I finished my garage last fall, and the service door (man door) was finished with a gray sealer primer, the door was pre-hung, and the wood frame had a cheap white paint or primer on it, which I painted over with some sort of exterior grade white paint, but it has already started flaking off down to bare wood in places. I have not put any type of paint on the steel door itself, and it looks as nice as the day i installed it, which was actually only last summer. My buddy keeps telling me i need to paint it, because the gray is just a primer, but it looks decent. I don't want to paint it and have the paint flake or peel off it in 6 months like it did on the wood trim. Do you guys paint your steel doors or just let the factory sealer on them? I don't mind the color, and it shows no signs of rust, etc. as of now. Should I paint it or leave it alone? And if you vote for painting it, what kind of paint will hold up?
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Painting factory primed steel door?
- Thread starter camarojoe
- Start date
nova65ss
Well-known member
I would paint it, you should be able to use a regular exterior latex house paint. Or call the manuf. and see what they recommend. The primer doesn't really protect the door just helps with paint adhesion.
Jimmy
Jimmy
The gray primer will start to chalk before too long. It will look good for quite a while because the chalking surface will sluff off in rain, and it carries dirt with it, so the door will almost always look nice and clean. The problem is it will eventually become VERY thin, and it's other properties that make it adhere to the door, and allow paint to adhere to it, will become compromised due to UV degredation. In other words, while it seems okay now, that factory primer was never designed as as a suitable exterior topcoat.
I would get it painted soon, and make sure you prep it very well before topcoating. For exterior sides of steel doors that are properly primed, a 100% acrylic semi-gloss latex will hold up better than most alkyds. Inside, do whatever you want.
I would get it painted soon, and make sure you prep it very well before topcoating. For exterior sides of steel doors that are properly primed, a 100% acrylic semi-gloss latex will hold up better than most alkyds. Inside, do whatever you want.
For prep I'd scotchbrite the heck out of it while using something like xylol or toluol to clean it up really good. This will also scarify it a little...no real need to sand if you do this. Do another clean wipedown with the solvent, then do two coats of a great quality latex. Look on the ingredients label and you will want to use a paint that only lists acrylic as a resin (no vinyls), but the front of the label will usually indicate 100% acrylic. Generally, if you ask for the most expensive exterior latex in the store, it will also be the best. While it may seem too expensive, you usually get what you pay for when it comes to paint.
sberry
Banned
You could use any kind of paint, in my shop it would be what I had on hand or in my system so it would be Industrial Imron or maybe even buy enough Centari,,, hahahahahqaha Now, I have had mine on for 13 yrs, primer brown, never did get around to painting it and it still looks fair. Its not a work of art but no one notices its not painted with topcoat.
I agree with painting it, I have seen a lot of them that looked bad, mine were hi dollar doors and I dont know what they put on them but it looks like topcoat almost, said it was only primer when I got them but its sure been durable, I guess thats why its never been done. Matches the trim.
I agree with painting it, I have seen a lot of them that looked bad, mine were hi dollar doors and I dont know what they put on them but it looks like topcoat almost, said it was only primer when I got them but its sure been durable, I guess thats why its never been done. Matches the trim.
Joe,
I had the same problem with my pre-hung exterior steel doors. Paint came off the trim in a month or two. I removed all the old paint and primed with the best primer I could find and repainted. No problems since.
As for the doors, including my sectional garage doors, I just cleaned and sprayed an exterior grade latex with a pressure feed 1 qt spray gun. No problems what so ever.
My bet on the problem is the quality of primer on the trim, not the doors. Two different manufacturing processes. Follow Krodad's prep instructions on the doors, I doubt you'll have any problems.
I had the same problem with my pre-hung exterior steel doors. Paint came off the trim in a month or two. I removed all the old paint and primed with the best primer I could find and repainted. No problems since.
As for the doors, including my sectional garage doors, I just cleaned and sprayed an exterior grade latex with a pressure feed 1 qt spray gun. No problems what so ever.
My bet on the problem is the quality of primer on the trim, not the doors. Two different manufacturing processes. Follow Krodad's prep instructions on the doors, I doubt you'll have any problems.
zeebad1
Well-known member
I just finished painting mine 20 minutes ago. I used latex "barn & fence" paint from Tractor Supply Co. I used a roller, and don't care for the texture it left. It was quick & easy though. I did the scotchbrite prep, and wiped it down before painting. If it was going somewhere other than the shop, I probably would have used some automotive paint. I remember a friend that had a bodyshop paint an entry door for his house for him, and it looked great.
jerry j
Well-known member
And if you have magnetic weatherstrip that seals door, DO NOT close door after paint.. If you can, leave door slightly open for few days .
If not the paint will come off door and onto weatherstrip Then looks like sh**.
We do windows, STEEL entry doors, garage doors, etc. etc. etc.
Jerry
If not the paint will come off door and onto weatherstrip Then looks like sh**.
We do windows, STEEL entry doors, garage doors, etc. etc. etc.
Jerry
that is VERY true about the weatherstrip grabbing hold of the paint. Hold off for as long as possible on the hardware installation also.
I had pretty good luck by using blue tape on the weatherstrip, sticky side on the weatherstrip itself, then closing the door on this...my wife would not let me leave a hole to the kitchen for even overnight...so I paint in the morning, give it the whole day, then hang and hope for the best. In her defense, I did not want to leave them open either due to bugs and critters.
I had pretty good luck by using blue tape on the weatherstrip, sticky side on the weatherstrip itself, then closing the door on this...my wife would not let me leave a hole to the kitchen for even overnight...so I paint in the morning, give it the whole day, then hang and hope for the best. In her defense, I did not want to leave them open either due to bugs and critters.