How To Paint An Aluminum Garage Door

Garage doors are sturdy and robust, proceed your car protected and provide an additional level of security to y'all and your loved ones. Even so, over fourth dimension, they might commencement showing signs of all the wear and tear that they have withstood over the years.

Provided you lot don't take notice and permit the signs of harm fester, they might end up affecting the integrity of the door. It is, therefore, essential that you know how to paint a garage door. You tin can as well hire a professional for the task, but it'southward so easy painting the door that you can do it on your ain.

Need proof to believe in this claim? Then cheque out this video before scrolling downwardly. It volition preview all the stuff we're going to discuss in this article. Y'all might besides learn a few tricks from the video that might help you when you lot're painting the door.

Choosing the Paint for your Garage

Earlier you coil upwards your sleeves and start painting your garage door, it's important to determine what type of paint will piece of work best in your scenario. You'll be able to answer this question based on the material of construction of your garage door.

For example:

If your garage door is made of forest or steel: Choose a latex- or oil-based paint. Its increased resilience helps this paint withstand ecology pollutants for long.
If your garage door is made of vinyl: Go for a paint that contains a bonding agent and a latex-based primer. As vinyl doors need paint that will adhere to their surface.
If your garage door is fabricated of aluminum: You lot can choose either a 100 percent acrylic exterior paint, or you tin can get with oil-based exterior paint and an oil-based primer.

Choosing the Colour

The answer to this question depends on how much you desire your garage door to stand out. If you want the door to stand out, select a color that contrasts with the residue of your house. If you want a paint that will make your house look bigger, its color should be the same every bit that of your dwelling.

Here are some tips based on the looks you might want:

For a subtle and soothing expect: Use a monochromatic approach – that is, to select the same colour for your door as you've already used on the house'due south walls. A variety of shades of green, blue, soft yellowish, and lavender will also portray a subtle look.
For an elegant expect: Cull a neutral colour such as white or biscuit. Both these colors volition non only add elegance to your garage door but will also make your home wait more spacious. The same is truthful for shades of garnet, mahogany, and rust colors.
For a vibrant await: Paint your garage door with multiple colors of unlike contrasts and varying hues. Some of the combinations that come to mind include a philharmonic of black and red or gold and orange.

Choosing the Tools

Yous accept three options when it comes to tools using which you can pigment your garage door.

Brushes: They are relatively straightforward to use and are best for doors with innumerable nooks and crannies. On the flip side, painting with a brush is pretty fourth dimension consuming, and yous'd have to apply extra endeavor to get a smooth, professional finish.
Rollers: They are ideal for garage doors that have big, flat surfaces, such as sectional models. You can count on them to give a polish cease on a relatively large area in less fourth dimension. However, you'll have to apply rollers in conjunction with brushes to cover cracks and edges.
Spray applicators: They offer one of the quickest means of applying paint – but are extremely wasteful and expensive. As long every bit you aren't going to use spray applicators to paint a lot of exterior surfaces, the philharmonic of roller and paintbrush will work fine.

Selecting the Twenty-four hour period

Google the conditions forecast for your area before you lot start painting. The optimum temperature for painting lies between fifty and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with indirect sunlight and low humidity. Make sure that at least three days fit this criterion, as you lot'll demand 72 hours to complete the job.

What You'll Need?

Here's a list of all the tools and equipment you'll need:

Rubber gloves
Grit mask
Condom goggles
Wire brush
Sponge
Garden hose
Painters tape
Drop cloth
Exterior primer
Outside pigment
2'' Nylon paintbrush
¾'' pigment roller

Step-by-Step Guide for painting garage door

Follow these steps to paint your garage door:

Step 1: Thoroughly clean the garage door

Soak a sponge in soapy water and gently wipe away whatsoever dirt, dust or grime from the door's outer surface. Scrub from side-to-side and top to bottom. Don't forget the corners.

Once you're done with the cleaning, give the garage door a thorough rinse with your garden hose. Afterward, utilize a clean towel to blot information technology dry equally you should never use paint to a moisture surface.

Step 2: Lay down a protective drop fabric

The area on both sides of the garage door (inner and outer) needs to be covered before you begin painting. You lot can also use a plastic tarp if you cannot find a protective drop textile.

Apart from preventing stains on the floor, the protective fabric will catch dirt and debris falling from the door.

Step 3: Encompass areas you don't want to paint

Utilise a painter's tape to cover the areas where splashes of paint might spread accidentally, such as the edges of the door. This little caution volition save you from a lot of scrapping later on if the project gets messy.

Start lining up the tape at the summit and employ it all the way down with accurateness. Make sure you get a painter's record with wide rolls. This will give you the maximum margin of mistake.

Step 4: Utilize the primer to the garage door

There are ii crucial reasons why you need to apply the primer earlier the paint. Aside from providing a flat base for the paint to which it can hands stick, the primer also increases the paint's durability.

Simply apply a painter's brush to apply 1 thin coat of primer over your garage door. Requite the primer at least half a day to dry before you motion on to the next step.

Stride five: Showtime painting hard to achieve areas

Utilise a handheld brush to paint recessed, hard-to-achieve portions of the door's panels. The maximum control and narrow width offered past the brush volition allow yous to embrace depressions and crevices easily.

Depending on the pre-existing condition of your door, y'all might have to utilise several coats to get a solid end. Make certain that past the fourth dimension you're finished with this step, all the sparse or bare spots are covered.

Step 6: Kickoff painting the door

Use a roller to cover the outer surfaces of the door. Start by painting the home-facing side of the door and move on to the road-facing side afterward.

The reason why nosotros recommend that you use a roller for this step is that it guarantees a consistent finish. Rollers besides have the ability to not go out any seams or visible strokes behind.

As long as you aren't covering a pre-existing dark color with a lighter one, one coat of pigment will be plenty. However, if you're painting a bolder shade, you might have to use several coats for the color to show up.

Pro Tip: Before you start painting the door, set up its action to transmission. This volition let you to raise or lower the door as needed to paint a particular area. This, in plow, will salvage you from the trouble of crouching and stooping repeatedly.

Final Step: Let the paint dry for 12-24 hours

Twelve hours should exist plenty for the pigment to dry if the outside weather condition isn't too humid. During this time, you should forestall anybody from coming near the door and touching it.

During the time that the paint is taking to dry out, keep cars, motorbikes, bicycles, and every such stuff at a safe altitude. You may as well take to park your car outside during the fourth dimension that the paint is drying.

FAQs

Q: How often should I paint my garage door?

A: Provided yous live in a dry, temperate climate, you lot can go for as long as five years without feeling the demand to re-paint the door. Nevertheless, if it oftentimes rains in your role of the woods, you may have to paint once every three years.

Q: How much paint will I demand to cover my garage door?

A: Use this formula to summate the number of liters y'all'll need:

Liters of paint = (Elevation of the door / Width) / (sixteen)

Conclusion

Yous might have guessed by now that painting a garage door isn't that hard. All you take to do is select the right paint, the right colour, the right 24-hour interval, and the right tools for the job, and y'all'll take a sparkling new-looking gate within three days.