Smoothen bumps and lumps by sanding the door. Most metal doors have a powder coat or baked enamel. No surprise fees after the work is complete. One exception: Painting over existing latex with an oil-based paint does require a coat of primer. Be sure to read about de-glossing in the prep section below. Before you get started, here are a few tips to ensure the job is done right. Does the brown draw your eye away from the gorgeous roof? The house shown here has a painted garage door with real glass windows on top, but the panels below are black. Old garage doors show signs of sun damage frequently. Wait for a warm, but not scalding hot day to prime and paint. Most metal paints require at least two coats for good coverage; some require three or more. (For real glass, see below). If the cost is too high you can paint the doors yourself. If the paint is old, youll have dried lumps and dirt that needs to be strained. If I were doing this, Id buy two quarts and return one if I dont use it at my convenienceso I dont have to run to get more paint if needed. CLICK HERE to schedule your free estimate online or give us a call: 888-261-3633. This is because it goes on so much thicker then primer. That is why it is important to follow the best practices when painting the garage door. This is another key no other websites care to mention. How To Lock And Unlock A Ford Escape With Keypad, How To Stop House Doors From Freezing Shut, How To Stop Garage Door From Sticking After Painting, Preventing rust and other types of corrosion, Keeping the door safe from sun exposure and harsh weather, Adding some color to add some appeal to the garage door. Here is our baby. To avoid peeling and chipping, do not use oil-based paint over latex paint. Dont use the can you plan to keep and store as your cut bucket. Painting is just one of many home maintenance solutions available to you. Primers are recommended, but not always required so you will need to review the instructions and specifications on whatever paint products you choose. Trying to save money can be very expensive! If you dont know what material your garage door is, take a look at this handy guide to figure out what kind you have installed. You can refer to the paint instructions for the suggested number of coats. Yes, the autobody filler. Its a good idea to paint just one lengthwise panel at a time, stopping at the hinges. Now, just repeat for the next panels until your garage door is painted. To extend the lifespan of your paint finish you can wash your overhead door seasonally and apply a spray on wax finish. Remember that several thin coats are better than one thick one. Here is our post on the best project sprayer: airless and others. The garage door paint they make prevents rust and is chip and flake resistant. Another reason to use a high-quality garage door paint is that good paints are easy to control: less splatter. To strain or not to strain? Our team of professional painting experts will be happy to take care of it for you. If your door has never been painted OR has been painted before and you have bare spots (original vinyl), sand and/or degloss, clean, and prime those spots with STIX. If you just don't have the time or painting isn't your thing, no problem! Pick up all the supplies you need to give your metal garage door a great new look at The Paint Shed. If you have a wooden garage door to paint, check out our article, all about painting wooden garage doors. We Tried the Worx Switchdriver and It Really Is a Time-Saver, Family Handyman Approved: DeWalt Job Site Table Saw, Do Not Sell My Personal Information CA Residents. Its likely covered in dust, dirt, grime, cobwebs, or oxidized paint. This also will remove oils, old spider webs stuck to the paint and bird doo-doo. Dilute TSP according to the instructions and wash the surfaces you intend to paint. So, if you want to spray your garage door and dont have a sprayer, Jenolite is a good option for you. There are other makers selling bonding primers, but we seriously doubt they have put in the research that went into STIX. They are simply the best and for us, they pay for themselves in an hour. Once the primer has thoroughly dried, it's time to paint. It is best to choose a metal primer that helps you achieve a durable, long-lasting, and protected finish. I made a rookie mistake. Some people worry about choosing the right topcoat paint for the composition of their garage door. Windows: In general, windows should be caulked between the glass and door body. Pick up all the supplies you need to give your metal garage door a great new look at The Paint Shed. Painting a metal garage door involves some time and effort, but in the end it's a great way to give your home a fresh new look! A bonding primer should be applied to your door surface first to help with the adhesion of the top coat of latex paint. Before you can start painting, there are a few things youll need to do. Rookie mistake. You can use white spirit to ensure all of the dust has been removed. This post