Garage Door Repainting: The Worst Advice You’ll Ever Receive

If you are considering repainting your garage door, you’re likely to receive tons of advice on how to go about the project. The following are some of the worst bits of information you’ll get, and why you shouldn’t listen to them.

“Black is a great option”

Black garage doors are not always a good choice. The color will absorb heat, which will increase the temperature exponentially, and black weathers quite badly, which means your door will fade very quickly.

“Any color will work”

Your garage door needs to accent the rest of your home if you want to maintain curb appeal. The wrong color choice will clash, and the results can be horrible. Choose poster boards in the colors you like and lean them against the door to check it out first.

“Two different door colors will look great”

Double garage doors painted two different colors will not provide good results. The result will be unbalanced.

“Any paint will work”

Specific paints are designed to work with specific materials. Failing to choose the right type of paint for your garage door surface will create problems with adhering, which will result in a bad paint job.

“You don’t need to sand the door”

Unless you want to deal with additional work later on, you need to sand your door, regardless of whether it is chipping or smooth. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with the old paint showing through, or the chipped paint underneath causing the new color to chip as well.

“You don’t need to measure”

Each can of paint only covers a specific amount of space. Save yourself the hassle of running out in the middle of the job and measure – you should also make sure you buy just a bit extra to be safe.

“You only need one coat”

Regardless of whether you have light or dark paint on your door currently, a single thick coat will not cover it properly. Unless you want patchy color all over the door, plan on more than one coat.

“You should add a design”

If you don’t want your garage door to look as if you let a young child finger paint on it, keep the door a solid color to make sure it looks great.

“Washing first isn’t necessary”

There’s a reason that all the paint says to apply it to a clean and dry surface. Follow the directions to make sure the paint sticks properly.

“Paint, roller and brush quality isn’t important”

Low quality paint will require numerous retouches or repainting before it should be necessary, poor quality rollers will create shiny spots and poor brushes make the strokes obvious when it dries.

Bonus painting tips

  • Make sure to follow the weather recommendations on the paint, and make sure it isn’t supposed to rain.
  • After the paint dries on an automatic door, open it by hand the first time to make sure the cured paint doesn’t cause it to stick – this will help you avoid burning out the motor.
  • Let each coat dry thoroughly before adding another. If not, you’ll end up with sticky paint.
  • Cover the floor below the door before you paint to make cleanup easier.
  • If there are stains on the door, or if you’re using oil-based paint over latex, make sure to prime before you paint.

Is a new garage door a better option?

While it might seem that touching up your garage door is a cheaper option, sometimes it really does need to be replaced. If your door is in bad condition, or offers poor insulation and aesthetics, A-1 Overhead Door Inc. can help. We offer doors from Garaga, which is one of the most trusted names in the garage door industry, and we have a variety of options available to suit your needs. Create your dream garage door online and receive a quote!

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