I need to repaint an exterior steel door. Any special considerations? I’m guessing sanding, prime any exposed metal, and topcoat with latex? Should I use interior paint for the interior? Any particular primers or paints work better?
Also, aluminum screen door could use repainting. Can, or should, that be done?
Thanks for any help and suggestions.
Tips for picking the right paintbrush based on paint type, surface, and personal comfort.
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Replies
Am a pro painter(25 yrs.) and always used latex until my Bilco bullkhead paint job kept failing.installed a new one and the company advised oil enamel over thier prime job . Went with that and it has stood up.I now use only oil (alkyd) on metal doors.
I would suggest that you use XIM primer and then your topcoat.......especially for that aluminum door.
I'd clean the aluminum door first with some lacquer thinner or similar solvent (if bare aluminum now), prime and then paint.
I'd recommend that all of this be done by spray application.
Or you could trundle it down to the body shop and have them put a serious finish on it.
Or you could trundle it down to the body shop and have them put a serious finish on it.
Actually automotive paint isn't any more difficult to spray than anything else, just costs more and lasts a LOT longer. That's how I ended up with an "Oldsmobile blue" refrigerator. My wife claims (untrue!) that her only other choice was "Caterpillar yellow". PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
You use a 100% acrylic finsh, and whatever primer the company's paint shedule requires if you hit bare metal.
The primer definitely cannot be water based, because the water in the paint will rust the bare metal.
If you want a water based topcoat you have to make sure the primer is thoroughly dry. With a metal door the only place the solvent can go is out, so there is risk of failure if the primer is not thoroughly dry.
If it were me, after a thorough sanding ending with emery cloth, I'd use a chemical rust converter, metal primer, and urethane paint topcoat. Urethanes hold their gloss very well and are difficult to scratch. Or take it to a body shop if I needed a premium finish.
Edited 8/24/2003 9:19:43 AM ET by WAYNEL5
I spray oil on my cabinets with great results. I see no reason why it would not work very well on metal doors. The pro painter has it right. I kind of prefer Sherman Williams oil paint. MAB is also good.
http://www.mannbrothers.com/products/primers/ferrochem.htm
is the source of the H2O based primer we use on steel all the time.
Every metal entrance door I have seen recommends an 100% acrylic paint, and most specifically say not to use an alkyd paint.
Bilco bulkhead doors, for example, require an alkyd metal paint.
But hey, paint them with whatever you want to.