How To Paint an Exterior Garage Door
How To Paint An Exterior Garage Door
Have you ever noticed how vibrant that garage door is on that cute little house down the street? That stand-out garage door is not only aesthetically pleasing, but the paint acts as a shield from Toronto’s ever-changing weather. We’ll go over garage door painting tips that you’ll find useful whether you have an aluminum, vinyl or metal garage door, and find the right paint colour for you! So if you want your house to be the one all your neighbours gawk at, read on to find out how to paint your garage door exterior
Materials That You Will Need:
Exterior Primer
Exterior Paint
Paint Roller/Paint Tray
Paintbrush
Rags
Cleaning Solution
Painter’s Tape
Sandpaper
Drop Cloth/Tarp
Paint and Primer in One (optional)
Paint Gun (optional)
1. Pick The Right Colour Paint
Some might say don’t match the garage door colour with the front door colour if you have it painted an accent colour already. Others might say that’s the only way to go. If you are considering picking a bold stand-out colour for your garage door, make sure that it doesn’t clash with the rest of your home. If you have an attached garage, and your house is classically painted beige or white, blending in your garage door with the same colour as the majority of your house would work quite nicely. However, if you have some particular pieces that are bold in colour around your property, such as your mailbox, porch floor, or the shutters around the windows then matching that shade for your garage door would blend in beautifully and complement that bold colour choice that you used to accentuate the exterior of your home.
2. Clean & Prep
Prepare the garage door by making sure it’s clean of any dirt or debris and sand off any part of the door that isn’t smooth. If you have a metal garage door it might be a good idea to use an abrasive scouring sponge. Then use a strong cleaning solution and wash off any excess dirt.
Once the garage door is clean, use painters tape and tape off the boundary where you will paint. The painters tape acts as a shield for the areas that you don’t want paint on. Put down a drop cloth or tarp to protect your driveway from spills.
3. Prime
Get your paint tray and roller out and pour some primer into the tray. Use your roller and dip it in the paint, rolling it around so it is evenly covered before you start applying the primer to the garage door. You could use a paint and primer in one if you choose, in which case you would skip this step.
If you can’t get to every spot evenly with the roller, use a paintbrush.
Let dry.
4. Paint
After you have let the primer dry, (in case you are not using a paint and primer in one) you can get your paint ready in a tray and start painting over the primed garage door with the roller. Again, use a paintbrush for areas that the roller cannot fully cover. For a lighter shade of paint you may need to apply a second coat to the garage door.
If you are applying a second coat of paint, and you painted the first coat of paint horizontally, paint the second one vertically or vice versa. This will create a professional look.
Let dry.
5. Finish
Once the paint is almost completely dry, pull off the painters tape. Removing the painters tape just before the paint is dry will help the tape come off smooth without pulling any paint from the painted surface.
Remove the tarp or drop cloth you put down and you just painted your garage door!
Hints:
Try not to paint on too warm of a day with lots of sun. When you paint outdoors you need to factor in the weather forecast so you don’t overheat and exhaust yourself. A day that is partially cloudy/overcast would be the ideal day to choose for this project.
With a metal door, some might choose to use a paint gun. It is not necessary but a good alternative to the roller if you are confident with that tool.
There you have it! You just discovered how to paint a garage door exterior. A freshly painted garage door really can give your home that head-turning curb appeal, and now your home is the talk of the neighbourhood! If you would like some assistance with this, give HPT a call! Call us NOW at 416-494-9095 or by emailing Brian@HomePaintersToronto.com