*This is a sponsored post with Purdy. We are honored to be working with Purdy and only share products here that we love. We have used Purdy products for years. Their paint brushes are my absolute favorite! I have had one that I finally replaced after 14 years of use!
When you own a home, there are big home projects that come up from time to time that need to be done to maintain your home and keep it looking nice. One of those projects will most likely be painting your garage door at some point. We have two older wooden garage doors that take a beating with our harsh weather climate. They have been in need of a good paint job for the past year and we finally put it at the top of our to do list! We recently partnered with Purdy to share and easy to follow, step-by-step tutorial, on How to Paint your Wood Garage Door with Purdy Tools.
Painting your Garage Door immediately brightens and freshens up the exterior of your home. I am always amazed at what a difference a fresh coat of paint can make. Painting your garage doors may seem like a daunting project at first, but with the right tools and information, you finish it up in just a few hours!
As with any home project, having the right tools can make all the difference in how your project turns out. The right tools also can prevent frustration or headaches that can sometimes happen on a home project.
Before we get started on the different steps of the project, I wanted to introduce you to some of our favorite Purdy tools that we used to prep and paint our garage doors.
- Purdy Premium Putty Knives (stiff & flex versions)
- Purdy 3” Premium Scraper
- Purdy Premium 10-in-1 Multi-Tool
- Purdy Criss Cross Wire Brush
- Purdy 2.5” Clearcut Glide (angled brush for latex paints)
- Purdy 2” Nylox Elasco (flat brush for latex paints)
You will also need a good exterior paint. We love to use HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams WeatherShield® Exterior Paint because it is a paint & primer and is designed to be long lasting and protect the wood in harsh weather conditions.
Okay…Let’s get started!
You will need the following materials:
ladder
drop cloths
painter’s tape
scrapers
wire brush
multi-tool
putty knife
sander
sand paper
paint
paint brush
roller
Purdy White Dove Roller Covers
caulk/wood putty
2-4 ft Power Lock Extension Pole
Instructions:
Step 1: Clean the Garage Door
Close the garage door. Give the door a good thorough sweep with a broom to brush off any excess dirt or cobwebs. We hosed ours down and wiped them off with a dry towel. Let them dry before beginning with the prep work.
Step 2: Cover or Remove Hardware
Cover or remove any hardware on your garage door. If you can’t remove them without affecting the balance of the garage door, simply cover them with painters tape. We do not have any visible hardware on our garage doors so we did not need to do this step.
Step 3: Preparation
Use your scrapers, putty knife, and wire brush to remove any loose or bubbling paint. Make sure that all the loose paint is removed so that your new paint will adhere properly and protect the wood door underneath. This is the most important step and where you should put most of your efforts. A well done prep with quality tools will result in a smooth and flawless-looking final product, and make the rest of the project run smoothly. We used the Purdy Premium Putty Knives, Premium Scraper, and Criss-Cross Wire Brush to prepare the surface.
Step 4: Sanding
Use a hand sander to sand down the surface of your garage. Use a sandpaper with a grit of 80 to start so that you can remove the rougher surfaces and areas of the garage that may need some extra care. Then finish off your sanding with a sandpaper with a grit of 120 or higher to give you a nice smooth finish over the entire garage door. Wipe down the garage door with a damp (non-lint producing) towel or use a leaf blower to remove all the excess sanding dust.
Step 5: Painting
Use a high quality paint with primer and your angled brush (Clearcut Glide) to cut in all the corners and any moldings you have on your garage door. Once all the detailed areas are cut, you will be able to roll the flat surfaces with a paint roller and quality roller cover. The Purdy Clearcut Glide works perfectly for this step to make sure the edges are neat as possible and cut in sharply. We were able to get away with one coat of HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams WeatherShield® Exterior Paint (even though it is not technically a one-coat paint–depending on the weather and wear & tear, you might need two coats). If you need to paint two layers, let your paint dry according to the directions on the paint can and then add another coat. Using the Purdy White Dove Roller Covers to paint the larger areas also helped to lay down an even, smooth coat of paint with no bubbling or lint left behind.
Step 6: Drying Time
Once you have finished painting your wood garage door, leave it to dry for at least 12 hours. It is better if you paint the garage doors on a day that is between 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit so that it is not too hot and the paint doesn’t dry too quickly. Check for any excess paint that may need to be wiped up at this point.
Watch our video tutorial:
All done! This project took us one day to complete. I washed the garage the day before so that it would be dry to paint the next day! It is amazing how much better the outside of my home looks! You don’t realize how dark and stained the garage can get over a few years with the effects of the weather and elements.
As you can see, we have several windows in our home as well. They are all original with the house and are the original wood frames. These windows need constant maintenance…which is kind of a pain…but so pricey to replace. So we will continue to paint them to keep the wood protected and in good condition.
This particular window really takes a beating with the harsh sun and needed to be repainted. So while we were at it and had all of our tools and paint out, we re-painted the windows using the same process as the garage door.
Much better! And just so you know…all that paint on the brick was there from previous owners. It kind of bugs me, but there isn’t much we can do about it. ;)
So glad to have these projects done and out of the way for the next few years! Be sure to check out Purdy the amazing Purdy tools we featured. We use them all of the time on a variety of different projects around our home.
You can also follow along with Purdy on the following social platforms:
You may also be interested in learning How to Paint a Door.
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Julie @ Houzz Mag says
Great tips. You have mentioned about the painting of wooden garage doors exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing!
The Idea Room Assistant says
Julie- Glad you found this post helpful. Thanks for following along.
Hey, Amy Great detailed post. which color brand do you prefer for garage painting ??
We love to use HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams WeatherShield® Exterior Paint because it is a paint & primer and is designed to be long lasting and protect the wood in harsh weather conditions.
Now, this is what I call a complete guide, thank you very much for explaining it in a detailed way including tools that we need. Very helpful article.
Alex- Thank you!
Thank you so much for tips. Here I learn how I can paint my Garage Door using tools step by step. After reading this article I learn a lot of things that I before didn’t know.
Charlotte- Glad you found this post helpful!
Excellent. I’m painting my garage door and this is the info I needed.
Dayan- So happy this post helped!
Thank you very much for the article, very useful. Our customers often ask us about such additions for their garages, where it can be ordered. From now on, we will show them your site so that they are convinced that this can be done on their own. Tell me, do I need any special tools that not everyone has in the house to make the same with my own garage?
Mark- No special tools needed.
A very detailed tip for painting your own garage. I love how you mentioned what are the needed tools. This is such a big help to every homeowner who wants to improve their home. Such a great article!
Thank you