Painting a steel exterior door

On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:41:37 -0400, "cshenk" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Back to this project again! I delayed doing it.
>
>I got some advice from my mom and it seems very sensible to me. She says
>she's done this many times and the trick is a fine grade sand paper then a
>small thin brush to apply the paint. Smaller the better as wont show brush
>marks. No spray paint.
>
>She uses Latex but has no particular brand other than she's partial to
>Sherman Williams for exterior (Thompson's water seal for wood things).
>
>Any other tips? I do not plan to remove the door to do this. I do plan in
>2 years or so to have the door and frame removed and replaced with something
>nicer (It's the cheapest all white steel prehung done by renters when they
>kicked out the nice wood one I had).
>

Mom knows best. Next question!

"Oren" wrote

>>She uses Latex but has no particular brand other than she's partial to
>>Sherman Williams for exterior (Thompson's water seal for wood things).
>>
>>Any other tips? I do not plan to remove the door to do this. I do plan
>>in
>>2 years or so to have the door and frame removed and replaced with
>>something
>>nicer (It's the cheapest all white steel prehung done by renters when they
>>kicked out the nice wood one I had).
>>
>
> Mom knows best. Next question!

Grin, as I plan to color match the front brick paint to the door, do you
know if there is a best pick for an exterior paint that will let me do a
metal door and brick with the same cans? That way I can get 3 gallons of
same dye lot.

The brick was painted long ago so dont even think about blasting it clean
and besides, wouldnt match the siding color well (an almond with red brick?
eek!). It;s a faded dark brown now on the bricks and a nice almond vinyl
siding. All exterior trimwork is dark brown. Door in it's pristine white
sticks out like a sore thumb.

cshenk wrote:
> Back to this project again! I delayed doing it.
>
> I got some advice from my mom and it seems very sensible to me. She
> says she's done this many times and the trick is a fine grade sand
> paper then a small thin brush to apply the paint. Smaller the better
> as wont show brush marks. No spray paint.
>
> She uses Latex but has no particular brand other than she's partial to
> Sherman Williams for exterior (Thompson's water seal for wood things).
>
> Any other tips? I do not plan to remove the door to do this. I do
> plan in 2 years or so to have the door and frame removed and replaced
> with something nicer (It's the cheapest all white steel prehung done
> by renters when they kicked out the nice wood one I had).

Remove door.

Take to auto paint shop.

Auto paint is designed for "outside."

"HeyBub" wrote

> Remove door.
>
> Take to auto paint shop.
>
> Auto paint is designed for "outside."

Grin, and such look very nice but cost as much as a new door in this area!

The frame is also white and i'm not about to take out the frame too. Best
solution this time is a temp fix until we can afford to replace the entire
module of screen and door plus frame with something really nice.

On Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:49:43 -0400, "cshenk" <[email protected]> wrote:

>"HeyBub" wrote
>
>> Remove door.
>>
>> Take to auto paint shop.
>>
>> Auto paint is designed for "outside."
>
>Grin, and such look very nice but cost as much as a new door in this area!
>
>The frame is also white and i'm not about to take out the frame too. Best
>solution this time is a temp fix until we can afford to replace the entire
>module of screen and door plus frame with something really nice.
>

A temp fix would be to use a starving artist. Find one with air brush
skills and abilities. Paint a mural on the door.

grin

"Oren" wrote

> A temp fix would be to use a starving artist. Find one with air brush
> skills and abilities. Paint a mural on the door.
> grin

Hehehe, actually near us is a fellow who's garage door always makes us
smile. It's got a mural of his house in it's dream state with the perfect
flowers etc. Across from him is a fellow with a mural on his garage, that
shows the butt end of a car and a garage inside.

