Quick Guide to Repainting a Garage Door

Are you over the colour of your garage door? Whether you chose it long ago and your style has grown, or it came in a colour you aren’t fond it, now is a great time to change its appearance and give your home a new look. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

In this article, we’ll cover how to paint metal doors, both non‑insulated and insulated. For a wood garage door, whether painted or stained, the best thing to do is to contact a local paint dealer. This expert will instruct you on how to do a great job with wooden doors.

Before you start…

You won’t be able to find oil‑based (alkyd) paint for painting a metal door in large chain stores. That is because there are laws governing lead in paint, so you can only find water‑based (latex) paints at these stores. Paint professionals are the only ones who can use the oil-based paints.

However, you can get a great look with any well-known paint brand, such as SICO, Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, DULUX, Behr, etc.

Gather the tools:

• 4‑inch (10‑cm) synthetic paintbrush (nylon or polyester)
• Woven fabric roller with short-pile (around 3⁄16″ or 5 to 6 cm), about 5 inches (15 cm) wide
• A tray for the paint
• Cloths to take care of mess and to wipe drips
• Fine (220‑grit) sandpaper to get into impressions in embossed designs
• Masking tape to cover windows if needed

How much paint?

• How much paint you will need depends on how big the garage door is. A double garage door will need around 1 gallon (4 liters) of paint.
• Additionally, you may need to apply a coat of primer to get the best adhesion of your colour if the door is older.
• We suggest using paint with a matte or semi-gloss finish.
• If the door faces the south, and receives many hours of direct sunlight, avoid darker colours when choosing the paint. These will attract ultraviolet rays and can cause the metal to warp as the temperature of the metal changes during the day. If your garage door is in a shaded area, you can use darker colours if you want.

How to prepare the door:

• Start by washing the surface of the door with a trisodium phosphate (TSP) cleaner, which removes all residue and markings.
• Rinse this cleaner away and let the door completely dry.
• If there are indentations in the door or any spots that are textured due to age or damage, use sandpaper (not steel wool) to smooth the area.
• Wipe or vacuum the door once more to remove dust.
• Be sure to clean and cover any windows in the door.

Applying the base coat:

• If the enamel has peeled off the door due to age, or there are rust spots, a base coat of primer is needed. Apply a layer of zinc phosphate primer.
• Let it dry at least 16 hours before applying your top coat.

Applying the top coat

• Apply the top coat you have chosen, and let it dry completely.
• If needed, apply a second coat after the first coat has completely dried.

Another option: Hiring a specialist

If you want to skip this chore, you can hire painting specialists to do the job for you. There are many companies specialized in painting who specifically work with garage doors. They will typically use a paint sprayer, which makes the job very fast and ensures an even coat. They also use tools like temporary shelters to keep bugs off the door till it dries, for example.

Learn more today!

Contact us today and we can help you find which products best fit your budget and the architectural style of your house. We can even send you a quote by email.

You are always welcome to check out the colours and styles available in our showroom. Another method is to use our Design Centre to choose the garage door style that suits you the best. In addition, you can take a look at our image gallery to get lots of ideas.