I’ve been looking into a new steel (or aluminum) garage door. Unfortunately, the stock colors they all seem to come in are white or brown (yuk). The suppliers I talk to all say they can do a custom color, but the prices skyrocket. One was even double the cost.
I can appreciate the benefit of a good powder coat job, but it really is beyond my budget.
What do you folks think about the idea of repainting a stock door?
Any experience with durability?
What paints would you suggest?
My door is not in a high traffic area, but we are talking winter climate.
Replies
Nevr painted a garage door......but have had a few man doors that came preprimed top coated.
Best finish I get is by taking the door to my buddy that runs an autobody shop. The paint line he uses doen't have to be baked on.
Ask around....some local shop will do it for ya. Pretty much any color you want and an auto finish that will last for years. Car paint is pretty tough stuff. Jeff
* Jeff J. Buck/ Buck Construction/ Pittsburgh, PA *
2nd Generation Buck Const, 3rd generation Craftsman
I'm not in a cold climate so I don't know if I'll be of any help. But I did paint a new metal sectional garage door in 1998 and it still looks great. I ordered it with a prime coat instead of paint. I powerwashed it first, and then painted it with Kelly Moore's exterior acrylic semi-gloss using a brush. You just have to paint the section edges one section at a time and let it dry before you roll the door up or down to get to the next section. We get a lot of rain, but no snow. It has held up very nicely.
"A completed home is a listed home."
Thanks for the tips.
I'm not sure I want to do all the disassembly to go to the autobody shop. I don't much like taking my car there anyway :-)
The alkyd approach was my idea, but I'm so used to wood, I did not want to impose my prejudices on this project.
I suppose I can use the stock finish as a primer and sand and go...
I paint them all the time.
I clean them VERY well, then I use an hvlp and a premium acrylic exterior satin finish paint. You can rent an hvlp at any tool rental place for about $20 a day.
I also use a good primer first, even if the doors were previously painted, or just factory primed. I personally use Zinsser brand Bullseye 1-2-3. I use 2 coats of primer, and 2 coats of paint.
The paint job looks factory, and have even had people think the doors came that color from the factory. James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
"Southeast Texas"
I see...
Now I have two votes for latex paint.
I have had great results with latex on wood trim, but I thought oil might be more compatible with the existing finish. Thoughts?
You have to see what the manufacturer recommends. I have never seen a case where they recommend an alkyd finish. I also would stay away from 123, for many reasons, but I know James loves the stuff. Neither of the above have the legs to endure the movement that is possible in all applications with a metal door.
You may want to check out a metal latex, 100% acrylic and formulated for the application, but a quality exterior acrylic finish will work well.
(not thoughts, facts, ;-))
Edited 4/14/2002 3:40:05 PM ET by Qtrmeg
Another vote for latex, or more precisely 100% acrylic. If this is a baked on finish I would start with a bonding primer.
While alkyds dry to a harder finish than latex paints and adhere better on most poorly prepared surfaces. 100% acrylic holds it color and gloss better, is more flexible and more resistant to peeling and mildew. Especially on exteriors, acrylics have proven to be a longer lasting finish.
On a garage door, flexibility would be a key point.
Barry
It's not the habitat, it's the inhabitants.
Won't you be my neighbor
Edited 4/14/2002 3:52:17 PM ET by Barry E
"I would start with a bonding primer."
Barry,
That is exactly why I recommend Bullseye 1-2-3. It is a bondng agent/sealer/primer all in one, and works very well. I know you ain't the one that said they wouldn't use it, but you give a very good reason why I WOULD. This primer bonds very well with alkyd paints and primers, chalky surfaces, glossy surfaces, and any previous factory primers or finishes on these metal doors. It also works VERY well for galvanized guttering and galvanized metals.
Bullseye 1-2-3 is not a do it all primer, and is not the best product for all applications. There are places I WOULD recommend it, and places I WOULDN'T recommend using it. This is one place I would HIGHLY recommend it (2 good coats).
QTRMEG,
Why would you NOT recommend it for this application?James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
"Southeast Texas"
I agree the 123 is a great bonding primer. I have used it in other applications very successfully. After all the input, I will probably try it on this one too.
For the record, one place where 123 fails is as a sealer/stain blocker. It is not as good as the manufacturer suggests. I once used it on knotty pine... I should have done it the old fashioned way.
I agree with ya about the stain blocking abilities. I do not use it for this purpose. There are other products that work well for that application.
For bare wood priming, I still prefer an alkyd primer/sealer. In my opinion, it penetrates much deeper into the wood, and provides a better seal of the wood. James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
"Southeast Texas"
Besides issues I've had with topcoats, I feel that it is a very brittle finish. In this case you are painting a sheet of metal that will move all over, I question it's elasticity and bonding. It has a place but I have that narrowed down to almost nothing. The only Zinser product I use is the shellac based primer, and there are alternatives to that.
And if it sticks to anything, why won't it stick to the side of it's own paint can?
Try a metal latex coating and see if you need to bondcoat.
James, I have to qualify this by saying I used it when it first came out, and maybe it has changed, but I have other products that serve well and haven't bothered with it since.
James,
I should have said I agree with using a bonding primer. Although I haven't used the Bullseye 1 2 3, I am more familiar with XIM or ICI's Gripper.
Qtrmeg,
"And if it sticks to anything, why won't it stick to the side of it's own paint can?"
Maybe because it's still wet? It needs to dry and form a film before it bonds. <G>
Barry
It's not the habitat, it's the inhabitants.
Won't you be my neighbor
When I used this stuff it flaked off the can dry. Maybe I should have primed the can, eh?
Stick to anything? Not. Cure all? Not. The class of Zinser coatings 123 is in has a few properties you have to work with. I just wasn't impressed...at the time.
Maybe they have changed.
I personally think you should use whatever you feel most comfortable using, and whatever product you get the best results with.
I was just curious why you disliked the Bullseye 1-2-3 product. I think if I had troubles with it, I'd use something else too. Maybe we are using it in different applications, and getting different results. Who knows...
Thanks for replying.James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
"Southeast Texas"
My experience with painting of existing installed garage doors is basically the same as Lisa L's......................clean the door thoroghly, and rinse thoroghly, thinly apply the first coat of a high quality exterior grade latex acrylic house paint. allow to dry thoroughly, apply a second coat for a finsh. Good for many years.
.................................Iron Helix
Spend some time on the web and you can find manufacturers that offer a variety of colors. I faced the same problem that you did on my home in the mountains. I had the installer paint the garage door per the manufacturer's instructions and on the recommendation of their paint supplier. Without elaborating, I ran into all kinds of problem with the door sticking to the vinyl trim (I replaced that twice) and the panels sticking together (this is after sitting in a dry environment for more than a year).
Go for a new door.
I was going to mention that blocking (sticking to weatherstripping) can sometimes be a problem with the acrylics. I usually don't have as much trouble with garage doors as I do with entry doors.
There are paints out that claim to eliminate the blocking. One that I know of is SW's SuperPaint. You might ask your paint store if they have one. And definately check with the door manufacturer
Barry
It's not the habitat, it's the inhabitants.
Won't you be my neighbor