Should I Paint My Garage Door? A Quick Guide to Boosting Curb Appeal

Reimag­in­ing your out­door space can be as sim­ple as refin­ish­ing your garage door. Chism Broth­ers Paint­ing is an expert in garage door and exte­ri­or paint­ing, par­tic­u­lar­ly for the San Diego region’s unique cli­mate. Hir­ing a pro­fes­sion­al con­trac­tor like Chism Broth­ers Paint­ing is the quick­est and high­est qual­i­ty way to cus­tomize the look of your home’s exterior.

When to Con­sid­er Paint­ing Your Garage Door

Garage doors, regard­less of mate­r­i­al, show sim­i­lar signs of wear when they’re ready for a repaint. Fad­ing, peel­ing, flak­ing, and rust are all signs that a garage door is ready for a revamp. 

San Diego’s cli­mate con­tributes to the wear of all kinds of garage doors. This can take the form of:

• Sun Expo­sure: As a result of San Diego’s abun­dance of sun­shine, UV radi­a­tion can cause paint to fade, chalk, and degrade over time. 

• Heat: San Diego’s sea­son­al heat can cause paint to blis­ter and peel if not prop­er­ly administered.

• Tem­per­a­ture Fluc­tu­a­tions: Tem­per­a­ture changes over days and sea­sons can cause your garage door to expand and con­tract caus­ing paint to crack and peel.

• Salty Air: San Diego’s close prox­im­i­ty to the ocean means salty air. High lev­els of salt can be cor­ro­sive, espe­cial­ly to met­al doors, caus­ing rust and paint wear.

Ben­e­fits of Paint­ing vs. Replac­ing Your Garage Door

You essen­tial­ly have two options for your garage door when it, and your curb appeal, needs a boost. So, to paint or to replace? Replac­ing your garage door may be a neces­si­ty if it has fall­en into dis­re­pair. How­ev­er, if your garage door is healthy enough, paint­ing can pro­duce qual­i­ty results, but at a frac­tion of the cost. When paint­ing, you can also cus­tomize the look and col­or of your garage to match your vision for your out­doors. When it all comes togeth­er, a paint­ed garage door will boost your curb appeal and exte­ri­or col­or scheme.

Key Con­sid­er­a­tions Before Painting

When repaint­ing your garage door, sub­strate mate­ri­als can vary in their needs. Here are some of the fac­tors Chism Broth­ers Paint­ing con­sid­ers before paint­ing a garage door: 

Mate­r­i­al of the garage door:

Wood: can require sand­ing spe­cif­ic primers to pro­tect against the elements

Met­al: Needs rust-inhibit­ing primer and paint suit­able for met­al to slow down corrosion

Vinyl: Requires paint designed for vinyl sur­faces to ensure prop­er adhe­sion and flexibility.

Con­di­tion of the garage door:

Struc­tur­al integri­ty: sig­nif­i­cant dam­age, warp­ing, or rust that might require replace­ment instead of painting

Clean­li­ness: Any door should be thor­ough­ly cleaned to remove dirt, grease, and old paint flakes. A clean sur­face is essen­tial for paint adhesion.

Paint type:

Wood: Latex-based or oil-based paints are com­mon­ly used for out­door wood.

Met­al: High-qual­i­ty exte­ri­or paint, par­tic­u­lar­ly latex or ure­thane paint

Vinyl: Like with met­al doors, a high-qual­i­ty exte­ri­or latex or ure­thane paint is best for vinyl doors

Col­or type:

Curb Appeal Match: Select a col­or that com­ple­ments the rest of your home’s exterior.

Heat Absorp­tion: Lighter col­ors reflect more sun­light and heat, poten­tial­ly extend­ing the life of the paint and the door itself. Dark­er col­ors are not rec­om­mend­ed as they absorb heat, some­times lead­ing to issues of bub­bling and peeling.

Time­line:

Pro­fes­sion­al painters can repaint a garage door with sur­pris­ing effi­cien­cy with the use of pro­fes­sion­al equip­ment and materials.

The Paint­ing Process: What to Expect

There are a num­ber of dis­tinct steps involved in paint­ing a garage door. From paint type, to prep, to brush stroke, every type of door needs spe­cial atten­tion. Below is a sim­pli­fied overview of each of the three main types of door.

Wood:

Inspect the Door: Check for any sig­nif­i­cant dam­age or signs of rot

Sand and Prep Wood 

Prime or spot prime

Paint two fin­ish coats

Met­al:

Inspect the Door: Check for any rust, peel­ing paint, or damage

Prep sur­face: clean, remove rust, and sand 

Prime or spot prime

Paint two fin­ish coats

Vinyl:

Inspect the Door: We check for any dam­age, such as cracks or holes, and repair them

Prep: We care­ful­ly sand the vinyl sur­face with fine-grit sand­pa­per to cre­ate a rough sur­face for the primer and paint to adhere better. 

Prime: Use a high-qual­i­ty bond­ing primer specif­i­cal­ly designed for vinyl sur­faces. This helps the paint adhere bet­ter and pro­vides a more durable finish.

Paint two fin­ish coats

Main­tain­ing Your New­ly Paint­ed Garage Door

Reg­u­lar main­te­nance is the best way to stave off repair, par­tic­u­lar­ly in the demand­ing San Diego cli­mate. Reg­u­lar clean­ing, even with just soap and water, is a great way to lim­it the buildup of sand, salt, etc. Fur­ther, occa­sion­al­ly inspect the door for chips or peel­ing paint. Touch up these areas to pre­vent fur­ther damage.

Why Choose Chism Broth­ers Painting

Chism Broth­ers Paint­ing is a licensed paint­ing con­trac­tor that has served the San Diego region for over 40 years. We are experts in the San Diego cli­mate and its effect on the vari­ety of garage-door mate­ri­als. Regard­less of mate­r­i­al, our painters are skilled, expe­ri­enced and ready to refin­ish your garage door.