Paint It!

Garage doors often suffer from wear and tear. In order to make sure that your garage door stays in top shape, you need to paint it periodically.

All aspects of the weather from sun to snow can be harmful to the appearance of your garage door. Discoloration of the garage door is mainly because the sun directly falls on your garage door, the rain soaks all the metal parts of the garage door which will cause it to rust over time. Also, there are chances of snow getting freeze into your garage door during winter which melts due to the heat from your house and then re-freezes. All of the above can harm the state of your garage door.

When you first install your garage door, take a photo of it so that you can compare its condition. the photo you take when the door is new will remind you of how your door really should look. But if you have taken another and more recent photo of your door, you will easily be able to see the wear and tear your door has suffered. This is a sure indication that you should  do the necessary maintenance work as early as possible because any delay in doing so will prove to be too costly in the long run.

First step, you should take in this direction is to prepare your garage door for the painting work. You will need to wash your door with some detergent in the water in order to remove all grime and dirt that has accumulated. Rinse off the solution and once finished leave the door to get completely dry. Next you need to examine your door and check for loose paintwork or chipping; with a wire brush you can then remove any excesses of paint that will impede you painting the surface well. After that clean the garage door again and rinse carefully and let it dry completely.

Once you are sure that the garage door is totally dry, apply the base or primer coat to the door. This will ensure that your new acrylic paint will stick to the surface of the garage door smoothly. To apply the paint to the garage door, a spray gun is a great option. Make sure you use long strokes and allow each layer of paint to dry thoroughly. Once the base or primer coat is fully dry, then you can go on to spraying with the top color of your choice.

Once you have finished, you will be amazed at just how good your garage door will look with its new coat of paint. Your new look garage door should last you a good few years. Painting your garage door is not an expensive task, and the results will last you many years.

Is your garage door chipping and flaking?

When you begin to notice the paint on your garage door is chipping and flaking apart, it is time for a new paint job. If left untreated, a garage door exposed to the elements can take on rain water and become warped from the hot sun. When the wood is compromised, it deteriorates. Soon the entire door structure weakens and replacement will become necessary. Though it is a fair amount of work, repainting your garage door can save you a lot of money down the road. Plus a new paint job brightens up your garage and adds to the overall value of your home.

The first step is to wash off the dust and paint chips. Some people prefer a power washer for this part because it is quicker and very efficient. Other people prefer using a hose to keep water penetration down to a minimum. The door will need some surface preparation. There are many types of exterior cleaners available that will help remove the stains and mildew. At the very least, a 1:4 solution of bleach and water should be used. Use a wire brush to remove the chipping paint. This is probably the most labor intensive part of the job but it is very important. The new paint needs a firm surface to adhere to otherwise it will quickly flake and peel off. Allow the treated and scrubbed surface to completely dry. A weekend with sunny weather should do the trick. Now inspect the wood for cracks. Fill the cracks with a good, exterior caulk and sand them smooth. Now you are ready to start painting.

When painting the door, you may need to do it in steps to cover the edges and other parts exposed when the door opens and closes. If your garage has windows, now is the time to cover them. Though removing paint from glass is easy with a razor blade, this step can save time later. Primer is very important in any paint job but even more so on exterior surfaces. Primer protects not only the wood, but also the paint itself. Wood is a highly absorbent material. If it leaks moisture from the paint, the paint will pucker and peel. Primer creates an even, waterproof surface for the paint to stick to. Allow your primer at least 24 hours in sunny weather to dry properly. If the primer feels sticky, it is not dry. If it is dry, apply your first coat of paint. Allow this to dry for at least 24 hours. Now you can add your final coat of paint and you are done.

How to choose and match exterior colours on your home, including the garage door

The challenge in choosing exterior colour is to find the right balance between standing out and fitting in.

Often the biggest colour decisions have been made by the time you get to choosing exterior paint colours: the brick, the stone elements, and your roof. To help you see these materials as colours, match each of them to a paint chip. This is a quick and effective aid to developing your home’s exterior palette. Add a paint chip for the roof and you are ready to go.

Next, choose your main trim colour , and when you do, be extremely wary of white. There is very little White in nature so stark white can look artificial and inelegant. Be sure that any whites you use are what designers call “toned” whites. These look off–white or warm grey as paint chips but will still look very white against brick and stone. They’re softer and more pleasing to the eye.

Make the laws of colour perception work for you when assigning colours to the architectural features of your home. Light things grab our attention and they also tend to look big (which is why some of us favour black workout clothing). Take stock of your facade, your garage door and assign the brightest trim colour to its most attractive trim features. 

If you want to calm your façade then the rule of thumb is to reduce contrast. Tone down your trim with natural–looking neutrals in a deeper range of colours, both the colour of stone. Make the details you want to be less visible recede with a warm off–black. These shadow colours help create harmony in your palette.

