Repainting the front door
+1
I am currently planning on painting my fro door. It is not wood and I'm unsure of how to get the washed look on a metal door. Or if I do crackle paint, what color should I use with the grape like color I've chosen?
Related Discussions
Suggested Project Book
Hi Cindy, I have never painted a metal door. However, I have painted many house items where I wanted a long lasting finish. 1. Your first step is always to clean it. TSP or Dow Foaming bathroom cleaner are two products that work well.
2. Ideally you should remove the door so you can work on a flat surface. If not, remove door handles
Practice, practice, practice. Use tin cans. Put on your first coat. Let dry. Paint thinly for small cracks or thickly for large cracks with Elmer's glue. Don't let completely dry and put on your second coat. Work quickly. You should be using a primer designed for metal that allows you to use acrylics. Your local paint store can help. Finish with top coat of exterior polyurethane. I also advise stripping your door down to bare metal. I use a marine paint remover. Good luck!
Clean the door. TSP is the best-- wear gloves while washing.
Sand the door lightly. The washed look is simply putting one color over another (over another over another) so paint your base coat and paint it like you would for any other wash technique. Metal doors are pretty easy to paint.
BTW, metal doors can be heavier than wooden doors and it is possible to paint them in place. Just be careful about drips.
DO NOT crackle an exterior door. Weather and dirt will ruin and remove this finish.