How to Paint A Garage Door

If you’re wondering how to paint a garage door, look no further. During our years in the painting and decorating trade we’ve painted countless garage doors and have the best technique for every material.

There could be a number of reasons to give your garage door a fresh lick of paint including:

• Your current garage door paint is starting to peel
• You’re not happy with your current colour scheme
• Your garage door is too dirty to clean effectively

Whatever the reason is, to get the perfect finish you’re going to need the right paint, the right tools and the right technique. Fortunately, we’ve put together a simple guide to help you get the finish your garage door deserves.

How to Paint A Metal Garage Door

Painting a metal garage door can be an easy experience when you know how to and doing so can provide your home with a fresh new look.

Step 1: Choose a paint suitable for metal

A lot of paints aren’t suitable for use on exterior metal and if applied will usually result in discolouration, flaking or both. Choosing something that’s resistant to the British elements is imperative to ensure your hard work doesn’t go down the drain.

With that being said, something like Hammerite Garage Door paint which is specifically for use on metal garage doors would be a good choice.

Step 2: Prepare your garage door

To ensure your new paint sticks and sets efficiently, you’ll need to prepare your garage door. Preparation also has the added benefit of stopping metal garage door paint from flaking.

1. Remove any flaking or blistering paint with a scraper
2. Rub down the door with a wire brush or coarse sand paper
3. Wash the door down with household detergents – you don’t want any dust or dirt remaining as this could stop the paint from sticking

Step 3: Time to paint

Now you’ve got your paint and the garage door is clean, it’s time to start painting. Some paints will need a primer first so make sure you check the instructions on the tin (Hammerite doesn’t need a primer).

1. Using a brush, paint the edges of the garage door first
2. Apply a thin layer of paint to the top of the garage door and work your way down in stages
3. If one coat isn’t enough, wait the required amount of time before applying a second thin coat

How to Paint A Wooden Garage Door

A freshly painted wooden garage door, when done right, has the ability to totally transform the look and feel of your home. However, get it wrong and all your time and effort will be wasted.

Step 1: Choose a paint that’s been formulated for wood

Choosing a great paint that works well on wood is of utmost importance. You’ll need something that is durable and withstands the headache that is British weather.

We’ve used The One in the past which is a paint and primer in one and have found that this works very well but you can use something like Dulux’s Weathershield or Rust-Oleum’s All Surface Paint too.

Step 2: Prepare the surface

Preparing a wooden garage door could be simple or time-consuming, depending on the state of your current door.

1. If your current door still has lots of paint on it, you might want to consider using a paint stripper first
2. If most of the paint has weathered away (or you’ve already followed step 1), use a scraper or wire brush to ensure any remaining paint has been removed
3. You’ll want to fill in any cracks or holes with a wood filler
4. Sand the door down until you’re left with a smooth surface
5. Jet wash or wipe down the surface to ensure it’s thoroughly cleaned of any dust or debris

Step 3: It’s time to paint

Once your surface is ready, applying the paint to a wooden garage door is a simple task. If you need a primer with your chosen paint, apply this first (we use The One which is both a primer and paint).

1. Paint the edges with a brush
2. Apply paint in sections, working from the top of the door to the bottom
3. Give the first coat time to dry and depending on the paint you use, evaluate whether it needs a second coat
4. If you don’t need a second coat, you can start the cleaning up process. Otherwise, repeat step 2 for the second coat

How to Paint a uPVC Garage Door

A lot of people are unaware of this but your uPVC garage door can easily be given a new lease of life with a lick of paint. Perhaps you’ve just painted your front door a new colour and want your garage door to match or your current white has started to discolour, painting a uPVC garage door might be a good choice.

Step 1: Choose a suitable paint

Not all paint has strong adhesion to plastic so you’ll want to choose something specific here. Options such as Dulux’s Weathershield Multi-surface or Rust-Oleum’s All Surface Paint are personal favourites for this sort of job so that’s a good place to start.

Step 2: Prepare the surface

uPVC requires a lot less preparation than metal or garage doors and all you really need to do at this point is brush down the surface, give it a clean and lightly sand it to ensure maximum paint adhesion.

Step 3: Time to paint

As long as it’s a dry day and above 10 degrees celsius, you can go ahead and paint. You can use a brush or a roller to apply the paint depending on your personal preference.

Always brush the edges first and then start from the top, working your way down to the bottom in stages.

Depending on the paint you choose you might get away with needing just one coat but if a second is required, follow the instructions on the tin.

For example, if using Rust-Oleum’s All Surface Paint you might need just the singular coat. If it’s not quite up to the standard you’re after, you can apply a second coat after 16 hours.

Summary

Painting a garage door isn’t too difficult if you follow the right techniques. Anyone is able to give it a go and renovating the look of your home can be a very rewarding experience. If you’re interested in learning more DIY tips and tricks, head over to our DIY Guides section.