You’ve seen those beautiful wooden garage doors around Canada, proudly showcasing natural wood grain that comes from mahogany, walnut or cherry. Did you know that you too can transform plain steel garage doors into faux wood grains? From the street, nobody will ever know it’s not real wood.
Prepare the surface
Since garage doors are outside, they usually get dirty. Get started by cleaning your door thoroughly with soap and water. Get dirt and debris off and allow it to dry.
Prime and Base Coat
If your door is new, or has not been previously painted, paint the entire door with a primer. After the primer dries, tape off all the vertical panels using tape so that all the horizontal panels are exposed. If you’re unsure how it should look, take reference from a raised-panel cabinet door to tape everything off.
Paint the horizontal panels
Make sure to use 100% acrylic latex paint designed for exterior use on metal. You can paint the door with a single coat, but using two different-colored layers will make the wood grain effect come out better. For two layers, begin with a cream or tan color. Dip the brush into the paint and paint the exposed panels. Allow the brush to draw lines and allow them to imitate wood grain. Paint every horizontal panel.
Apply the second coat of paint
After the first coat dries, use the similar technique to apply a second coat of mahogany, cherry or walnut, painting the panels to create the wood grain effect, allowing lines from the first coat to show through. Make sure to fill in all the areas with the dark color for consistency.
Paint the vertical panels
Once you’re satisfied with the results, take off the tape and paint the vertical sections of the steel garage doors.
Test your skills first
Don’t feel daunted by the task. If you not sure of your artistic ability, run a few test pieces on the inside of the door where you can’t see it. Mix few colors that you like and use different brushes, until you get the combination of colors and brushes that work best for you. A stiff brush is likely to produce more grain patterns.
Precautions
Some precautions before painting the garage door include outside temperature. If it’s too hot outside, do the work in the morning or evening.
Promaster Garage Doors & Windows
For more information on the products we offer at Promaster Garage Doors, give us a call today. Check out our amazing range of iron garage door and steel garage doors!