There may come a couple of times during your garage door’s life in which you’ll need to repaint it. To help, we’ve developed this step-by-step guide on how to paint a garage door. We’ve included steps for both metal and wooden garage doors. If your home’s garage door is wooden, we’d highly recommend considering a new garage door. Until then, here’s our guide on painting a garage door!
Step-by-step instructions for how to paint a garage door
Materials needed
- Exterior paint (latex-based for metal doors, acrylic for wood)
- Primer (rust-resistant for metal, stain-blocking for wood)
- Painter’s tape
- Drop cloth
- Sandpaper or wire brush (depending on door type)
- Power washer or hose
- Scrub brush and mild detergent
- Paintbrush, roller, or sprayer
- Gloves, mask, and goggles
How to paint a garage door
- Pick a day the weather is dry and mild: Avoid extreme heat or cold. Ideally, it would be between 50-80 degrees.
- Clean the door: Use the power washer or hose to clean off dirt and grime. Scrub with mild detergent and rinse thoroughly. If it’s a wooden garage door just wipe it down with a scrub brush and mild detergent. Ensure the garage door is dry before moving to the next step.
- Sand off rust or old paint: For metal doors, sand off any rust spots using sandpaper or a wire brush. Remove any flaking or peeling paint. For wooden doors, sand down rough spots or chipped paint to make a smooth surface.
- Tape off hardware: Place a drop cloth under the door to catch any dripping paint. Use painter’s tape to cover handles, locks, windows, and any other hardware to prevent them from getting paint on them.
- Apply primer: For metal doors, use a rust-inhibiting primer to prevent future corrosion. For wood doors, apply a stain-blocking primer to seal the wood and prevent any tannins from bleeding through the paint. Ensure the primer is completely dry before going to the next step.
- Paint the garage door: Use a sprayer for the most even application. Or use a roller for the large sections and a brush for edges and tight spots. Apply the paint from top to bottom, using even strokes. Start with panels, if your door has them, then paint the borders and edges. Two thin coats are better than trying to do one thick coat. Let the first coat dry before the applying the second.
- Allow for 24 hours to dry: Make sure the garage door stays closed and untouched while driving.
- Touch up paint: Once the paint has fully dried, check closely for any spots you may have missed or otherwise need touched up.
Tips for painting your garage door:
Do NOT paint moving parts like hinges, rollers, or the tracks as it interfere with the door’s functionality.
Avoid dark paint colors if your garage door gets a lot of direct sunlight as the dark paint will absorb more heat and potentially warp over time.
To maintain your newly painted garage door, periodically clean it with water and mild detergent to remove dirt and debris.