was written by guest contributor James White fromHomeyImprovements.com. Wha? The UK's most recommended independent paint retailer. If you want to paint the door so that you can see brush strokes, youll want to stick with a paintbrush. Its the only metal primer we use. Metal garage doors can be painted by brush or by roller, but if using a roller, try and use one with natural fibers rather than man-made. If you do all of the prep work, making sure you remove as much of the old paint as possible and wiping the door down to remove the dust, the painting process is nice and simple. If you want to make the door stand out, you should choose suitable paint. The common reasons for sticky paint include the following: If you want to keep the newly painted door free from errors, you should follow the tips below: Now that you have painted your door, the next question is how long it will last? All of your purchases are covered by our 100% Happiness Guarantee. If you have any questions, our paint experts are here to help. The paint should resist corrosion, fading, scratches, and high sun exposure as much as possible. Windows Repair and Restoration. Keep on reading to learn how you can upgrade a metal garage door with the right paint. Plus, it works with all paints, not just Hammerite paints. Even without a washer, old loose paint should be scraped off, obviously. Open the paint tin and stir with a suitable spatula for about a minute to even out the colour. By layering different products you increase your labor when it comes to painting next time. This prevents the paint from drying and gunking up when you do your next square. Many types of garage doors are VERY easy to open even when lockedwith just a coat hanger. It also washes the car. and have some for next time. Click here to see this latex paint on Amazon. When that is done, open the garage door (manually if possible) and slide the top panel up so that it separates from the next panel down. One of the paints above is ideal for garage doors. Im talking about the clear paint protection tape like used on cars to guard against rock chips. So, lets find out how to paint a metal garage door, shall we? The reason you should use a professional roller cover (which is not expensive) and not some throw-away is that the ones you pay a few dollars forand the ones that come in the kit with the pan and brushare awful! b. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ae269d4059c914193de8f0d1a9cc7242" );document.getElementById("ed46dd47a6").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi, I am Brad (The Painter!). This primer can be used on galvanised garage doors as well as aluminium and loads of other metals. It helps keep your doors paint from fading and peeling. Please look for your door type above under Section 1. We stopped using TSP because its so harsh on the skin but that works fine. Ive seen painted garage doors where the weather stripping has rubbed off the color coat over time. At Five Star Painting we know painting a metal garage door isn't for everyone. If you intend to prime and paint your metal garage door a few days after you have stripped the paint off, you should cover it to protect it from the elements. The garage door is a big scene-stealer of your home. With the exception of wood or a stainable fiberglass, the rest ought to come with a factory-applied coat of primer to protect the door. Home Blog How to paint a metal garage door. For any garage door, this is the perfect primer. Even self-taught pros make this mistake. Painting it could add that extra finish your house needs to make it crisp and clean looking. These panels are called lights in the trade and are painted as if they are windows. Only work when the sun will NOT be hitting the door. But your door may have a composition such as metal that needs some extra work before you get to the primer. The garage door will be all white and I need to change the color of the entry door to forest green as I am getting my house sided with green shutters. There are specially made discs for angle grinders that will quickly take care of surface rust, or you can buy metal paint that can be applied over rust. Ben Moores Contractor grade Ultra Spec is still the best value for your money. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Painting your garage door significantly improves curb appeal without doing much damage to your pocketbook. It is the same paint as the higher grades of Ben Moore. In almost all cases, we use sem-gloss or low-luster garage door paint: these are the two sheens typically in use on the rest of your house. Check all our posts about concrete and Concrete Must Have Products, As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. But you can also add longer-lasting protection with some very good top brand paints. You can use a good quality chemical paint stripper to remove the old paint from your garage door. You can also paint the upper and lower lips of each panel this way, as well. One of the best things about their metal