Whilst painting the garage typically ranks low in terms of people’s priority DIY tasks, the garage is often the first area of the home to greet us. Refreshing your garage with a fresh coat of paint creates a stunning, uniform look sure to stop people in their tracks for all the right reasons. Harris Paint Brushes explains hot to paint a garage door in this step-by-step guide.
- Prepare the Work Area and Gather Safety Gear
It’s essential to choose a warm, sunny and dry day if possible to ensure that your painting efforts won’t be wasted. As with any DIY painting task, it’s essential to properly prepare the area to negate unnecessary mishaps and ensure a smooth, stress-free process. Begin by laying a dust sheet on the ground in the area you intend to work. For additional protection from dust and debris, be sure to wear some safety glasses and a dust mask.
- Prepare the Garage Door Surface for Painting
One of our most important garage painting tips is to ensure the surface of the door is smooth and lump-free to create the perfect canvas for that fresh new top coat. If your garage door is subject to old paint, this can be easily removed with a sanding block. Gently sand your garage door until all old paint and imperfections are removed, be sure to open the door and sand the edges that aren’t visible too to ensure a consistent finish. Now that your door is beautifully smooth, use a microfibre cloth to clean the area to effectively remove dust, dirt and cobwebs ahead of applying your priming coat.
- Mask and Apply the Primer Coat
When it comes to the best way to paint a garage, it’s always key to protect the areas you don’t want to paint to ensure optimum results. To make sure maximum precision is achieved, tape off the areas you don’t wish to paint using masking tape. Next, it’s time to apply your priming coat to make sure you can achieve a gorgeous, even finish when it comes to painting your new top coat.
Taking a high-quality primer, shake the tin well before removing the lid and stirring the paint to ensure a smooth, even consistency. Begin painting your door using a Harris 3” Brush starting with the edges and working towards the middle of the door for a professional-looking finish. Alternatively, once your edges are painted, the Harris Gloss Roller provides flawless coverage in minimal time if you prefer to use rollers for your paintwork.
- Clean and Prepare Paint Brushes, Apply the Top Coat
To avoid a more challenging cleaning process later on, ensure that your paint brush or roller is cleaned immediately after applying the primer coat.
Pour some white spirit into an old jam jar or mason jar and begin to wash the brush as soon as possible by carefully working the white spirit into the bristles. Next, remove any remaining paint from the brush. Repeat this step until your brushes are pristine and paint free.
When cleaning is finished, replace the lid of the mason jar and transport it to your local tip to avoid the environmental harm caused by pouring it down the sink. Once your brush or roller is fully clean, coat the brush ready for painting.
Repeating the painting process of step 3, begin with the outer edges of the door and work your way towards the middle to ensure a finish of the highest possible standard. When you have completed the top coat you can lay off to create a perfect glass like smooth finish.
Use the 3 inch brush with a small amount of paint. Using very little pressure, lightly paint in long vertical lines from top to bottom for a stunningly smooth finish.
- Remove Masking Tape and Let Paint Dry
Before letting your paintwork fully dry, remove the masking tape from your detail areas. All that remains is to let your paint dry and see your garage door transformed. You have learned how to paint a garage door like the experts and have an immaculate, prestigious looking garage door that enhances your outdoor space!
For more expert tips to help to complete your DIY projects to perfection, visit Harris Brushes Help sections, where you’ll find this guide in full along with other helpful tips.