Homeowners often have loads of questions about repainting or touching up their garage doors. It’s something simple enough to do on your own to freshen up your door and improve your home’s overall curb appeal. Some commonly asked questions are: What kind of paint should I use to touch up my garage door? What is the recommended painting method? Which garage doors are safe to repaint without professional help?
At Amega Garage Doors and Openers, we’ve partnered with C.H.I Overhead Doors to bring you functional and stylish doors. And as it turns out, C.H.I. has painting procedures for each of their most popular garage door types to make it easy to spruce up your door fast—all on your own!
Steel Garage Doors
To repaint a steel garage door, wash the surface with a solution of Trisodium Phosphate (TSP), which is a common cleaning ingredient that can be found at most hardware stores. Then buff the surface lightly with extra-fine grade steel wool. As you’re cleaning and buffing, you may notice rust spots or bare metal areas; coat them with a zinc-based primer.
When you’re ready to start painting, use a premium quality oil-based or latex exterior paint and avoid the use of solvents. Before diving head-first into painting the whole door, apply the paint to a small area of the door to make sure the paint adheres correctly. Once you’ve made sure the test spot looks good, you’re ready to paint!
Overlay Carriage House Garage Doors
Factory-finished overlay carriage house garage doors are okay to repaint, but the procedure will look a little different based on whether it’s new or old. For newer doors, simply paint with premium exterior grade 100 percent acrylic water-based paint.
For older garage doors, use TSP to remove built-up dirt and grime from the surface, rinse it off with water, and then let your door dry completely. Lightly sand any portions of your garage door as needed, and give the surface a final wipe-down to remove any remaining dirt or dust before painting.
High-Definition Fiberglass Garage Doors
For unfinished doors, sand lightly with 600 grit sandpaper, and then clean your garage door with denatured alcohol. Use a good-quality acrylic latex house paint to adhere to the fiberglass. Apply a small test spot before painting the entire door to check for adhesion.
To repaint factory finished high-definition fiberglass garage doors, sand lightly and then clean the surface with water and a mild detergent. Paint with a good quality acrylic latex house paint just like you would an unfinished door.
Basic Painting Tips to Get You Started
So now that you know the specifics of painting your garage door, you may be wondering where to begin. Here are four simple tips to paint your garage door like a pro:
- Check the weather before you paint. If it’s humid, rainy, windy, or too cold outside it’s not the best day for painting.
- Powerwash your garage door before painting. This is a fast way to remove dirt and grime from the surface. The cleaner the door is, the more likely your paint will stick.
- Put down a tarp or sheet. Protect your garage floor and driveway from accidents or spills.
- Buy painter’s tape. Keep the paint to just your garage door by covering up areas you don’t want to get paint on.
Have More Questions About Painting Your Garage Door? Call Amega!
Repainting or touching up your garage door may feel a little stressful. The last thing you want to do is mess up and damage your door or make it look any worse. So, if you still have some questions or are feeling a little nervous about getting started, give us a call! Our team at Amega can walk you through the procedure, give you tips on best practices, and put your mind at ease.