Why does the paint on my garage door fail at the bottom first?

The bottom section sits closest to the driveway, where rain splashes, sprinklers spray and water runs under the door. On steel the bottom edge rusts; on wood the lower panel and bottom rail take on water and the paint lifts or the wood softens. That section usually needs the most preparation in a repaint.

Should the garage door be painted open or closed?

Mostly closed, so the face is one flat surface. The door is then raised a little to reach the top and bottom edges of each section where they hinge, which show when the door moves. The opener is switched off or unplugged while the paint dries so nobody runs it by habit.

Can a wood-look embossed steel door be painted?

Yes. The embossed grain holds dirt and old chalk in its grooves, so it needs a thorough clean. Paint is then worked into the texture so the grooves are covered without filling them up. Too heavy a coat can soften the pattern, which is part of why the application matters on these doors.

Should my garage door match the house?

That depends on how you want the house to look. A garage door painted in the body color lets a large surface recede; trim color frames it; an accent color makes it a feature. Because it can be one of the largest surfaces on the front of the house, it is worth seeing a sample before deciding.

Painting a Metal or Wood Garage Door

A garage door can be repainted well whether it is steel, aluminum or wood, but each material needs its own preparation. Steel and aluminum doors are cleaned, scuff-sanded and primed where bare; wood doors are checked for rot along the bottom and sealed on every edge. The opener is switched off while the paint dries, and moving parts are never painted.

On many San Diego homes, especially the tract and master-planned houses of Chula Vista, Eastlake and Otay Ranch, the garage door is one of the largest single surfaces on the front of the house. It may take up a big part of the front elevation. When it fades, chalks or rusts along the bottom, the whole house looks older than it is.

The good news is that most garage doors can be repainted very well. The details depend on what yours is made of.

Which kind of door do you have?

Steel. The most common type on homes today. Usually several horizontal sections, often with a factory-applied finish and an embossed woodgrain pattern pressed into the face. Durable and stable, but it rusts wherever the coating is broken.

Aluminum. Lighter, does not rust in the same way, but its smooth surface needs careful cleaning and the right primer for paint to bond to it.

Wood. Carriage-house styles, plank doors and older plywood-panel doors. Handsome, heavy, and as vulnerable to sun and water as any wood on the house.

Composite and fiberglass. Less common, painted much like a smooth factory-finished door.

Why garage doors wear unevenly

A garage door gets the sun across its whole face, but it gets water at the bottom. Rain splashes up from the driveway, sprinklers catch the lower panels, and water runs under the door when the driveway slopes toward it. So a garage door usually shows two kinds of wear at once: faded, chalky upper sections and a bottom section that is rusting, peeling or swollen.

A south- or west-facing door in Santee or Spring Valley also gets very hot, and dark colors on a steel door get hotter still. That heat speeds up fading and is worth considering when choosing the color.

How a steel or aluminum door is prepared

Wash thoroughly. Garage doors collect road dust, cobwebs and chalk from the old finish, and embossed grain holds all three in its grooves. The face is cleaned until a hand wiped across it comes away clean.
Treat any rust. Along the bottom edge and at dents, rust is taken back to sound metal and primed with a rust-inhibiting primer before it has time to return.
Scuff the old finish. A factory finish is smooth and hard. It is sanded lightly so the new paint has something to grip.
Prime where needed. Bare metal is always primed. On aluminum, or on a glossy factory finish, a bonding primer may be used over the whole door.
Protect the hardware. Weatherstripping, tracks, rollers, hinges, springs and cables are masked or kept clear. Paint on moving parts makes them stick and can wear or damage them.

How a wood door is prepared

Wood garage doors need the same attention as wood trim, and a little more at the bottom.

Probe the bottom rail and lower panel for soft wood. A wood door that has stood in sprinkler spray for years can be rotten along the bottom while the rest is sound. Repairs come first.
Scrape and sand failed paint back to a firm edge.
Prime bare wood with an exterior primer, and seal the bottom edge if the door can be raised to reach it. That edge is where water gets in.
Consider whether paint or stain is right. A wood door that was originally stained can stay stained, but in full sun stain needs renewing more often. Stain or paint for wood.

Painting the door itself

The door is painted mostly closed, so the face is one surface. Sections are painted in a consistent order, following the panels and the grain, so the finish looks even when the door is seen at an angle in the afternoon light. Spray or brush and roller depends on the door and on your preference, which comes first; embossed steel doors often look best with the paint worked into the texture rather than laid on heavily, which can soften the pattern.

Then the door is raised a little at a time to reach the top and bottom edges of each section where they hinge. Those edges are invisible when the door is closed and very visible when it opens.

The opener and the drying time

This is the part that catches households out. While the paint dries, the door has to stay where it is. The opener is switched off or unplugged, and everyone in the house is told, because a door that is opened by habit while the paint is soft will scrape its sections against each other and against the weatherstrip. Exterior paint is often dry to the touch within hours, but the door should be left alone for as long as the label suggests before it is run up and down.

Choosing the color

A garage door can be painted in the body color so that it recedes, the trim color so that it is framed, or a separate accent color so that it becomes a feature. In HOA communities such as Eastlake and Otay Ranch, the approved palette often specifies the garage door color and sheen. Satin and semi-gloss are common choices because they resist dirt and wipe clean. Choosing exterior sheen.

A door on its own or with the house

A garage door can be painted on its own or as part of a full exterior, and either is welcome. Ebenezer will look at the door, tell you what it is made of and what condition it is in, and explain exactly what the preparation will involve. More on exterior painting, or on homes in Chula Vista and Santee.

If your garage door is making the house look older than it is, ask for a free estimate. It is often one of the most visible improvements a repaint can make.