Priming Aluminum Garage Doors

Prepping the garage door ensures that paint will go on easily and hold up well.

Priming aluminum garage doors.

Paint tends to hold up real good on those doors unless something was done to compromise that when it was first painted. Dilute the oil based metal primer with paint thinner according to the manufacturer s instructions. You will save a lot of money by painting the garage doors yourself rather than hiring someone. Leave the primer to set for at least 24 hours.

After the 24 hour drying time has elapsed you can paint the top coat on your garage door. Painting your garage door boosts your curb appeal and protects it from the elements. Put on your protective gear the work gloves dust mask and safety goggles and then remove any rusted or chipped. The flat smooth paneling of most garage doors make them a breeze to clean especially if you ve used a semigloss latex or enamel paint.

If you plan to paint a door that is well worn a combination topcoat primer makes a good choice. If your aluminum garage door s factory painted finish has faded or has areas where the paint is completely worn it s time for a new coat of paint. You can also use a spray primer suitable for aluminum but make sure to mask off areas that you do not want to be painted. These coatings are very durable they typically have a long life span and require little maintenance.

Painting aluminum doors is relatively simple. Latex primer is not recommended for use on aluminum. Metal doors can be prone to rusting but good garage paint will help to protect against that. Make sure to scuff the old paint with 120 grit sandpaper and clean thoroughly before applying the new garage door paint.

Let lou manfredini ace s home expert show you how it s done. Also painting aluminum garage doors requires the use of oil based primer and paint. If you decide to paint over this factory produced coating the new paint job will need to be redone every five to ten years. Clean the garage door periodically.

A good metal door especially of steel or aluminum is better able to face up to the elements especially rain and snow. When the garage door starts to show dust or dirt simply wet a sponge or washcloth with warm water and wipe it down.