How to Paint Garage Doors + Helpful Tips.

This is the tutorial on how I painted my garage doors and the supplies I used.

Supply List for How to Paint Garage Doors + Helpful Tips

For exterior primer (with the same base as your paint) I used BM

Exterior paint samples (I purchased mine at Benjamin Moore in Aura Semi-Gloss)

6″ rolling pad (microfiber) if painting stucco or brick surrounding garage

paint brush

step ladder

painters ladder

Cleaning supplies to make sure garage door is ready for sample paint: brush, towel, dish or gentle soap, water, etc.

(Optional) pressure washer

How to Paint Garage Doors + Helpful Tips

Continue reading and/or watch the attached video tutorial here

1- Clean the garage doors and make sure they are dry.

I used a pressure washer with a medium spray flow on our gun and soapy water. I used a scrub brush and a microfiber cloth to clean and dry the garage doors before painting the samples of paint on them.

When cleaning, you’ll want to open the garage doors at various heights to clean in the cracks and crevices as well as make sure all the various seems and cracks are well dried out before painting.

2- Prep the area.

Prep the ground by putting down a drop cloth and closing the garage door on it so it remains in place and catches any drips that may be made.

Put down drop cloths, use painters tape, etc. to prepare the area where you will be painting. Gather step stools, a ladder, a garage door opener, paint sticks, etc.

3-Get supplies.

You’ll need the supplies listed in this post to paint the sample squares.

4-Paint when the weather suits this project.

You’ll want to paint on a cool/warm day. If it’s in the summer, you’ll want to paint early morning or late afternoon. If the sun will hit your garage doors during your painting session, reconsider and paint when you won’t have to deal with direct sunlight.

If your garage doors are shaded in the morning, paint then. If they are shaded in the afternoon, you’ll need to wait a few hours after the door has been shaded to paint. You do not want the door hot or even too warm or the paint will dry too rapidly and blending will be more difficult to do.

5- Use an exterior primer with the same base as your paint.

You’ll want to paint your garage doors with two coats of high quality exterior primer. Some people I’ve seen online have painted their garage doors without primer, however, I’d HIGHLY recommend two coats of a good exterior primer. Use the same base as your paint (latex or oil).

This is because you have a lot of exterior elements hitting this paint plus the temperature changed that the garage doors experience. They are often getting really hot or cold. UV rays, snow, rain, wind, etc. and the primer allows the paint to adhere better and increases its performance especially over time. Stir it well!

6- Using a paint brush paint the edges where the foam roller cannot reach.

7- Use a foam roller with the end of the roller pad covered (so you can’t see the metal bar that is inserted into the roller.

This will make it easier to blend, paint in cracks and crevices, and help avoid lines.

8- Use medium-low amounts of paint on your roller to avoid spills, drips, etc.

9- Use even pressure and rolls. Avoid pushing on the roller too hard when, if done, will create indentations, runs and/or lines in the paint.

10- Blend well.

Blend each paint roller stroke with the next as best as you can. Work steadily so that you can blend all the areas on the garage together before they dry out too much.

11- If desired, use a paint brush to make paint brush markings/lines for texture in the paint before it dries.

I did not do this, but I know of people who have done this for wood or faux-wood garage doors.

I did do this paint brush texture on my front door.

On my wood front door, I used a paint roller to get uniform paint everywhere and then I drug a bristled paint brush (without very much paint on it) with the grain to provide a nice wood-painted-textured-look.

12- Allow each coat of primer and paint to dry completely before moving to the next.

I did 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint.

Read the instructions on your particular paint to get the correct drying times.

Do not paint another coat over a drying coat if, when touched, it feels even a little sticky.

13- Lightly sand any unsightly imperfections before the final paint coat.

Use a high grit sandpaper to get rid of spills, etc. If the final paint coat has imperfections you can sand and lightly spot paint over the areas that need it as well.

14- Open the garage door slightly to paint in between the panels.

Keep the door opened until the seems are well dried.

The seems will stick, even after fully dried, for a few weeks until they become fully cured, but I had no problems with this technique. My paint did not peel or crack or anything even though the seams were a bit sticky for a few weeks.