Saturday, September 24, 2011

Woodgraining A Garage & Front Door

This week we began wood graining a metal garage door and a fiberglass front door to match.
Here are steps we followed:        
Garage Door 
Remember faux finishing  wood graining is a process requiring several steps to complete

  • Prepare the door surface by cleaning it  with  thinner.   This will remove any dirt or oil that is on the surface.  Allow the surface to dry.  Be sure to determine if the garage door is metal or fiberglass.
  • Brush and apply the first undercoat of paint to add depth and color.  Allow it to dry two or three days.
    • Work on one panel at a time.  Working on multiple panels may be overwhelming. Painting one panel at a time allows you to to be creative .
    • Starting on the top of the garage door allows you  to paint without dripping paint on finished panels below.   You feel very confident by the you have  finished twenty individual panels. 

  •   Brush on and apply the second  undercoat of color.  This may be a slightly darker color to match the exterior surface you are trying to match.   Wipe off any excess paint,depending on the intensity of the color you want.  Add the texture.
    • Work with one panel at a time. 
    • The second coat is usually a custom color.   But if you know what color stain you want, a standard premixed color is great to use.  
    • We recommend Old Masters custom stains.  This custom stain is the best quality we have found.   It has a thick consistency when applied. It has body.  Other stains are thin and watery.  Old Masters stain can be found at quality paint stores.
    • Allow sufficient time for the paint to set up and dry thoroughly (48 hours).
  •  Brush on and apply the third undercoat of color.  This is the final color coat. With this coat you can add final details of design, lighten or darken the color on the door.  Allow at least 24 hours for the paint to dry.
  • Brush on and apply the final clear coat and sealant.  

Matching Front Door

Wood graining a matching front door follows  the same process as doing a garage door.  The process  and sequence of application of colors, stains, and textures are the same as the garage door
  • Prepare the surface with a light sanding.   
    • Fix and repair any damaged areas on the door and casing.
    • Allow the repaired areas to dry.   Sand lightly to make the surface smooth.
    • Brush off any sanding dust.
  • Brush on and apply the first under coat of color.  
    • If you are really ambitious, the garage door and front door can be done at the same time.  However, it's better to do one panel on the garage at a time, even if it takes a much longer time. Do the door on at a different time.  Just use the same colors in your undercoat.
    • Allow the door and casing to dry before closing it so it doesn't stick to  the weather stripping.
  •  Brush on and apply the third undercoat of color.  
    • Allow the door and casing to dry before closing it so it doesn't stick to the weather stripping.
  • Brush on  and apply the final sealant coat.   
    • Allow the door and casing to dry before closing to so it doesn't stick to the weather stripping. 
These steps are only summaries of the wood graining process.   
Please call us or ask for help at your quality paint store.
You might be interested in pictures of the wood graining process 
of a garage door and matching front door.