Staining Steel Garage Doors
Steel doors though often a practical selection for the energy efficiency they offer may not appear particularly attractive or match a home s existing decor and may require staining.
Staining steel garage doors. According to miller any garage door can be faux finished but steel doors like the ones pictured below are particularly good candidates because they re inexpensive and dimensionally stable. If you don t have a power washer i d recommend cleaning it well with your hose and then giving it a good cleaning with vinegar and a sponge and finish with a good rinse. If you re comfortable removing the door handle remove it to simplify the painting process. Gel stains are thick and designed to cling to and penetrate the surface.
Painting or staining your garage door can do wonders for your home. Clopay actually recommends painting wood garage doors every 1 to 2 years. In contrast to regular wood stain gel stain does not need to be wiped off or rubbed in. There are no garage doors that are completely maintenance free.
The only trick is to keep the layer even throughout the surface and avoid dripping. With just a few tips and not much money you can give your garage door a beautiful faux wood finish. If your garage door is less than five years old and has a glazed paint finish you ll have to sand it to remove the sheen in order for the stain to adhere properly. From the street no one will know it isn t real wood.
Once applied they settle into the grain of the steel door to give it a textured look. If you have a paneled garage door start at the center of the paneling and work your way out. Depending on the condition of the paint that s currently on your metal garage door you may have to do a little sanding to remove any superficial rust. Painted doors will experience color fading while the clear protective top coat on stained and faux paint stained doors will degrade and thin.
Painting your garage door. Step 4 drying. Any type of steel door can receive the faux bois treatment even a garage door. Begin by thoroughly cleaning your garage door using warm soapy water and a stiff brush.
This is the key to success. Whether from extreme sunlight or other weather conditions over time your garage door s finish will degrade. Plus adding a coat of paint or stain can help preserve your garage door. The hubster used a cheap synthetic brush and worked one section at a time brushing on the gel stain in the direction of the pattern in the door.
Preparing the project area set a dropcloth on the ground near the door and tape the door frame and hardware with painter s tape to protect it from primer and paint. The best way to color a steel door is with a gel stain. In fact gel stains are often applied to give steel doors the look of wood grain.