Garage Door Refinishing and Repainting

When the Door Is Fine and the Finish Is Not

Plenty of doors we are asked to replace do not need replacing. They are straight, the track is sound, the panels are solid, and the finish has simply given up after fifteen years of sun and salt.

Refinishing costs a fraction of a new door and solves exactly that problem.

When It Is Worth Doing

• The body is straight, with no creases.
• No rust through, particularly along the bottom seam.
• Track and hardware sound or worth servicing.
• You are happy with the style and only unhappy with the appearance.

When It Is Not

• The bottom section has corroded through. Paint over that is covering a structural problem, and near the water it is the most common way a door dies.
• Panels are creased rather than dented, so the shape is permanently wrong.
• You dislike the style. Refinishing a door you do not like leaves you with a freshly painted door you do not like.

We will tell you plainly which of those you have, and we would rather say so than take payment for a paint job on a door that needs replacing.

Preparation Is Most of the Job

Nearly all failed repaints failed at preparation, not at the paint.

The door needs washing properly to remove salt, then degreasing, then sanding to give a key, then any corrosion treating rather than covering. Only then does coating go on. Skip the salt wash near the coast and the new finish lifts within a couple of years because it was applied over a contaminated surface.

Coating for the Coast

Colour is your choice. The coating system matters more.

Dark colours absorb a great deal of heat in full afternoon sun. That drives expansion and contraction, which is hard on any finish, and on an insulated door it pushes heat into the garage. Mid and lighter tones are more forgiving here, and if you want dark it is worth accepting a shorter refinish interval.

The Hardware Question

If the door has decorative iron hardware, deal with it at the same time. Near the water it is usually the first thing to corrode, and the rust streaks run down the face of a freshly painted door within a year or two.

Either replace it with coated or stainless items, or treat and seal it properly while the door is being done.

Call Hivcorrections at (562) 323-3082.