How To Paint a Garage Door

Disengage the door opener

If your door has an automatic opener, disengage it by pulling down on the emergency release cord, which is usually hanging from the overhead track just behind the door when it’s closed. This allows you to manually open and close the door as needed and also prevents the door from moving if someone accidentally presses the remote.

Clean the door

If you want the fresh paint to stick, you must remove all the dirt, grease and mold from a door. You can do this with a power washer, but beware—high-pressure water can dent metal, gouge wood and remove the primer coat if you get too close. It’s safer and just as easy to scrub with soap and water.

• Wet down the entire door with a hose.
• Mix a solution of detergent and water in a bucket. Use a long-handled scrub brush to spread the soap solution on the door.
• Scrub the door thoroughly, paying special attention to the panel moldings and the bottom edge of the door, where dirt and mold tend to collect.
• Rinse the door thoroughly with the hose and let it dry overnight. If you’re in a hurry and want to make this a one-day affair, towel it dry.

Scrape off old paint

If the door has a loose coat of old paint, much of it will flake off during cleaning, but not all. You’ll have to scrape off the rest using standard 2- and 4-inch paint scrapers.

As you scrape, you may come across nicks, gouges and actual holes that need patching. I’ve found the most effective patching material for such exterior applications to be a two-part auto-body filler like Bondo or an epoxy-based wood filler (Bondo also makes that). Mix the components as instructed on the label, use the filler while it’s still soft and pliable (it stays that way for about 20 minutes), then sand the repair flat when the filler sets hard, using an orbital sander and 120-grit sandpaper.

Wipe the door thoroughly with a damp towel when you’re done to get off all the dust.

• Pro tip: Pay special attention to the bottom edge because this is where you’ll find the most damage. Prop the door open partway while you’re working on it to get better access.

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Prime and Scuff

Using an appropriate primer (metal primer for steel and aluminum, wood primer for wood, vinyl and fiberglass), spot prime any bare areas on the door using a paintbrush. You shouldn’t have to prime the entire door unless, for some reason, you had to strip off all the old paint.

Let the primer dry for an hour or two, then use 150-grit sandpaper to smooth the edges of the spot repairs. Continue by scuffing the entire door in preparation for painting.

Wipe down the door once more with a damp towel to remove dust.

Mask as Needed and Lay Drop Cloths

Mask off all sides of the door jamb, the door handle and any other features, like windows, that you don’t want to paint. If you plan to use an airless sprayer, you’ll have to do more masking than you would if you were brushing and rolling because you’ll want complete protection from overspray.

If you’re going to spray, and the door has an automatic opener, mask off the safety sensors just inside the door to protect them from overspray.

Once masking is complete, open the door and spread drop cloths on the floor and driveway.

Start Painting at the Top

Close the door all the way to give you access to the top edge, and set up a stepladder so you can reach it. If you’re using an airless sprayer, go ahead and spray the top panels, using a back-and-forth motion from one side jamb to the other. If you’re working without a sprayer, here are brush and roller techniques.

Metal doors

Using a 4-inch flat-edged brush, paint the top edge of the door and the sides down about 24 inches, or to the bottom of the first section.

Paint the stiles around the panels first, being careful not to let any paint seep into the edges that come together when the door closes. It’s important to keep those clean.

After painting the stiles, fill in the center of each panel using horizontal strokes. Finish with horizontal strokes that run the entire length of the panel, then stroke vertically over the side stiles to clean up horizontal stroke marks.

Wood, fiberglass and vinyl doors

Use basically the same technique as for metal doors, but if the panels are wide enough (8 inches or more) you can fill these in with a 3/8-by-61/2-inch roller. If you do this, it will be more efficient to use a 3-inch angled brush for cutting in. It’s better than a flat brush for reaching into corners.

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Protect the Edges Between Sections

It may be tempting to paint the edges between sections, but the expert approach is to leave them alone. They aren’t visible when the door is fully open or closed, so the paint isn’t really needed, and there’s a danger of fresh paint sticking to the edge of the adjacent section if you close the door too soon.

If you’re worried about paint dripping onto these edges, cover them with masking tape before you begin painting. Just make sure to set the tape far enough back so that you can’t see the unpainted area when the door is closed.

• Pro tip: If someone has painted the section edges in the past, and you can’t stand seeing the old color, you can paint them — but it will add a considerable amount of time to the project. Prop the door to expose one set of edges at a time, then paint and allow the paint to dry completely before closing the door. Even paint that’s dry to the touch may still be curing and can pull away if you close the door too soon, so you may have to wait several hours before moving on to the next section. This is a time-consuming task that may require leaving your garage door in some stage of open for several days.

Paint Down to the Bottom

After completing the top section, you can set the stepladder aside. Lift the door until the second section of the door is at a comfortable painting height. If the door does not stay in position on its own, find something sturdy, such as a length of 2×4, to prop it in place.

Paint this section in the same way as you did the first section. If you’re brushing with the door in this position, you may not have room to get the brush into the edges under the weatherstripping. If that’s the case, I usually just pull it back with my fingers while I paint.

Let the Paint Dry

When you’ve finished painting the door, open it all the way to let it dry. This helps prevent drips. It may be completely dry after a few hours, but just to be sure, leave it open overnight if you can do so safely.

I recommend applying a second coat to garage doors. Even if the paint manufacturer claims it covers in one coat, garage doors take a lot of abuse. A second coat ensures a long-lasting finish.

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