Sometimes, toning down unattractive features won’t be enough. To make utility doors, down–pipes and truly unsightly things disappear, you need outright camouflage. Use the colour that you matched to your main building material (brick, siding), as the colour for all ugly things.

Dramatic or eye–catching accent colours should always be used sparingly. Generally, there are three rules for garage doors : always avoid bright colours. Always avoid high contrast with the dominant colour in your palette. Never match them to your front door. If you think you want to use a stand–out colour on your front door, camouflage your garage door so it doesn’t compete.

Invest in the highest–quality exterior paint you can afford. Painting the exterior is expensive, or time–consuming – usually, both. Look for an exterior paint that’s backed by the strongest warranty you can find, which is backed by a lifetime warranty against cracking, peeling and flaking.

Death by Garage Door

This past weekend I almost killed myself by painting my garage door.

Now, normally, painting your garage door isn’t considered a life threatening activity, unless, for example, your garage door is in Fallujah. Or, as in my case, you’re in Arizona and you’re painting a white garage door (using a nice latex semi-gloss) in 105 degree weather with the sun beating down directly on the door in front of you. In that case, you might as well be sunning yourself on the surface of Mercury during the warmer months using coconut oil and a liberal amount of aluminum foil.

After I was about one quarter done, I was starting to wonder if this was such a great idea. Half way through I was naked from the waist down in a desperate attempt to cool my head with my sweat soaked underwear and shorts. By the end, barely alive, I was almost wishing I were at work instead of home.

Almost.

This project now joins the long list of seemingly innocuous home improvement projects that I’ve undertaken through the years that have darned near killed, maimed or otherwise permanently incapacitated me. These include closing my garage door (I’m starting to think that door hates me) and assembling a swing set (big thanks again to my local fire department for saving my chestnuts on that one).

Home ownership. You got to love it!

Protecting Garage Doors with Paint

Garage doors take a lot of abuse.

Getting knocked into and dented. The wear and tear of going up and down all the time. Being exposed to nature’s elements. Garage doors experience wear and tear on a daily basis. They are also the entry through which very many people enter their homes at. But for all this, garage doors are often overlooked where maintenance and the look of the garage door is involved.

Most steel garage doors need a fresh coat of paint every few years to protect them from wind, rain, and sun. Even without peeling, paint layers break down over time and garage doors need to be repainted every few years. This also offers a convenient opportunity to change colors and create more curb appeal.

It is imperative that the door be cleaned and dried thoroughly before any painting begins. Using a hose, an abrasive cleaner, and a rough scrub brush, clean the entire side of the door that is to be painted. Make sure to get any oil or grease that has collected entirely cleaned off; otherwise the paint won’t stick and there will be bubbling and peeling problems. It is okay for the surface of the garage door to be slightly abraded during this process as it will allow the paint to stick better.

Once the door is clean and dry, use an oil based exterior paint primer to prepare the door for the color coats.  Follow the directions on the primer label carefully to avoid problems like tacky paint that never dries properly, peeling, or bubbling. The primer can be applied with a roller and brush that are designed for oil based paint.

Allow the primer to dry according to manufacturer directions. Once the primer is dry, apply even coats of oil based paint in the selected color. Use this opportunity to add curb appeal to the house by choosing a color that coordinates well with the existing color scheme while adding some excitement. Allow each color coat to fully dry in between coats, and follow manufacturer directions on finishing and cleaning up.

Recent restrictions on ingredients in paint have limited the availability of oil based paint. Exterior latex paint may be used to paint garage doors, but is more prone to bubbling and peeling, especially on metal doors. If appropriate exterior oil based paint cannot be found, consult with the local hardware store to find the best alternative. Many garage door services also offer painting, and using such a service may ensure that the finished results will last for years and added beauty and garage door protection.

Choosing the Right Paint to Improve the Life of Garage Doors

Selecting the garage door paint depends upon so many considerations. The first consideration is the color of the house and whether the garage door is exposed to sunlight or not. Whenever you decide to paint garage doors, you must think about the color of your house and the garage door paint colors will largely depend on that.

If your house is of bright color you may use some color which will match with other exteriors of the house or you may decide to go for a contrast selection. If the garage door is exposed to sun rays during the day then you may not go for a bright color as bright colors tend to fade away very quickly in sun and the door will require very frequent repainting.

For selecting the type of paint that should be applied, in cases when you are repainting garage doors, it is important to know the type of paint which is already there on the doors. If you have oil based paint, you can apply latex paint or oil based paint but if you have latex paint then you can apply only latex paint over it. In case when you cannot confirm the type of paint which is already there, it is advisable to opt for the best quality latex paint for repainting the garage doors.

Once the type of paint and color is decided the question that arises is how to paint garage doors. You can very easily assign the task to professionals but if you love to so it yourself you will find that it is a very easy and tireless job.