Help with front door

exterior steel paint for the door and exterior wood paint for the wood

Use exterior trim paint.

What kind of paint have you used? Since it is mostly a steel door, I would go with a paint made for metal, like Rustoleum. Check at your local home improvement store, like Menards, Lowe's or Home Depot. Their associates are knowledgeable and may be able to help you find something that holds up better in the sun, or maybe a top coat that would help. Make sure you prep the door correctly, they will be able to help you with that.

Are you washing down the door before painting? Proper surface prep can influence a successful job. Using exterior paint?

Consider looking on the back of your paint can for the customer service contact phone number. They would be able to give you the most professional support and recommendation.

Valspar provided us with free replacement primer when the first primer we tried failed. They are very willing to work with you

We’ve had the same kind of service with BEHR deck paint/ sealers as well.

I hope you find your answer.

Perhaps it is time for a new door! If you have paint cracks already adding more paint will probably not hide the cracks. You can buy paint that is specifically made for steel doors but it is fairly stinky! If your inside door is protected by a storm door and you get a lot of hot sun the heat between the two doors--especially in the summer--is a tough issue for paint. You can order a new door in many price ranges and also have a factory color sprayed onto the door. There are many options for color. This is probably the best way to have a different colored door.

If you are at your wits end......final way to deal with your door. Find a local car body shop and make arrangements for them to sandblast, prime, and paint your door. If so, get it hauled there, and they will sandblast it down to bare metal, coat it with a process they use for metal (some sort electrostatic process) and then paint it the color of your choice. It will last better than any paint you can apply yourself. In the meantime, you could sand and paint the wood areas around the door. Probably not the answer you want, but it would get it done correctly and last indefinitely. OR.....at least call a body shop and they might be able to advise you about a DIY solution.

Sand it off, clean well and then prime with Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 primer which can be tinted to your finish color. Then apply a good quality exterior latex paint.