Published on 26 May 2017
Your garage door does a great job of protecting your car and belongings from bad weather and theft, however, it is also a prominent part of your home’s frontage. A clean, well-maintained garage door will increase kerb appeal as well as your own pride in your home. A new coat of paint on your garage door will also protect the wood or metal from poor weather conditions and extend its lifespan.
Mild weather is the best for painting. Pick a day like this if possible, as it provides the best conditions for drying the door when you clean it with water and when you apply coats of primer and paint. Ideally, the weather following the painting will not be too cold, hot or humid.
Clean your garage door thoroughly. Wash the door from top to bottom, making sure to get rid of all the caked on dirt and dust that has accumulated on the surface. A sponge, warm water and soap will do the trick, and rinse with a cold bucket of water if necessary.
Lay down a spare bedsheet or similar to catch paint drips. Placing this around the base of your garage door will prevent the job of cleaning up paint drips later on.
Use masking tape and newspaper to protect areas around the door from excess paint. The door frame, handles and control panel needs to be covered with tape and paper to ensure they are not spattered with paint.
Select a paint colour and type of paint designed for exterior applications. The paint also needs to be formulated for the specific material of the door. Paints for timber doors and paints for metalwork use different binding agents to stick the paint to the door.
Apply a primer to help fresh paint quickly take to your garage door. Only one thin coat of primer is required and many of today’s primers are quick drying. Typical non-quick drying primers will take 12 hours to dry. The primer will provide a flat surface for your chosen paint to bind to and will mean that it lasts longer over time.
Use a handheld brush to reach the smaller corners of your garage door, the internal sills for instance, if you have decided to paint these. Work with a smooth stroke to achieve an even finish that blends into the rollered-on sections of paint.
Use a roller brush to apply the first coat of paint. A roller brush creates a more even finish than using a paintbrush for the entire door. Dip the roller, scrape the excess paint from it, then apply to the door and paint one long stripe up and down. Do not switch direction while painting and overlap the rough edges of each stripe of paint to make for an even finish.
Allow sufficient time for the paint to dry. Each paint pot provides instructions on drying times and different types of paint, along with the brand of paint, will affect the time it takes to dry. Typically, the paint must be left to dry for at least 12 hours, but this could be as long as 24 hours. Immediately cover the garage door if the weather becomes wet.
A garage door may be dry to the touch after a few hours, but to let the door completely cure, leave it for as long as possible in a descended position where it will receive steady airflow. In this position it is also less likely to drip onto items inside the garage. It is better to leave the car outside during this time rather than risk it getting dripped on by paint.
Diamond Garage Doors provide a comprehensive range of garage doors and garage door maintenance services in the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Norfolk regions. If your garage door is beyond repair and a lick of paint will not suffice, we can fit new doors in a matter of hours and are more than happy to safely dispose of your old garage door in an environmentally friendly way. Choose from ‘up and over’ doors, sectional doors, electrically operated doors, as well as roller shutter garage doors and wooden garage doors. Our made to measure doors cannot be beat. Contact us today for a free survey and quote.
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