Our garage doors are always open and exposed to various elements of nature that can cause them to chip, fade, rust, and affect its operation over time. That’s why regular maintenance and protection against these damaging elements are important to keep the door in top working condition. One good way to do it is by painting it new. Here’s a step-by-step tip on how to do the garage door painting right.
Know The Right Timing
When planning for a paint job on your garage, make sure you time it wisely. You want the paint to dry fast and properly, so you’ll need a good temperature for that – not too hot or too cold. Also, always pay attention to the daily weather forecast; you need a couple of days or more of no rain. The best time to start painting is early in the day, so you can get enough sunlight to finish it and dry all in a day.
Ready The Surfaces
This may be the toughest part, but you need to prepare the surface for a good paint job. If you want your paint to last longer, you need to paint right and paint well. First thing you should do is sand off any peeling paint on the surface. For metal garage doors, you need to sand any signs of rust.
Clean
For the paint to stick on the surface well, you’ll need a clean surface. Set a power washer on a low setting or soak a sponge in water with detergent and scrub the surface to clean. Make sure you wash off all the dirt and grime, especially at the bottom, where most gunks tend to build up. Let the surface dry completely before you start painting.
Prepare the Things You’ll Need
Prepare all the things you’ll need before you start painting. It may not seem much, but those extra minutes you spend at the start will make a huge difference in easing up the work later. Keep the siding from getting painted by taping all the edges. Also, lift the door up slightly and lay down a cardboard, plastic, or tarp at the bottom before you put it down back. This will keep the floor of your garage from being tainted with drips and spills.
Apply Primer
If you want to give it a good facelift and a full change of color/s, then you’ll need to apply a coat primer. Make sure you pick a primer that suits for outdoor and is suited for the type surface of your garage door. Cover any metal with premier to protect it from rusting.
Paint
Paint your garage door in thin layers and let each coating dry before applying the next. This shouldn’t be a problem since you’re painting a wide surface, by the time you finish your initial coat on the other side, the other side where you started should be dry. Use a small brush for edges and details, and roller for the wider surface.
Quick Tip
Wait at least 24 hours before after painting before you lift and open the garage door.