In article <7TPfk.35$KI7.13@newsfe08.iad>, "cshenk" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Back to this project again! I delayed doing it.
>
> I got some advice from my mom and it seems very sensible to me. She says
> she's done this many times and the trick is a fine grade sand paper then a
> small thin brush to apply the paint. Smaller the better as wont show brush
> marks. No spray paint.
>
> She uses Latex but has no particular brand other than she's partial to
> Sherman Williams for exterior (Thompson's water seal for wood things).
>
> Any other tips? I do not plan to remove the door to do this. I do plan in
> 2 years or so to have the door and frame removed and replaced with something
> nicer (It's the cheapest all white steel prehung done by renters when they
> kicked out the nice wood one I had).

This is no job for a novice. You should ask Mom to come over and
demonstrate this time. Promise to take copious notes so that the next
time, you'll be able to do it yourself.

"Smitty Two" wrote

>> Any other tips? I do not plan to remove the door to do this. I do plan
>> in
>> 2 years or so to have the door and frame removed and replaced with
>> something
>> nicer (It's the cheapest all white steel prehung done by renters when
>> they
>> kicked out the nice wood one I had).
>
> This is no job for a novice. You should ask Mom to come over and
> demonstrate this time. Promise to take copious notes so that the next
> time, you'll be able to do it yourself.

Grin, thanks but Mom's 78 and lives quite a distance away. She's hale
enough (thank the lord!) but I'd feel funny asking her to come over for
this. She raised us 3 kids by making money at what now is called 'house
flipping'. I guess without knowing that it seemed pretty wierd to see 'I
asked my Mom'!

In fact, she is looking at buying another house and fixing it up. Built in
1901, all wood framing with metal roof. 29,500$ and needs contractor
assistance but the frame and roof are solid. If she closes on it, we go
down and help her pull all the tounge-n-groove walls out (she will put them
back up after insulating and having an electrican redo the wires, possibly
needs plumbing work). About 6 months later, Mom probably wants me back to
do the wallpaper (a skill oddly she doesnt have as I always did it). Man, I
hope she doesnt want the inside of a curved medicine cabinet done again!
Those are painful to wallpaper at the inside corners! ;-)

Meantime, this door is well in our level. This is sorta like the fellow who
was looking for advice on how to rescreen a wood porch? He knew 'how' but
appreciated tips on how to make it go faster and easier.

I've not painted a metal door before but the concept is simple. I've done
50-60 wood ones over the years and 10 kitchen cabinet refurbishments. Oh
and need to do my own kitchen later and build an extra set of matching
cabinets for additional storage (a section about 6ft long and with a counter
top and outlets for appliances). Tomorrow, we put up the panelling in the
back sunroom on 2 walls then the ceiling rail and baseboards.

The main gaps we have are electrical know-how and brick laying. For just
asbout anything else, we might ask how to do it 'easier' or be one of the
folks answering others asking on how to do it 'easier'. Mostly the door is
a visual appeal from the street thing.

"cshenk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:7TPfk.35$KI7.13@newsfe08.iad...
> Back to this project again! I delayed doing it.
>
> I got some advice from my mom and it seems very sensible to me. She says
> she's done this many times and the trick is a fine grade sand paper then a
> small thin brush to apply the paint. Smaller the better as wont show brush
> marks. No spray paint.
>
> She uses Latex but has no particular brand other than she's partial to
> Sherman Williams for exterior (Thompson's water seal for wood things).
>
> Any other tips? I do not plan to remove the door to do this. I do plan
> in 2 years or so to have the door and frame removed and replaced with
> something nicer (It's the cheapest all white steel prehung done by renters
> when they kicked out the nice wood one I had).

I've painted several exterior metal doors recently -- the ocean air here
pretty quickly
attacks any exposed metal. I use emory paper rather than sandpaper on the
rust
spots -- don't know why I pick emory, just always have. Then I brush on a
metal
primer -- typically Rust-o-Leum rusty metal primer. Then brush on the
finish coat.
I use latex. May take several coats to cover well. Oh, and be sure and
mask off the
hardware since you're not removing the door. HTH