paint, though, is that most colours are available in spray cans or in paint cans. I put two coats of red on my front door yesterday. In addition, youll want to tape up the trim around the door unless youre going to repaint that, too. Here are some benefits of painting a metal garage door: As shown from the list, painting a metal garage door is a great way to improve your home. A big head-start on the prep is pressure washing, even on new garage doors. It involves some scraping, sanding, and cleaning the door. We recommend our users to update the browser. I dont know what you mean by clear tape. Painting a garage door is not as hard as you may think, but it has to be done properly so the panels do not stick to the weather stripping and to each otherand pull off your paint. The colour that you paint your metal garage door is really up to you. After it has been prepped and primed well, the house paint you are already using is perfectly proper to use as a garage door paint. Scrape: Your pressure washer will remove 80% or more of the old garage door paint that is ready to come off. When choosing between the two types, you have to take note of these tips below: Take note that you can only achieve positive results if you follow the proper way of painting a metal garage door. When viewed from the street, the garage door paint created the look of an all-glass door similar to the photo shown. Make sure the top of the 2nd and the bottom of the top panel are both dry before going to the 3rd section. When painting new doors always see if factory powder coating is available. For the topcoats, youll need a gallon, for 2 coats on a double or single car garage door. Brains. There is another video at the bottom of this page that shows how thieves use this method to gain entry to your houseand how to defeat them. I use the green tape that cannot leave a glue film. Our Purdy Nylox brushes last 6-9 months of DAILY use. I followed a big box stores instructions for painting my front door for the first time. The parallel brush marks look better than the roller nap stipple. You can use any primer designed for metal, whether a spray-on variety or liquid applied with a paintbrush. A galvanised garage door can be painted in the same way as any other metal garage door. If you are painting over a previously painted garage door then a light sanding is required along with the same degreasing process. Re-apply several coats of paint until the metal is completely coloured, with no metal shining through. However, you will need to sand after removing the stripper to ensure that you have taken the garage door back to bare metal. Were going to show you how to prep the garage door for paint, repair any damages and the best paint and practices to use while painting it. Cover an area with a single coat and let it dry before applying another. There are tools that do not cost much that save you time and cut through frustration. You only see the edge of the panel when the door is going up and down. Garage doors take such a beating from the heat that its really necessary. They shed lint as soon as they get wet! We would recommend investing in a cheap sander for this, youll use the sander in loads of different projects, and it will speed this process up a lot. After shaking, use these filter cones which have just the right size screen. Sally Ann (Salvation Army) has them for a buck. Then they become back-up brushes when we have many colors going at once. Follow the instructions you can see on the primer can. Luckily, you can do something about it by repainting over the bland, stock finishor worn, decrepit finish if its quite old. As an Amazon Associate I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. The outer surface of your garage door can get very hot if exposed to direct sunlight. Vinyl doors shouldnt need painting, but it can be done if you want a new look. Disclosure: We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. If you have chipping paint and the original door material is exposed, you may need a special pre-primer to spot prime those areas (especially for metal and vinyl). You can accomplish some of the prep with a garden hose but its slow and not very effective. Its our clean-up bucket later. If your choice is white paint, or you can cope with limited color choices, add Kilz Siding, Fence & Barn Paint, Montage Signature and Zinsser Perma-White to your list of options. Choosing an oil-based variety allows virtually any paint to be used as the top coat. If you have an electric opener and not one of the old-style bar locks, your door is vulnerable. Scuff the old paint with 120-grit sandpaper and clean thoroughly before applying the new garage door paint. For other surfaces, use a bonding primer to promote the best adhesion. We always make sure to clean up our work area. A wooden door, for example, will take a lot more paint to cover than an aluminum door. Hence, there will be less cracking or peeling. BIG TIP: dollar-store rollers and brushes shed bristles and lint shedding into