as starting from scratch. A factory primed finish is usually ultra smooth and even too, which can be hard to achieve yourself. Typically mid-range in cost, they’re cheaper than fully finished but a bit pricier than unfinished.
  
• Cons: Still requires painting, it’s not a turnkey solution. You need to do a little DIY (or hire a painter) to add the topcoat. Also, you’re generally going to paint it a solid colour (the primer is usually white), so if you wanted a woodgrain or natural finish, a primed door doesn’t save you any work there. It’s a balance: less work than unfinished, but more work than pre-finished.

What is a fully finished door?

Finally, we have fully finished doors (also known as pre-finished doors). So, what does pre-finished doors mean in practice? This simply means the door comes from the manufacturer completely finished with paint or stain and sealant already applied. In other words, the door is 100% ready to hang on delivery – no painting, varnishing or other finishing required on your part.

A fully finished internal door comes ready to hang because it’s been professionally finished in the factory with multiple coats of high-quality paint or varnish. The result is a smooth, even and durable finish that you’d be hard pressed to replicate with a DIY job.

Manufacturers often apply more coats and use specialised techniques (like spray finishing and industrial-grade coatings), giving these doors excellent durability and consistency (which is ideal for a multi-door project).

To put it simply, with a pre-finished door you are saving yourself a lot of time and getting a finish that’s showroom-quality. These internal doors don’t need painting or any other treatment as that’s all been done for you. If you ever did want to change the colour later, you could paint over a fully finished door, but you’d need to sand and prep it just like any already-painted surface.

Do you have to paint prefinished doors?

No. One of the biggest benefits of a pre-finished door is that no painting or finishing is needed by you. The door arrives with its final coat in place. In fact, buying a fully finished door means you’ve essentially outsourced the entire finishing process. Just install the door and you’re done! Enjoy the fact that you won’t have paint fumes or brushes to clean – your door is already looking its best from day one.

Pros and Cons of Fully Finished Doors

• Pros: Ultra convenient with no extra work needed, you can fit the door and enjoy it immediately. Comes with a professional-grade finish (often more uniform and durable than a DIY finish). Great for those with no time or desire to do painting. Also, you know exactly what you’re getting in terms of colour and finish when you buy it, and you don’t have to worry about choosing the right type of paint for doors as that’s all been taken care of.
  
• Cons: Usually the highest upfront cost of the three options since you’re paying for that additional labour and finish at the factory. There’s limited customisation options in that you’re stuck with the colours or wood tones the door comes in, unless you strip it back and repaint it later (which negates the convenience you initially pay for). Also, any small adjustments like trimming the door must be done carefully. If you cut a fully finished door down in size too much, you might expose bare wood that would need refinishing.

Prefinished vs Unfinished Doors: Key Differences

Many homeowners specifically want to know the difference between prefinished vs unfinished doors. In summary, these two are opposites in terms of convenience versus flexibility (with primed doors sitting quietly in the middle):

• Finishing Required: Pre-finished doors are finished at the factory and come ready to install, with no additional painting or sealing needed. Unfinished doors are supplied bare (no paint or varnish), so you must sand, prime, and finish them yourself before use.
  
• Customisation: Unfinished doors offer unlimited customisation – you have complete control over the final look. Prefinished doors offer convenience but less choice – you pick from the finishes available. Primed doors allow some customisation but not as much flexibility as unfinished (you can’t, for example, opt for a clear varnish on a primed surface).
  
• Time & Effort: Prefinished doors win for time-saved, they’re essentially zero DIY. Unfinished doors demand the most time and effort, since you’ll be doing a full finishing project yourself (multiple coats, drying times, etc). Primed doors fall in between – you’ll need to do some painting, but you skip the priming step.
  
• Cost: Unfinished doors are typically the cheapest upfront because they involve no factory finishing. Primed doors are moderately priced, and fully finished doors are typically the most expensive upfront due to the extra work done by the manufacturer. However, remember an unfinished door will require you to spend money on paint or finish and possibly tools or professional help, whereas a prefinished door includes all that in the purchase. It can actually be a wash cost-wise once you factor in those extras. Think of it as money vs. time: you pay more to save time with a prefinished door, or save money but spend your own time with an unfinished one, you just have to decide which is most important to you.

Choosing the Right Finish for Your Door

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the fully finished vs primed vs unfinished debate – the best choice depends on your budget, timeline and how willing and able you are to do DIY work. 

So to recap, a fully finished door is ideal if you want a beautiful new door installed with zero hassle that you can use straight away. An unfinished door is great if you have a specific vision or colour in mind and you don’t mind putting in the work to achieve it. A primed door is a perfect middle ground if you want some customisation but also a bit of a head start.

In practical terms:

• Need a quick, easy solution (say, you’re replacing multiple internal doors and don’t have the time to paint)? Go with fully finished internal doors for instant results.
  
• On a tight budget or craving a DIY project? An unfinished door lets you save money and flex your creative muscles – just be ready to invest the time.
  
• Looking for a balance? Primed doors offer a mix of convenience and personalisation, with less work than unfinished but more choice than prefinished.
  

At Doors & More, we offer a wide range of unfinished, primed and fully finished internal doors, so you can find the perfect fit no matter which route you choose. Whichever type you go for, you’ll end up with a fantastic looking door – you just get there in different ways. 

Happy door hunting and may your new door (however finished) open into a room full of joy!