If your garage door needs some TLC, today, we’re going to show you how to prep and paint your garage door.
We’re going to focus on metal garage doors in this article. We have another article about painting wooden garage doors, though.
We’re going to show you how to prep the garage door for paint, repair any damages and the best paint and practices to use while painting it.
So, let’s find out how to paint a metal garage door, shall we?
You can employ a high-quality chemical paint stripper to remove old paint from your garage door.
Alternatively, you can use medium to fine-grit sandpaper, depending on the number of paint layers your garage door has accumulated. If you opt for a chemical stripper, it’s essential to sand the door’s surface afterwards to ensure the complete removal of the old paint.
We suggest investing in an affordable sander for this task. Not only will it expedite this process, but you’ll also find the sander useful for numerous other projects.
After removing all the paint, it’s time to prepare the surface. If there’s any rust on the door, now is the moment to address it.
There are discs specifically designed for angle grinders that can efficiently handle surface rust. Alternatively, you can purchase metal paint that can be applied directly over rust. However, if the rust on your metal garage door is severe, you might need to replace parts of the door or even the entire door.
If you intend to prime and paint your metal garage door a few days after you have stripped the paint off, you should cover it to protect it from the elements. If you don’t, it will rust.
Once you’re ready to paint, wipe the metal down and remove any dust, dirt and grime. You can use white spirit to ensure all of the dust has been removed. Now is the perfect time to mask off any areas you don’t want paint on, too. Use good-quality masking tape and paper to protect the garage and other surfaces.
Before painting, apply a high-quality metal primer to the garage door. Most metal primers offer excellent rust protection, ensuring your garage door remains protected for years.
Adhere to the instructions provided on the primer can; some may necessitate sanding between coats, while others might require sanding before painting. Once the metal primer is completely dry, you can proceed with your chosen paint.
For optimal results, apply thin coats and follow the guidelines on the paint can. Thin applications prevent dripping and allow the paint to dry faster. Most metal paints typically need at least two coats for thorough coverage, with some demanding three or more.
That’s how you paint a metal garage door. The process isn’t overly complicated.
With thorough prep work, ensuring the removal of as much old paint as possible and cleaning the door to eliminate dust, the painting becomes straightforward. But which paint is best for a metal garage door? Let’s delve into paint options, shall we?
Here are our top three paints for metal garage doors and a great primer to use for painting garage doors. There are loads of exterior metal paints on the market, but these have given us great results over the years.
Hammerite is the most recognisable brand of metal paint for good reason. Its metal paint is some of the best on the market.
The garage door paint they make prevents rust and is chip and flake-resistant.
Hammerite also makes this garage door paint in six different colours, and one can of this paint is usually enough to paint one garage door.
This paint from Johnstone’s is excellent if you want to add some colour to your garage door. Johnstone’s is one of the best UK paint brands.
There are loads of paint colours to choose from, and they have a brilliant gloss white too. This is designed for exterior metal and wood and has a six-year life. Again, one can paint a single garage door and keep it protected for six years. Johnstone’s also makes one of the top paint for exterior wood.
Jenolite makes some very good quality metal paint and has some really beautiful colours in its range.
One of the best things about their metal paint, though, is that most colours are available in spray cans or in paint cans.
So, if you want to spray your garage door and don’t have a sprayer, Jenolite is a good option for you. If you are planning to buy a paint sprayer, please read our best UK paint sprayer review.
This primer can be used on galvanised garage doors as well as aluminium and loads of other metals. For any garage door, this is the perfect primer.
It is touch dry in 30 minutes and provides long-lasting protection to your garage door.
Plus, it works with all paints, not just Hammerite paints.
If you want to paint a rusty metal garage door, it is best to remove as much of the rust as you can prior to painting. You can buy very inexpensive discs for angle grinders that are great for removing rust. You can then use metal paint designed to protect rusted areas.
Using a chemical paint stripper is the easiest way of removing paint from a garage door. However, you will need to sand after removing the stripper to ensure that you have taken the garage door back to bare metal.
The colour that you paint your metal garage door is really up to you. There’s some lovely colours to choose from. We like more subtle colours for garage doors, but if you’re feeling bold, go bold!
One of the paints above is ideal for garage doors. However, any exterior metal paint will work. For maximum protection, though, use a metal paint that is designed for use on metal garage doors.
A galvanised garage door can be painted in the same way as any other metal garage door. So, follow our tips above for more info. You can also use pretty much any garage door paint too. Hammerite is one of the most popular choices for galvanised garage doors, though.
Painting a metal garage door to look like wood is not easy. There is no paint that has a wood texture-out of the can. It takes patience and skill. If you really want a garage door to look like wood, it is probably easier to buy a wooden garage door unless you are an artist.
Factoring in the costs of sandpaper, masking products and good quality metal garage door paint, you can probably paint a single garage door for under £50 over one weekend.
We hope this look at how to paint a metal garage door has helped you paint yours. With the proper prep, masking and good quality paint, painting a metal garage door is quick, easy and enjoyable. If you have a wooden garage door to paint, check out our article, all about painting wooden garage doors. And for more tips and tricks about painting all around the home, check out the rest of our articles.