your finished paint. All right reserved. Stain-blocking primers have resins that most primers dont have. The multi-scraper shown here has a curved blade to squeegee roller covers to remove paint when cleaning. Read contractor reviews, compare quotes, and book appointments with professionals. Call us today. The tiny scratches create the proper bond, even if you dont use STIX. Apply at least two light coats of premium exterior grade 100% acrylic water based paint. This can be purchased at most local hardware stores. Strain. If you leave the door unpainted, it will look rugged and unpolished. Do not sand with force or you will strip the existing paint off. You can use latex over oil-based paint, but this will need more preparation and multiple coats of primer and paint. The image you see here shows inset panels in a garage door. It comes from sitting on a shelf for a long time. Allow the primer to dry before you continuing (this can take up to eight hours). This is not a problem except for stains generally. At the same time, it removes any dust from sanding. Do it wrong, and lets just say you probably would have been better off leaving the door as is. It is touch dry in 30 minutes and provides long-lasting protection to your garage door. It is best not to paint this kind of door. If you're ready to completely change things up, be sure to choose a color that complements the brick or siding, doors, trim and other exterior aspects of your home. This is such a big mistake. This is the very paint we recommend to our customers. Finally, we certainly hope the internet can get it together on this topic. A new coat of paint can freshen up the look of your overhead door and give your home much needed curb appeal. If it is rainy, the paint will not dry but become sticky. More tips and advice from The Paint Shed. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. The sequence of how to prime the door is the same as how to paint a garage door section, below. You dont need to paint all the side edges of the garage door that tucks under the weather stripping, but you could if you want: its not exposed to the elements. If you planning to buy a paint sprayer, please read our best UK paint sprayer review. Ensure the paint used is suitable for metal garage doors contact our experts at The Paint Shed for advice if required. For example, with a bit of ingenuity you can make it look old and worn, while retaining its attractiveness. Yet, choosing vibrant paint is a great way to show your style. For these types of stain, you simply use a stain-blocking primer. Ill post it here so other readers can benefit. Power washing is not recommended, especially on wood doors where paint could chip off the surface. Factory finishes involve paint coats that are baked on to the metal surface. Our bucket and screen and more are all on our tools list page. To paint the ends of the panels, slide the door up until the hinge separates, giving you room to maneuver. Cleaning the exterior surface of your garage door should be done seasonally, but is especially important if you intend to paint your overhead door. I mean, who writes things like, you might want to use a primer? If you intend to paint the garage door without removing it from the jamb, you can be in a sticky situation. Youll want to find a shade that matches your house, but you can also get pretty creative with how you cover the door. After rinsing you could do a final wipe down with a dry cloth or simple let the surface air dry. Always follow the manufacturers instructions when painting garage doors in the field. An outstanding marine paint in 21 colors: TotalBoat Wet Edge Topside Paint. Today these are just panels for show. Prime a bare-wood surface (either natural wood or engineered hardboard) with a good-quality exterior primer, such as Kilz. Changing conditions outside the house affects the condition of the garage door. You can also get a smooth and full coverage when applying the paint. |, Asphalt Driveway Sealer and How To Apply It, Change the Joint Sealant Before Sealing or Painting Your Driveway, Preparing Old, Sealed Concrete for Stain or Paint. Well explain why in just a bit. Most do not have the time nor the inclination to do the job on their own Read more Meticulous, conscientious & reliable, 2022 Brad the Painter. Adding a protective layer of paint to the door helps you avoid damage. Key Point: never let two sections of the garage door touch when wet. Click on the image to see this baby. If you have applied a coat of wax to you door it will have to be removed first. If you have oil primer or paint, buy a brush just for either latex or oil, but please know that once a good brush is used in oil and cleaned, it will never be nearly as good as a latex only brush thats been cleaned many times. I currently have a white garage door that is accented with red. There can be water damage as soon as the ice melts around the edges of the garage door. Prep and paint the garage frame as you would the door: usually the frame color matches the door color. For fun: read below about how to use garage door paint to simulate an all-glass garage door. You can even find a garage floor paint to match for a total garage makeover. I just bought a new stock white door and painted it black with satin oil based paint. Steel and wood overhead doors can be painted using the correct materials and process. