I recently had (last summer) a commercial job where I installed a new steel door with divided lites. The lite kit was just a lay-over plastic setup. the door had to be painted, trim and door.
I recommended against the door but it was beyond my decision at the time. I was directed as to where to get it from a particular approve vendor. It was a new product though.
I scuffed the plastic and then coated with bonding primer.
Now, after a winter of use, the paint looks like heck. peels aways rather easily too.
any suggestions on a better method to paint this or was it a mistake in the first place?
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Replies
This is the exterior of the door? If so, I think it was a mistake to paint it. Scuff sanding and bonding primer should be sufficient for interior. I'm not sure what I'd do ext, but maybe you can order a replacement mullion and convice the owner to settle for the available color(s), which would be white or maybe brown.
What brand is it?
~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.net
Meet me at House & Builder!
Edited 4/15/2009 10:13 pm by Ted W.
no idea on brand. It was simply specified via the supplier.They have asked about just leaving it white (now that the paint is failing)... something I nearly begged them to do originally.The worst thing about this stuff is that people and management see this and think I did a poor job when it was really the bad idea of someone I could not convince otherwise. I do a lot of work for this company though.I actually offered them a different door installed at cost. It would make me feel better, for one. I am sure they would prefer the result as well. the new door is all steel with dividers between the panes.We also had a huge problem with the supplier they insisted on using. it took 4 months just to get the door in.good news is that they no longer use that supplier and take my advice more readily on these tings.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
good news is that they no longer use that supplier and take my advice more readily on these things.
Gee, go figure. The one who has a reputation to protect over the company who has a product to sell.
I hope the follow their enlightened intuition and go with a new door. ~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.netMeet me at House & Builder!
Krylon makes a spray paint just for plastic.
http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion_for_plastic/
but the color had to match the existing, which is spec'd as Sherwin Williams.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Maybe you could top coat the Krylon with Sherwin Williams.
Contact the old or new supplier and see if you can get a replacement frame and leave it unpainted this time. Might need to replace the glass too. They can break when removing the frame. Crack that glass and whatcha now gonna do?
I've had to replace a few glass panels and the frames are ordered with them. This way there is no repairing the plugs on the origional frame. The frames are caulked to the glass, not the door, unless you did.
Too bad. You would think that your method would have worked and I probably would have done the same.
What I would do is to contact the door and trim manufacturer and see if the tech line that they might have can give you any advice. It may be a long shot but what the hell. At this point it's better than stumbling around in the dark.
If you were indeed directed to get a certain product, I would go back to the director and basically say "now what?", or at least gently remind him-her that it was them who called the shots on what to apply.
Doing this kind of leg work is a real PITA and gets me angry even just reading about it because who's going to pay you for your time?. Obviously I have been there & done that.
Good luck.
What kind of paint did you use? Krylon makes a line of rattle can paint that works very well on plastic. If one of the available colors would work, it may be worth a try.
I had exactly the same problem with 5 sets of French doors with dark blue paint. I won't bore you with the details of all we did wrong but we finally got them painted by masking and spraying with Krylon. Horrible job and it took 5 or 6 coats.
Been awhile but if IIRC the last one I did the plastic had to be painted within a certain time period (30 days ?), should not be where it was exposed to direct sunlight and manufacturer recommended against dark colors.
Might check the manufacturers specs and see if the location, time delays in getting painted or color give you an out and yet another reason to swap the door out for one that will hold up. Might find something to back up your arguments in the choices made to start with.
the good news is the construction manager is well aware that it is there fault and that I warned him against it.My concern is that I get a lot of calls directly from the locations and when other GMs see this they might not know the story behind it.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
As you're probably aware by now, plastic and metal don't work on an exterior door subject to sun light. The metal gets hot and either warps or shrinks the plastic, causing any paint to flake off. I've seen it.