Important Things to Consider When Repainting Your Garage Door

A house’s overall appeal is heavily dependent on its exterior. The garage door is an important part of any home, and it also boosts the home’s curb appeal, which is why having a good condition and color on your garage door is crucial for every homeowner. If the garage door’s wear is looking worse, you can either replace or repaint the door altogether. A beautifully painted garage door is also important if you are willing to sell your home.

You can check these tips to know how to repaint your garage doors in a DIY way:

Garage Door’s Condition

First, you have to assess the current condition of your garage door. It will determine whether or not you should repaint the garage door. If the garage door breaks down often, you might want a garage door repair service. Inspect the door and determine its condition to find out if it can be repainted. If it has several other issues, it is best to replace the door. If it doesn’t have any issues, but its old paint is looking dull or wearing off, go ahead and repaint. Less needed repairs mean the door was well maintained and lasted many years without issues, so repainting can bring back its original look.

The Age of the Door

The age of the door is also an important thing to know before repainting your door. A twenty-year-old garage door can still work just fine, but keep in mind that you will miss out on some benefits of a newer door that has good safety features and is more operational. The old garage door will look many times better with a fresh coat of paint. But if the door has issues before repainting, it will just become heavier and cause more hassle, which is why it is sometimes better to replace the old garage door rather than repainting it.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is many times better on the newer versions of garage doors. If you use a lot of your time in the garage working on projects or just want to lower the total utility bills of your house, investing in a new insulated garage door is many times better than repainting it. Heat loss can often happen through garage doors; you can try to upgrade your old garage door with stripping and DIY insulation. But those are not a great upgrade unless you replace them with a new insulated door.

Guide created by CMB Garage Doors

Required Time

Time is precious for all of us; some even say “time is money”. If you want to make it count, compare the required time when repairing your garage with the time required when replacing the whole garage door. This is also dependent on how much free time you have on the day of the repainting. The repainting process of the garage door needs a lot of prep work.

Door Satisfaction

Lastly, consider how satisfied you are with your overall garage door. Aged garage doors tend to be finicky and louder than new doors, so keep these factors in your mind. But if you are happy with your current garage door, just go ahead and give your old garage door a new look with repaint.

Tips To Follow When Painting Your Garage Door

Garage doors are functional and fashionable features of any home’s exterior. They need proper maintenance and care to be in good shape. With the correct technique, you can color your garage door by yourself. Here are some tips you can follow when painting your garage door:

Clear The Garage

It is a standard thing to do before you get on with the repainting task. With a less cluttered garage, you will have an easier time painting your garage doors because you do not have to worry about the items getting unwanted paint on them. Also, this is a great chance to get rid of any unwanted items from your garage.

Clean Your Doors

The best paint results can be achieved with a clean surface, and your garage doors are also the same. The cleaning of your garage doors will require quite some time as you have to do it manually. You can use a pressure washer to fasten up the process. But make sure the pressure is not too high, or it will cause damage to your doors. To be safe, use a towel or sponge soaked in soap and slightly warm water to clean the door, then rinse it with a regular hose and wipe it dry.

Put On a Shield

Painting the garage door can get messy. If you do not want to get paint on your driveway, siding, roof, or gutters, cover those areas with any sort of shield. Cover those areas with drop cloths and create an awning around the garage door with 12-inch paper and masking tape.

Spray Paint Like You Mean It

Any method of application for painting can work for your garage doors, but many good exterior painting services will recommend spraying as it is quicker and can cover tight areas. Spraying can also get into places where brushes and rollers cannot reach. Keep in mind that paint particles can end up in unwanted areas, so be careful when spraying and wear a face mask and goggles as protective items for yourself.

Cover All Angles

Many garage doors are paneled and lack a flat surface. For that reason, you have to cover every inch of the garage doors carefully. You can spray left to right and then proceed to spray up and down. After that, even if you miss any place, you can just go over that area thoroughly again.

Use Brush Trim Alongside The Spray

When you are using a sprayer to cover most of the job, make sure you have a small or medium brush on your hand. You should have a precise tool that will allow you to trim or touch smaller areas with ease; that tool is a small brush. Make use of the brush when you are done with painting with a sprayer.

To Dry, Raise the Doors

When your garage doors are evenly and completely covered with new paint, it is best now to just let them get dry. Lift the door to make it face upward towards the garage ceiling to speed up the process and protect the paint from insects. But if the ceiling is full of dust and dirt, just keep the doors down, or else the debris can land directly on your new paint.

Fill Gaps By Lowering Down Section By Section

After the wet paint on the garage doors has dried, there is still some work left to do. The space between every section of the doors should be painted too. You can get those gaps painted just by lifting your doors. Keep filling the gaps by lowering down every section of the door.

Reasons of Why You Should Repaint Your Garage Doors

Garage doors are a prominent feature of any home’s exterior, which is why you should repaint them if it is looking dull. With a new paint job on the garage door, it will heavily benefit from a vibrant look and expand its lifespan. Here are two reasons why repainting your garage door is important:

Aesthetics

Many garage doors are made of wood or steel based on their manufacturing brand. Steel doors have neutral shades of white or beige; when they are repainted, they will look glossy. Whether it’s wood or metal, you can select a color for the garage that matches your door or trim. Also, the siding color should be adjusted with the main color. After repainting, boost its look by mimicking carriage house or any related styles.

Maintenance

As time goes by, every exterior surface will need refinishing, and garage doors are also one of them. Steel garage doors require repainting to protect the metal from any rust exposure. Wood garage doors are prone to splitting, warping, and rotting if they are left open to the elements. If you see any flaking peeling, cracking, or chalky paint, it is time to do it again. Repainting daily can extend the lifespan of your garage door by shielding it from any harsh climate conditions.

Conclusion

When you have finally achieved your desired coats of paint on your garage doors, you will see the difference it makes to the overall look of your home. We hope this article helped you understand why garage doors are very important for a home’s exterior look and appeal. Don’t worry if you do not have the time to repaint it by yourself, as several professional services offer painting jobs. Also, if the door is not in the condition to be repainted, just buy a new replacement for the new one.