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Use long, slow strokes. A good primer allows you to choose nearly any topcoat. You state here that for a 2 car garage door, one would need a quart of primer. Its important that any flaking paint is well rubbed down and if you get back to bare metal, then the metal must be primed. Acrylic latex exterior house paint is the best choice, but be sure to choose a high quality paint. The usual metal paint won't stick on galvanized metal. Old wood doors that were already painted: after the perp described below, we prime the entire door with STIX (photo link above) and two coats of your paint of choice (please read the sections on color, and so on). Its the freezing of the water that is sitting in and around the garage door that does so much damage. Think of each section of the garage door to be a separate piece of work. With the proper prep, masking and good quality paint, painting a metal garage door is quick, easy and enjoyable. External factors like exposure to weather, sunlight and man made elements can influence the lifespan. If the rust on your metal garage door is extremely bad, you may need to replace parts of the door or the entire door, though. The width of the cut could be a few inches. Sometimes these lights are glass, but more and more, garage doors dont have windows. Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint Exterior Paint with optional VinylSafe Technology. Using a chemical paint stripper is the easiest way of removing paint from a garage door. Jenolite makes some very good quality metal paint and has some really beautiful colours in its range. Wooden windows restoration in Cambridgeshire, Vacuum double glazing installation in Cambridgeshire, Wooden windows restoration in Hertfordshire, Vacuum double glazing installation in Hertfordshire, Vacuum double glazing installation in Essex, Wooden windows restoration in Bedfordshire, Vacuum double glazing installation in Bedfordshire, Wooden windows restoration in Buckinghamshire, Vacuum double glazing installation in Buckinghamshire. There is a little preparation work involved before you actually start painting. All the edges/blades have a use for a painter. The key to a long life for your garage paint is the bond created by the primer, and well show you the best: anything else would reduce the lifespan of the paint job and end up costing more time and money in the long run. If you really want a garage door to look like wood, it is probably easier to buy a wooden garage door unless you are an artist. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Some big DIY websites say to start from the bottom up. This is a key step: When done painting that 2nd section, dont move it up yet. Before installing the door, Im thinking adding the tape to the ends where the weather stripping will constantly rub may be a good plan. Well, we hope this answers any questions you may have had about garage door paint. All of, If you have any questions, our paint experts are here to help. This. For maximum protection, though, use a metal paint that is designed for use on metal garage doors. Its intended for garage doors and its water-based. New garage doors have an outer protective coating to seal the painted surface directly from the manufacturer. There is also no way water can bind with paint, so rusting is not a problem. The end product is a much cleaner look. Many garage doors age faster at the bottom from more sun and more water. Would a gallon of white and a quart of forest green for the entry cover me? Dark colors hide flaws and bright colors make flaws stand out, but never use a dark color in a garage door paint that will be in direct sunlight. All Rights Reserved. If you spend less than 20 bucks on a brush or less than 9-10 on a roller, you will have bristles and lint shedding into your paint and onto your door. Note: Repainting using dark colors like black and brown with a 50% light reflective value (LRV) voids most warranties, except when using VinylSafe paint products. It will start to lose adhesion, thats when you get out the paint stripper and take it down to the wood or metal. Mr Clean also makes a magic eraser for stubborn surface staining. If the door has an orange peel texture, de-gloss inside the crevasses by wiping the entire door with a de-glosser. Another paint option you can choose is a premium 100% acrylic latex exterior paint. It looks nice. Sherwin-Williams Polane Solar Reflective Polyurethane Paint (Professional Grade). Thin coats prevent drips and mean the paint dries quickly. Its extremely thick out of the can so we do thin it just a bit for good leveling (mineral spirits linked