If your garage door is looking a little worse for wear, don’t start looking at replacements just yet. You can give your garage a whole new look with just a fresh coat of paint! But before you break out the paint cans and rollers, it’s important to know that exterior painting in Canton, GA, is very different from painting the walls in your home. Here are a few tips for painting your garage door the right way.
Check the Weather
Obviously, your outdoor painting project is going to be a lot more dependent on the weather than repainting your bedroom. So, check the weather and plan to do your painting on a cool, clear day. Ideal conditions would be temperatures between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit with low humidity, low wind, and indirect sunlight. You want to try to find three days in a row that are as close to these conditions as possible.
Gather Materials
Next, it’s time to get your materials together. Be sure to purchase both a paint and a primer; the primer will help the top coat to better adhere to the garage door and will make it more durable. You may also want to double check that the paint is appropriate for your door material, as paint will adhere differently to a wooden garage door than it will to a more typical aluminum garage door.
You’ll want a gallon of both the paint and the primer for a two-car garage door; however, if you’re trying to cover a dark color with a lighter color, you might need a bit more. You’ll also need the following:
- Wire brush
- Fine sandpaper
- All-purpose cleaner
- Sponge
- Hose
- Clean rags
- Painter’s tape
- Drop cloth
- Nylon paintbrush (preferably 2 inches)
- Paint roller (preferably ¾ inch)
- Step stool or ladder
Get all of your supplies ready so you can start early on the first day of good weather!
Prep the Door
You can’t start painting a garage door right away. It’s going to have a lot more dirt, grime, grit, and even rust than your inside walls, so it needs a lot of prep work. Scrub off any rusted or chipped spots with your wire brush (you might want to wear gloves, goggles, and face mask for this to protect yourself from paint chips and other debris). Then, sand those areas with the sandpaper to create a smooth base.
When this is done, clean the entire door with an all-purpose cleaner and sponge. Rinse with your garden hose, then dry the surface with clean towels or rags. Let the door finish air-drying for at least an hour.
Tape and Cover
While your door dries, cover up anything you don’t want paint on. This includes taping any trim and hardware you won’t be painting, as well as putting down the drop cloth so that you don’t get paint on your concrete.
You may also want to consider disengaging your lift motor so that you can raise and lower your garage door as needed while you work.
Prime
Start by priming the inset panels of your garage door, if you have them, with your paintbrush, and wipe away any excess paint that may have crept into the stiles to ensure a smooth finish. Then, prime the stiles and the rest of the panels with the brush or paint roller. If you’re painting the trim, do this last. Let it dry for at least 12 hours.
Paint
Finally, it’s time to apply your selected paint color. Use the same method described above to paint your door, working bottom to top, from the inner panels to the outer stiles. If you need to apply another coat of paint, be sure to allow 12 hours of drying time between coats.
If repainting your garage door is more than you care to do on your own, or if you have a bigger project in mind, contact a painting company in Canton, GA, like Fillo Painting Contractors. We can help you get your home’s exterior looking like new again. Call now!