Metal doors have great advantages in terms of security and weather resistance, but you have to keep up with the painting if you want to keep their surfaces inviting and rust-free. Here’s how to paint a metal door to brighten up a worn, damaged, or simply drab appearance.
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Best Type Of Paint For Metal Doors
You should paint your metal front door with two or more coats of premium exterior acrylic-latex paint. Sheens of paint that is glossier is easier to clean and last longer. For your front door, use semi-gloss or gloss paint.
New exterior doors frequently come pre-primed. In that case, you can paint the door without any additional steps.
Apply primer before rolling on the paint if the door’s surface is bare metal or has any exposed metal in it. Alternatively, you could paint directly onto the metal (DTM). There is no need for priming when using DTM paint.
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Foam roller
- 2-inch brush
- Sanding block
- Sawhorses (or 2×4 blocks and a table)
- Cordless drill and driver bits
- Bucket
- Scrub pad
- Kitchen gloves
- Towels
Materials
- Exterior acrylic latex paint
- Primer
- Painter’s tape
- Trisodium phosphate (TSP) or substitute
How To Paint A Metal Door?
- Remove Door
For hinges with removable pins, place a nail set or a nail upside down at the base of the hinge and tap it lightly with a hammer to raise it. Finally, manually remove the pin.
Open the door and set blocks beneath it to support hinges with non-removable pins. While you remove the hinges from the door frame, have an assistant hold the door for you. - Lay Door Flat
Carry the door to a set of sawhorses or a big table with the help of a helper. To elevate the door for easier access to its edges when using a table, place a few short 2×4 blocks under it. To protect the door from damage, place old towels over the 2×4 blocks. - Remove Hardware
The lock, doorknob, and all other related door hardware should be unscrewed. Everything that won’t be painted should be removed, including door numbers, hinges, mail slot frames, and more. - Clean Door
Trisodium phosphate (TSP) should be dissolved in a large container of warm water. Using kitchen gloves, scrub the door thoroughly, paying special attention to the exterior side. Rinse when finished. - Sand Door
Painting on painted doors may have cracked or peeled off. Remove this paint carefully, either by sanding it off or scraping it with a scraper. Factory-primed doors shouldn’t be sanded. After painting or removing paint, wash the door once more. - Apply Primer
If your metal door needs priming, start by brushing the primer on any tight spaces, textured, or molded areas. Then, using the foam roller, apply one to two coats of primer. Between coats, the primer should have between 30 and 60 minutes to dry. - Paint Door
Apply the color coat to the door after brushing the paint onto any confined or irregular spaces. To smooth out larger, flat areas, use a foam roller. To ensure a flat, drip-free coat, keep the roller as dry as possible.
Allowing the first coat to dry for roughly two to three hours, repaint the door with a second coat. - Replace Hardware
Replace the doorknob, hinges, and all other hardware. With a partner’s help, mount the door so that it is held in place. - Tape Door
To the parts of the door that won’t be painted, apply painter’s tape. To make sure the tape is adhered, firmly press the edge with your fingernail or a plastic putty knife.
What Sort Of Paint Is Best For A Metal Front Door?
High-gloss, oil-based paint, like that from Rustoleum’s Front Door Paint line, works best on metal front doors. This paint is incredibly durable against the harsh outside elements and is simple to keep clean. Furthermore, because it dries more gradually, brushes strokes and drips are less noticeable.
How Should A Front Door Be Cleaned Before Painting?
Simply clean a front door with dish soap and a fresh, wet rag before painting it. After the door has dried completely, paint it. To get the best paint adhesion on the front door, sand the door first, clean it, and apply a coat of primer before painting. This will prevent any old paint from chipping.
Do You Paint The Inside And Outside Of A Front Door?
You should paint a front door on both the inside and outside to give your house a unified appearance. It is acceptable to paint the front door’s sides a different color if the new color does not go with the decor of your house.
It can take some time to paint a metal front door, but the results can be so amazing that it’s worth it!
A new front door is a lot more expensive than paint, too. Those kinds of discounts are difficult to refuse!
This article should have assisted you in painting your front door a gorgeous, new shade.
