Anyone With Knowledge of Door Painting? All Tips Appreciated!

Tabbycat · ‎03-09-2010

My house doors are metal. The interior side is painted with (my guess) oil base paint and don't need painted.

I think the exterior is painted with a latex? They do need painting!! There is a chalkyness to the look of the paint finish. Always has been. Everything was freshly painted when we bought the house, so it needs some attention here and there. Really good paint was used in this house, just wish I knew what brand it was.

My question to painters in the know ... Heads up; I'm no painter. Any tips are much appreciated.

1) Do I need to prime the metal doors first? If so recommendations, please.

2) Latex or oil based paint?

3) Best brand of paint? I live in NC, so there is a mold and mildew problem if you're not watching.

I don't want to have to do it again anytime soon. The doors also have newly installed storm doors over them now, so they won't be facing the direct weather anymore. So I decided a fesh coat of paint instead of replacing. Thanks

Still Tabbycat ~~ Less is More ~~

Drythe · ‎07-09-2011

@Tabbycat

NC here too. I would lightly sand just to be sure. You also need to watch the temperature on the day you paint, not rainy (good Luck with that) and not real windy.

I’ve done lots of painting and I don’t think you can beat good old Lowe’s paint. I like a glossy door, mine are black. You can go to their paint department and they can answer all your questions.

Happy painting!

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

Do you have an Ace Hardware near you? If so, tell them exactly what you've written here. They will be able to answer your questions and provide the correct paint for your door. It should be lovely with little trouble! (I also have a steel door. We painted it 29 years ago and haven't touched it since thanks to Ace Hardware.)

Money screams; wealth whispers.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

I paint doors every year. Indoor and exterior ones. I am a sloppy painter. I knock the paint bucket over and usually leave a few drip marks on the doors and on the floors even if they are covered with a tarp.

To make it easy, I remove the doors. You just have to remove the hinge pin. I use a screwdriver and hammer to lift the pin out and carry the door outside

We have " horses" so I open them up and lay the door flat on them. You could probably use a picnic table instead. I use a brush to paint the small decorative trim and a roller to paint the flat surfaces. I find that latex is easier to work with. Oil paint tends to yellow over time, especially in the sun. I painted mine with Behr exterior paint. I have used Sherwin Williams before too.

No primer is needed, unless your door is red and you want to paint it white or you are down to bare metal.

Mj12 · ‎03-09-2010

The best tip I have is - if you have help and are able to - take the door off its hinges before you paint. Lay it over a couple of sawhorses. It takes a little extra time (and a whole lot more muscle) but once it is removed, you just take out all hardware and locks, etc. then paint the entire door and sides; IMO once finished it looks a lot better than if you painted the door in place, taping up the knob/locks.

Agree about using any good Lowes paint.

Harvard99 · ‎06-18-2018

If your doors face east or west, the chalkiness is probably just the paint deteriorating from sun exposure. Any chalking means washing it down and priming it with the correct primer. Peeling or otherwise bad paint nee ds to be sanded smooth and then primed. . I forget this next test exactly, but if you look online for "paint test with denatured alcohol", you can use that test to determine if you have latex or oil base. Do not guess! I really mean that because..... you can you use latex over oil base but not oil base over latex. If you do the latter it will all start to peel and the whole door will need to be stripped down to the bare metal. The best thing to do is go to Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams with camera photos and get their professional advice. Doors take so little paint, just do it right to do it once.

AuntG · ‎03-09-2010

My metal door was pre-primed when it was manufactured so all it required was a quart of paint from Sherwin-Williams. I just told the painter which color I wanted, and he purchased the paint for me. Door looks really nice for a total of $75 paint and labor.

IamMrsG · ‎08-29-2010

@Tabbycat Before you go to the trouble to re-paint, I suggest you try a product called Shutter Saver. I have used it and can vouch for its effectiveness.

On the home page of their website, they tell you it is "...a specially formulated cleaner to break down the chalky, faded surface" and "....works great directly on faded vinyl and faded painted shutters."

Strive for respect instead of attention. It lasts longer.

RetRN · ‎10-01-2013

@AuntG wrote:
My metal door was pre-primed when it was manufactured so all it required was a quart of paint from Sherwin-Williams. I just told the painter which color I wanted, and he purchased the paint for me. Door looks really nice for a total of $75 paint and labor.

I did the same thing and am very pleased. Sherwin-Williams latex is what is needed to get the job done right.

software · ‎06-08-2016

And bring a picture with you!

@BirkiLady wrote:
Do you have an Ace Hardware near you? If so, tell them exactly what you've written here. They will be able to answer your questions and provide the correct paint for your door. It should be lovely with little trouble! (I also have a steel door. We painted it 29 years ago and haven't touched it since thanks to Ace Hardware.)

@Tabbycat