Painting Your Garage Door

Kim SchmutzlerBlog

Do you hate it when you drive through your neighborhood and see an unseemly garage door paint job? Faded or peeling paint can be an eyesore. It makes the house look dated and not maintained. However, a fresh coat of paint can do more than just keep up appearances. Painting your garage door helps to protect the door from the weather and gives it a longer life.

Why You Should Paint Your Garage Door

Keeping your garage door updated with a fresh coat of paint can keep it from deteriorating or falling apart. It is important to prime, paint, and seal your garage door with a clear coat to protect it from moisture.

Protecting your garage door from moisture also ensures that all parts are in working order. Typically springs last about five years, an opener lasts fifteen to twenty years, and the door itself can last up to twenty. A big part of making your garage door last that long is painting your garage door to protect.

Painting your garage door also adds to the overall value of your home by making it look newer and cleaner. You can help to make it pop by choosing paint types and colors carefully. Garage doors are an important part of the exterior of your home, and it’s a feature that people don’t give enough thought. Don’t make that mistake. It’s a small thing that makes a big impact.

Types of Garage Door Material

Garage doors are made from a variety of materials. Each material needs a different kind of paint. Make sure you research what will work best on your garage door.

Here are some tips for painting your garage door.

  • Give some thought to how much paint you will need because bigger garage doors require more paint. Wood is more absorbent than metal, and also needs more paint. Be aware of these factors when working garage door paint into your budget.
  • If your garage door is steel or aluminum, you need to use a latex exterior house paint. You should never paint metal in extremely wet, cold, or hot conditions. Metal shifts and expands depending on temperature, causing the paint to dry at less than optimal levels.
  • Wood garage doors need to be sanded and primed first, before painting. With wood, you have a few more paint options, but make sure you select something that is microporous or moisture permeable.

residential garage doorsHow to Paint a Garage Door

For safety reasons, routine maintenance on your garage door parts and openers should be done by a professional. It’s also important to enlist the help of a professional to make sure the parts are replaced correctly since many are brand specific. However, garage door paint is something you can do yourself!

Give some thought to the design and color of the door, because the style should be complementary to the architecture of your home. You have some options to consider before you choose a paint color. To get the best out of the appearance, match it with your home’s base color, especially if it is a prominent part of the front facade. You can also make it pop by matching it with another more subtle part of the exterior, such as an accent, a grout color, or the darkest tone of any existing brick or stone.

When you are ready to paint, follow these steps:

  • Clean your garage door with soapy water and a sponge. Make sure you rinse it, scrape off loose paint or sand, and then clean again.
  • Cover surfaces like siding, windows, and trim with tape and protect flooring with drop cloths.
    Use a primer.
  • Apply paint, starting with the recessed panels first. Wipe away any excess.
  • Let it air dry according to the manufacturer’s specifications, and then apply a second coat.
  • Top with a clear coat to protect against moisture.

When the Garage Door is Beyond Painting

Just as putting makeup on a mule will not turn it into a unicorn, there comes a time when no amount of paint can make a garage door look new again. When that time comes, call Nofziger Doors. We have a huge selection of styles and colors. In business for over 60 years, Nofziger Doors supplies quality garage doors in and around Columbus Ohio.