Garage Door Painting Instructions  

 Painting Your Garage Door

This quality steel door comes with a baked on polyester enamel coating.  To finish the door, the following procedures are recommended.  To improve the adhesion of the paint, lightly sand the door’s surface with a fine steel wool to reduce gloss (STEEL WOOL ONLY).  Do not expose bare metal.  Any exposed bare metal be coated with a primer specifically intended for galvanized metal.  Clean your door with a phosphate free laundry detergent.  Rinse the door thoroughly with clean water and let dry completely before painting.  Solvents are not recommended for cleaning.  DO NOT PAINT IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT ~or~ IF THE DOOR SURFACE IS WARM TO THE TOUCH.  Dark colors are not recommended where the door is exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods, such as a southern to western exposure.  Dark colors absorb and retain the heat and can lead to peeling of the paint coloring.  A top coating of a high quality 100% exterior latex paint is recommended for the door.  At this point, care must be exercised not to paint joint and edge seals, in that, surfaces painted and pressed against the seal will adhere and cause seal damage.  Also, to ensure the finish paint is compatible, always paint sample area to test adhesion.  Finally, check your paint manufacturer’s instructions carefully for any additional recommendations and future maintenance requirements.