above). Again, one can paint a single garage door and keep it protected for six years. You'll want to paint when the weather is comfortable and dry, as paint may not dry to the desired finish if it's too hot or cold outdoors, or if conditions are damp or wet from recent rain. Faded, peeling, or cracked paint on your garage doors can detract from curb appeal, dragging down the appearance of your entire home. Note: Generally speaking a garage door paint is not something you want people to notice, so recommend to all our customers to paint the door so it blends in. Brad has been in the business for well over 30 years, and is now in semi-retirement passing on the secrets to you. LRV is an abbreviation for Light Reflective Value. Using an exterior grade 100% acrylic water based paint, coat all surfaces lightly. If the door has been primed or it has been previously painted then you can skip this step. Rinse the garage door twice very well, and let dry completely. Only available in high gloss, except gray, black and white which comes in a flat. Same with the gallon: buy 2. Garage doors can get stained by dirt and grass clippings getting thrown up against the bottom panel. Some doors are too heavy, so youll have to use your remote carefully to stop the panels in just the right spot so they dont touch (described just below). Some oil-based paints also have UV barriers that protect the garage door paint from fading. You will need to remove some of this coating along with any wax finishes you have applied yourself. Low-sheen for the body and semi-gloss for the trim. Sash Windows Painting. Remember the more effort you put into the preparation, the better the finish will be. best project sprayer: airless and others. The amount of paint youll need depends on two factors: how big the garage door is and what kind of material its made of. Please, spare me. Degloss: youll want the 2-pack shown. Or should I sand it down prime and do the job all over again? Now you have access to the vertical and horizontal edges of the 2nd panel, as well as what you can reach of the top panel (that is now at an angle inside your garage). Dont worry, we have a few extra tips you can heed while painting, which should help you get a better finish out of the deal. We use it on every garage door before painting. Full details on preparation are below, but here is the primer method for metal: First time painting this garage door? Comes with tools to do the work. Coat the whole door and its frame as well. PPG Manor Hall Exterior Paint with optional SidingSafe Color Technology. We like more subtle colours for garage doors, but if youre feeling bold, go bold! Were going to focus on metal garage doors in this article. Have you ever used some clear paint protection tape on the edges of a painted door to guard against the weatherstripping rubbing off the paint? Just wait until really dry. Sash windows Repair, Double Glazing & Draught Proofing. Applying a fresh coat of paint can give your faded garage door some much needed curb appeal. ), STIX would make a bond better than any other primer on the market. For both paints, you should look at the label if it states it is for exterior purposes. Packing tape? Read about how to dilute the cleaner here. Its metal paint is some of the best on the market. In general, if you want to call attention to any attractive feature of your house, paint it a contrasting color. Keep your wet edge. With aluminum doors, you could get creative with your patterns or styles. After a light scrubbing you will need to rinse the door down with water do not let the xylene sit on the surface of the door for a long period of time. We hope this look at how to paint a metal garage door has helped you paint yours. What follows therefore, is a guide for painting either pre-primed new metal doors or doors that have been previously painted. Contact us on 033 3320 2369 or email [emailprotected]. Any paint store will shake any (non-rusted) can of paint for you for free. New wood doors: Your best primer for new exterior wood is Zinsser Cover Stain which takes care of all wood knots that would bleed through most other primers. Now let's get to what you really want to know! such as acetone, Xylol (Xylene) or this eco-friendly substitute or methyl ethyl ketone. Galvanized parts: galvanized parts you want to paint should first be prepped by wiping with a solvent How Much Primer and Paint to Buy? Drop cloths on the driveway, and if you like, tape or tape+paper around the garage door frame to protect the house siding. Remove all stains from the doors as they may alter the color of the finished paint. The only real question is: What garage door paint should I choose? After scrubbing the entire surface, wipe with a clean cloth to remove any residue that may remain from cleaning. Sales. You can also select a flat, satin, or glossy finish. Bingo. Note: many, many coats of normal paint will not block tree sap in a wood knot, or water stains for that matter. They never mentioned priming (I should know better).