Exterior Door Paint: How to Protect and Maintain Front Doors
February 10th, 2024
Exterior doors can dramatically change the appearance of a home.
Whether it’s your front door, back door or even garage doors, a fresh coat of paint might be just the ticket to rejuvenate exterior doors, but which paint is best?
Here are just some of the products you can find at Brewers to bring a new lease of life to exterior doors.
Photo courtesy of Mylands. Colour Messel.
Painting Front Doors:
A front door is the first thing people see as they enter a home, so a beautifully painted door is sure to leave a lasting impression!
If it is a newer style door however, for example if it’s made from plastic or UPVC, one thing that is essential is the use of a primer.
This provides the perfect base for an exterior quality paint to be used over the top as it provides a surface for the topcoat to adhere to.
Photo courtesy of Little Greene. Colour Ho Ho Green.
One of the most versatile primers is Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3.
The all-purpose primer, sealer and stain killer can be used for both interior and exterior purposes as it bonds to a range of materials including wood, gloss enamels, metal, glass, and tile.
The water-based product is also mould and mildew resistant, blocks stains and is rust inhibitive. Any paint can be used on top of Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3, so ensure you have selected an exterior quality paint.
Exterior Door Topcoats:
Here is just a selection of exterior topcoats that can be used and are available in a wide range of colours.
Painting Garage Doors:
Hammerite Garage Door Paint has been specially formulated for metal and wooden garage doors.
It is a tough, durable, and high gloss finish that reduces runs when applied to vertical surfaces. It is also highly resistant to flaking and discolouration and is available in six different colours.
Ensure the door is primed before applying Hammerite Garage Door Paint for the best finish.
Photo courtesy of Little Greene. Colours Dolphin and Rubine Ashes.
Multi-Surface Paints:
For an all-in-one product, multi-surface paints are the most convenient as they are a combined basecoat and topcoat.
Standard multi-surface paints only require two coats of product, compared to more traditional coating systems of one coat of primer, followed by two coats to topcoat.
Some examples of Multi-Surface Paints are Zinsser AllCoat, Sadolin Superdec Satin and Bradite One Can which can all be used on external doors and available in a wide range of colours.
Choosing the Perfect Colour:
With thousands of different colours to choose from in all the top brands, get inspired and go back to nature with a soft green, give a modern and sleek look with a black hue or go bright and bold with a welcoming yellow.
Pop into store and have a look at some colour charts and brush out boards or use our colour match service to create a bespoke colour in your chosen paint, just for you.
For more professional advice tailored to your project, head into your local Brewers Decorator Centre or call a member of our Helpdesk team on 01323 576555 who will be happy to advise!
Top tips for painting a previously painted door:
- Make sure and old loose or flaky paint is removed. The paint you wish to apply will only adhere to a ‘sound’ and stable surface.
- Ensure the area is safe to work in, use dust sheets if required and use PPE where needed.
- Abrade the surface to provide a key for the new paint to adhere to. This will all be dependent on the surface you intend to paint. Timber, metal and UPVC will need different grades or grit. You will not want to use anything too aggressive as this may risk damaging the surface.
- Ensure you clean the door with the correct product to remove any dust, dirt, or grease.
- Remove door fixtures before you begin painting. If this isn’t possible, use masking tape to protect them from being painted over.
- Ensure you apply the appropriate primer if required.
- Always follow the recommended guidelines and instructions on the paint tin, allowing the required time before recoating.
