i am hardware

just searching for sawdust and sunshine

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Project Gallery
  • 2018 DIY Projects
  • Supporters
  • About

2014/02/26 by: Sarah

Painting Garage Doors

Post sponsored by Sherwin-Williams Paint. Create your own ideas here.

painting garage doors after love

Ecstatic doesn’t begin to describe how I feel about the new paint on my garage doors. My house looks totally new and the curb appeal just took a huge leap. Here’s a reminder of what I started with:

garage doors before

We called it the “garagemahal.” The doors had never been painted before! They were yellowing and looked terrible. The doors bothered me from day one, but sometimes I am funny about exterior home improvements; while indoors feel like free reign, outside I think, people will see it. All the more reason to do it right. I hope this blog is helpful for you if you’re planning to do exterior paint.

  1. Choose the right paint. Sherwin-Williams paint is high quality and my favorite. The people who work in the store are so helpful and knowledgeable. They have different paints, but their “Duration” paint is great for exteriors, perfect for places with extreme weather (here!) and doesn’t fade. Also it has a lifetime warranty! Completely worth the extra dollars to insure your home improvement will look great forever. The best part is, this stuff goes on like butter. Honestly, so smooth, and such a great coat, if you think painting is hard this paint will change your mind.painting garage doors duration paint
  2. Choose the right color. This is, as always, a matter of opinion, but here is mine. If you live in Venice or somewhere in South America a bright orange garage is awesome, go for it. I would. But if you live in the suburbs, stick to something that will blend in. In my deserty area we use a lot of browns, garage doors are often the same color as the stucco or a stark, dark contrast. The latter is my favorite. I love the deep dark rich colors. I used Sherwin-Williams #6083 “Sable”. It’s gorgeous. I love having a big garage, but I don’t want anyone to say, “wow, check out that fuchsia chevron garage.” No esta bueno people.painting garage doors sable
  3. Get enough to apply two coats. The person mixing your paint can help you with this. If you’re pricing it out my garage measures 18×8 and 7.5×8 and I used 1.5 gallons of the Duration paint.
  4. Decide how much you need to paint. If you paint the garage doors do you need to paint the air vents? The drain gutter? The side door? Pick a stopping point before you start. Some projects have the ability to run away from you, so have a game plan ready before wielding the paint brush. Also, allow enough time to finish at least one entire door at a time, halfsies won’t work well for this project
  5. Paint when it is 60 degrees or warmer so the paint dries well. Also, make sure no storm clouds are rolling in or it won’t be too windy. You don’t want rain to come down or leaves to blow onto a wet/sticky garage door (the thought makes me cringe!)

Okay! So here are the basic steps and a few points to note about painting a garage:

  1. Pull the emergency release before starting (the red cord). This will let you move the door up and down while painting and someone won’t accidentally open it while you’re working.painting garage doors prep
  2. Make sure the doors are both dry and clean before you start. You can use a power washer, hose or even a dry paintbrush to get the dirt off.
  3. Tape off the doors. Get around the perimeter and the rubber strip along the bottom.painting garage doors taping off the doors painting garage doors taping off the doors 2 painting garage doors taping off the doors and bottom strip
  4. We used a paint sprayer (read this if you’re debating a spray gun or a roller). But if you’re using high quality paint like SW “Duration”, a roller will also look beautiful. Paint the edges then work your way in.                                                                     painting garage doors start on the edge
  5. Resist the temptation to paint the folds! You will only see the old paint when you open and close your garage, but if you paint in between the sections when summer rolls around the paint will melt, get sticky, pull apart and it’s a big ole mess. In the desert it might even stick together and break your garage door when you move it (worst case scenario). Hey, I can cook an egg on the pavement, trust me on this. Plus, painting the folds would be a pain and time consuming, seriously skip it.                                                                         painting garage doors don't paint the folds
  6. Paint in smooth, even rows (or sprays). And give the doors ample coverage, touching up where needed. You can push the garage door up and down to reach areas better if you need to. Use a ladder or strong stool to brace the door if needed.
  7. Finally, put your doors up after painting to let them dry. Wind or dust is less likely to stick to the wet paint. I kept the doors up for about three hours and it was 70 degrees.                         painting garage doors, drying

Here are some more before and after pictures.

BEFORE:

painting garage doors before painting garage doors before 2

AFTER

painting garage doors after 2 painting garage doors after 3 painting garage doors after

Thank you Sherwin-Williams for making such a great paint I had to resist the urge to grab a spoon and eat it. Join me soon for the other two projects left on my curb appeal party this week.

Happy Creating!

You May Also Like...

  • Paint Your Front Door… and totally like itPaint Your Front Door… and totally like it
  • Painting a Kitchen TablePainting a Kitchen Table
  • Paint Spray Gun vs Roller/Brush: To Spray or Not to Spray, that is the questionPaint Spray Gun vs Roller/Brush: To Spray or Not to Spray, that is the question
  • Front Door Plant PotsFront Door Plant Pots
Project Curb Appeal
Rain, Rain, Go Away…

Comments

  1. Carolynn says

    2014/03/03 at 8:58 pm

    Sarah, I’ve been getting updated on all your latest projects and I am so impressed! Your garage doors and your kitchen table all turned out incredible! I would love to have you here to work your magic on some of our projects. Great choice on paint colors.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      2014/03/04 at 11:09 am

      Thanks Carolynn. It’s been fun! The yellow table is so bright and happy… all the kids love it, even though yellow isn’t a favorite color. I still think Tim would go into a nervous sweat if I showed up in paint mode!!! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Stacy says

    2014/03/06 at 11:42 am

    Holy Cow!! Love the garages! Love the shutters! Love the lights! You have transformed the outside of your house. Great work!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Hardware

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Search for your favorite projects and posts:

Subscribe

Instagram
Join my Instagram Party!

Pindiana Jones – Follow Me!

Be featured!

woodworking plane

Hey Readers! Do you have an awesome REMODEL, a spectacular ETSY shop, a mind-boggling PROJECT, or just a fantastic house you would like to share on … [Read More...]

Recent Posts

  • Kitchen Remodel on a Budget
  • Laundry Room Remodel Progress
  • How To Decorate a Bookshelf
  • Flashback! Ana White Console Table
  • Build Your Own Computer Desk

Project Catagories

Crowd Favorites

Industrial Pendant Lamp — Easy Ikea Hack

industrial light

DIY Ski Storage Racks

How To Fix Toys (or anything) That Have Battery Corrosion

how to clean battery corrosion vinegar and a toothbrush

Overhead Hanging Storage

Parsons Chair Slipcover Tutorial

Parson Chair Slipcover

Featured on these awesome sites:

I was featured on Remodelaholic!
  • Home
  • Project Gallery

© 2021 · Fun Genesis WordPress Theme by, Pretty Darn Cute Design