A wooden garage door paint project can spruce up your garage and improve your home’s curb appeal. Paint also helps protect wood from moisture like rain and snow, which can prolong your garage door’s service life. Before you can get started with this home improvement project, it’s important to know what you’re getting into. Checking for lead-based paint and wood rot, prepping the door, and buying the correct paint can help you do this home improvement project the right way. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Lead-based Paint? Find Out
Lead-based paint was banned in 1978, but on structures built before the ban, lead-based paint may be present under layers of more modern paint. Lead paint chips can create toxic dust that could contaminate your soil, affect your air quality, and even poison your or members of your family. If your garage door is more than 40 years old, have it assessed for lead-based paint before beginning your paint project. If your garage door does have lead-based paint on it, leave your painting project to a pro who knows how to use lead-safe painting practices, or consider replacing your garage door.
2. Check the Door for Rot
Wood rot can compromise your wooden door, making it structurally unsafe and difficult to paint. If your wooden door has rot problems, it needs to be replaced. Check your door for rot by poking in several places (especially in areas near the ground) with an awl or a sharp screwdriver. The point of the tool should not easily create an indentation in the wood. If it does, this could be an indication of wood rot. Talk to your garage door contractor to find out if a repair is possible or if you’re better off with a replacement.
3. Don’t Skip the Prep
Painting prep work is time-consuming. Skipping the prep work can be tempting, but the time spent preparing your garage door for paint is not wasted. Removing old chipped paint and dirt gives new paint a surface that it can stick to. Failure to prep the door properly can cause your garage door paint job to fail prematurely. To prepare your wooden garage door for paint:
- Sand down or scrape off old peeling paint.
- Fill any gouges in the door with wood putty, then sand it down until it is flush with the surface of the door.
- Clean the garage door to remove wood shavings, paint chips, and any moss, dirt, or grime on your garage door.
4. Use the Correct Paint
The type of paint you use for your wooden garage door paint project is crucial for the success of this kind of home improvement. Use high-quality exterior-grade latex primer and exterior grade latex paint. Don’t try to save money on a lesser quality paint type. Good quality paint should last for years, while poor quality paint often fades early, coats poorly, and requires extra coats to get an even finish.
Need a New Garage Door? Contact Overhead Door of Oklahoma City
Maybe it’s time to replace that old wooden garage door, after all. To get started, contact Overhead Door of Oklahoma City for a quote and to discuss our outstanding selection of wooden garage doors and garage doors made from other materials.
