Painting A Garage Door

Give your garage a fresh new look – a lick of paint is often all you need to protect your garage door from the elements, maintain its quality and upgrade its look. In this comprehensive guide, we cover how painting a garage door can benefit you, step by step, including the tools and paint you will require.

What You Will Need to Paint A Garage Door

• Stepladder
• Soap, sponge and bucket
• Paint brushes in several sizes
• High quality sandpaper
• Wire brush
• A roll of masking tape
• Primer appropriate for your type of garage door
• Paint suitable for your type of garage door (see below)
• Stir stick
• Paint tray and roller
• Protective clothing, including gloves and dust mask

Which Paint to Use?

Not all primers and paints are suitable for every door material. Ensure you’re choosing paints that will bring you the best results and leave your door damage-free.

Types of Paint for Wooden Garage Doors

Wood suits latex or oil-based primers and paints. However, be wary of using oil on chipped or cracked wood as the oil can escape into the wood and rot it. As such, always repair breakages and cracks before using an oil-based paint or primer.

There are also some arguments against using oil or latex as they have water-repelling properties (which is usually a useful feature), meaning any moisture trapped there cannot escape. Therefore, it may be best to opt for moisture permeable or microporous paint instead.

Types of Paint for Metal Garage Doors

Likewise, metal doors will also suit latex and oil-based applications. If your door is galvanised, however, it will need a paint especially designed for that type.

Types of Paint for Fibreglass Metal Doors

Avoid oil-based mixes when painting a fibreglass door, and instead choose acrylic, epoxy or polyester paints. Many experts also recommend sticking to the same company for both your primer and your paint.

How to Paint a Garage Door

• Choose the perfect day: Any sort of exterior painting relies on decent weather conditions. Rain should be avoided at all costs, and so should intense sunlight. While it may be difficult to secure optimum weather conditions (especially in the UK), just do your best, and remember that this job will take 2 or 3 days.
• Clean and Prepare: Applying paint to a dirty garage door is never a good idea – not only will you spread grime around, but stains or dirt can alter the colour of the applied paint. Thoroughly clean your door with warm soapy water or a gentle detergent, and always use a non-abrasive material e.g. a sponge. If your door is metal, this will act to degrease it. Lay down some old cloth or plastic in the appropriate places to prevent any brickwork or driveway areas from becoming soiled with paint.
• Sand it down: Next, you need to prepare your surface for painting. On wooden doors, a light sanding will remove most of the flaking paint (if it has been painted before). Be especially careful on fibreglass, making sure to only use soft sandpaper. Sandpaper will also remove any scratches or surface abnormalities that may affect the texture. It may be worth wearing a dust mask during this step.
• Get the tape out: Not every element of your garage door needs a coat of paint e.g. hinges, brackets, handles. These can be covered over with masking tape – or removed entirely. You may also want to place it around the border of your door to prevent splashes and splatters on your brickwork.
• Apply a primer: Choose a primer that will work on your garage door material. Priming is the best way to keep the colour even and provide a smooth, consistent base for your paint to be applied to. Use a roller or large brush for the main body of the door, using smaller brushes towards the edge for better control. Pay attention to the drying time outlined on the tin.
• Paint it: Once your door is completely dry, it’s time to paint. Use the same technique as the primer application, using large instruments to cover the main body of the door, while selecting smaller brushes for the edges. Adhere to the recommended drying time, and apply a second coat if you feel it’s needed.