General procedures for painting a steel door most of the work involved when painting steel doors is with the preparation.
Painting exterior steel entry door.
Fortunately today most newly installed steel entry doors come pre primed meaning a coat of primer was applied at the factory and the door is ready to paint.
Switch to a mini roller.
To paint a steel door you ll need exterior paint and an oil based primer designed specifically for metal.
It fills in larger imperfections on a door s surface and resists cracking and chipping.
Paint with a semi gloss finish is extremely popular because it s easy to.
For fiberglass doors apply a water based paint as its thinner and less sticky composition.
Priming the surfaces on the exterior of your house is a crucial step in painting them because it seals the surface and ensures the final coat of paint will adhere well.
Before you apply the primer and paint lightly sand the door with 400 grit sandpaper so the primer and paint will stick to it better.
This is true even for a new unpainted steel door.
Roll on one light coat of your exterior paint on the flat areas of the door.
The most common kinds of exterior door paint are acrylic resin or latex based and with a semi gloss finish.
Then apply 2 coats of the primer letting it dry after each coat.
Lightly sand the door with 400 grit sandpaper.
Pour the paint into a tray.
Paint the door with at least two coats of exterior satin or semi gloss paint following the same process you did for the primer and being sure to leave the recommended amount of drying time between.
If you do not have a glass or storm door that stands between your door and the elements you ll want to make certain you use exterior paint.
Latex based exterior paint is the most flexible type and is quite popular.
For metal doors such as a steel storm door work with oil based paint to stave off the formation of rust.
For a single exterior door that has been primed you ll need approximately one quart of paint.
If your door is paneled start with the panels.
Using semigloss exterior paint and a 2 inch angled sash brush with synthetic bristles paint around the edges of the panels.
Insulated steel entry doors are a great life long purchase and if painted correctly can be virtually maintenance free for many years.