Painting A Steel Door In Place

Let the door dry completely on one side before flipping it over and painting the opposite side.

Painting a steel door in place.

Begin by painting the edges with a brush. Place the door flat on the sawhorses. To paint a steel door you ll need exterior paint and an oil based primer designed specifically for metal. It s better to have that happen before the faces are painted.

Brush on a light coat. 6 once the door is covered in one layer of paint allow it to completely dry before giving it a second coat emerald calls out four hours before recoating. Before you apply the primer and paint lightly sand the door with 400 grit sandpaper so the primer and paint will stick to it better. When it s on slick steel paint doesn t absorb into the material and laydown and you re going to have a rough looking texture in your paint finish.

You have three methods of application to choose from brushing rolling or spraying. If the paint is oil based there will be no color than comes off onto your cotton ball cloth. If your door is paneled start with the panels. When painting a paneled door begin with the recessed panels then the horizontal rails and finally the vertical styles.

What sheen to paint a front door. A heavy coat of paint covers better and sometimes levels out better but runs are more likely and brush marks are deeper. I used a semi gloss sheen to paint my front door. How to paint a metal door remove the door if possible and cover any parts of the door you do not wish to paint.

A steel door needs extra special care when it s painted because the wet paint can easily be manipulated by the tool that s applying it. Paint all four edges of the door first. If your paint is latex based there will color residue on your cotton ball cloth. Paint stripper if you are painting over a metal door that is cracking or peeling paint stripping gloves sandpaper recommend 150 to 180 grit scraper drop cloths i cut up boxes instead of using an actual drop cloth special notes for if you re painting your door in place on its hinges.

Paint a section at a time. When painting edges some paint inevitably slops onto the faces of the door. Thoroughly clean the door with a degreaser. Brushing steel doors probably the most popular way to paint a steel door requiring the least investment of tools.

To tell if the old paint on your door is latex or oil you can put a small amount of one of these onto a cotton ball or cloth alcohol hand sanitizer acetone or nail polish and then rub it over a small area of the door. Using semigloss exterior paint and a 2 inch angled sash brush with synthetic bristles paint around the edges of the. Then apply 2 coats of the primer letting it dry after each coat.