Staining Steel Garage Doors

In contrast to regular wood stain gel stain does not need to be wiped off or rubbed in.

Staining steel garage doors.

Painting or staining your garage door can do wonders for your home. With just a few tips and not much money you can give your garage door a beautiful faux wood finish. Begin by thoroughly cleaning your garage door using warm soapy water and a stiff brush. The hubster used a cheap synthetic brush and worked one section at a time brushing on the gel stain in the direction of the pattern in the door.

Once applied they settle into the grain of the steel door to give it a textured look. Plus adding a coat of paint or stain can help preserve your garage door. After masking the areas surrounding the door miller applies what will be the first of three applications of colored stain using a standard brush and a stain pad to create streaks and highlights. Any type of steel door can receive the faux bois treatment even a garage door.

The best way to color a steel door is with a gel stain. In fact gel stains are often applied to give steel doors the look of wood grain. Preparing the project area set a dropcloth on the ground near the door and tape the door frame and hardware with painter s tape to protect it from primer and paint. If your garage door is less than five years old and has a glazed paint finish you ll have to sand it to remove the sheen in order for the stain to adhere properly.

Steel doors though often a practical selection for the energy efficiency they offer may not appear particularly attractive or match a home s existing decor and may require staining. If you re comfortable removing the door handle remove it to simplify the painting process. This is the key to success. Painted doors will experience color fading while the clear protective top coat on stained and faux paint stained doors will degrade and thin.

Gel stains are thick and designed to cling to and penetrate the surface. If you don t have a power washer i d recommend cleaning it well with your hose and then giving it a good cleaning with vinegar and a sponge and finish with a good rinse. Step 4 drying. According to miller any garage door can be faux finished but steel doors like the ones pictured below are particularly good candidates because they re inexpensive and dimensionally stable.

There are no garage doors that are completely maintenance free. If you re set on painting or staining you will want to invest in a durable exterior latex paint. Painting your garage door. The only trick is to keep the layer even throughout the surface and avoid dripping.

If you have a paneled garage door start at the center of the paneling and work your way out. Clopay actually recommends painting wood garage doors every 1 to 2 years. From the street no one will know it isn t real wood.