Paint tips? Painting front door, steel shed and foundation

[VEFF]

Hi all,

I am planning to do the following minor work on my home next week and would love to get feedback and advice as far as prepping steps, paint types and tools (brushes, roller nap size) are concerned etc.


Job 1:
Paint front (oak?) door (outside only).
The outside finish has unfortunately weathered and I don't feel like trying to sand it down so far that I can re-stain it without it looking bad.
I'd prefer to simply sand and paint it.

Questions for #1:
Any sanding, paint and / or brush recommendations?

I was thinking of using a semi-gloss eggshell in blackish green (i.e whatever the darkest green available is).


Job 2:
Paint metal (galvanized steel?) shed in back yard.
I believe the guy in Home Depot said Rust-O-leum would work / be the one to go with.

Questions for #2:
Any suggestions on which paint to use?
I preferably want a paint I can get in custom colors (not sure if Rust-O-leum offers this?).
I want to paint the top a grayish/brown (have 'heather brown' shingles) and want to paint the sides off-white (light beige).


Job #3:
Pain the house foundation (i.e. the concrete that is on the sides and back of the house below the bottom of the siding) using the following (Behr Elastomeric Masonry, Stucco & Brick Paint No. 68):
http://www.behr.com/behrx/act/view/prod ... ts&catId=7

Questions for #3:
I believe I just need to use a 3/4" to 1" nap roller to apply it. Any other suggestions?
Presumably two coats would be better (last longer), or is one enough?


Job #4 (to come)

I can add photos if need be.

Thanks!

[Ian]

For job #1, get yourself one of those small, hand held sanders. I picked up a cheap Black and Decker one when I did the basement and it was definitely worth the money. Before you paint the door, sand it down and make it smooth. You can paint it with a brush. Just remember to do all the strokes in the same direction. Otherwise it wil look crappy.

Rustoleum comes in a bunch of different colors.. at least if you buy it in a spray can. I'm not sure what colors there are if you buy it by the gallon.

[redk9258]

For painting metal, I would spray. Rustoleum comes in many colors. If you cannot find the color you want maybe you could have a gallon tinted and use something like a Wagner power sprayer. If you are painting a shed, you may want to buy, borrow or steal a power painter. It will take many spray cans to cover a shed! I tried to paint a steel door with a roller and it turned out crappy so I used a brush. I still wasn't satisfied, so I sanded it down and sprayed it. It took 4 (!) cans to cover one door.

[VEFF]

Thanks a lot guys!
Great tips, including things I might not have considered (like an inexpensive small power sander instead of doing it by hand e.g.)
I'll definitely get one of those.

- Given the size of the shed and redk's experience, I am probably better off buying a liquid can (gallon size) instead of a spray can.
Maybe I'll try a power sprayer for the shed (e.g. Wagner or equivalent), as opposed to using a roller, although I assume a roller could work well too (assuming I got the right nap size / thickness of course)?
I'll see what equipment they have and which colors of paint they stock.


- I'll try a brush for the wooden front door.
Would a simple paint pad work too or is a brush better? - see photos in example below if necessary).
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/paint/how ... paint-pad/
I recall using a (simple) paint pad to paint a wooden table (in black) years ago and it came out really well.

[ruderacer]

Job # 1
You might want to consider using a paint remover. It comes in a gel-like form and you apply it using a brush. Let soak for a while then use a spatula and scrape off. Make sure you rinse off the paint remover with hose. Let dry then whatever is left you can sand down. Paint with a brush that has thin bristles to get a better finish. You then may want to use a polyurethane clear to seal the paint and door. Ask to make sure the clear coat and paint are compatible.

Job # 2
Sand the metal door to remove old paint and any rust. I would use a primer for metal then paint. Rustoleum is a good brand to use. Spray cans are the best way to go. Primer comes in cans too.

Job # 3
For your foundation, I would use a power washer to remove all dust and loose paint. Then I would use a concrete primer to seal then paint. This way it seals and you use less paint. Last longer. Some paints come with a sealer in them, but I like to use a sealer first (either clear or white) then paint. Rollers are good. The size depends on how much area you are working with. Large area use a larger roller.

Hope it helps.

[VEFF]

Thanks ruderacer!
Yes, that helps a lot.

The wooden front door is already paint-free; if anything it was originally stained with a clear stain that has all but gone now due to exposure to the elements, so that means I'll just need to sand it down a bit to make sure it is uniformly smooth.

The concrete paint does indeed have the sealer in it.
I'll explore your approach of doing it with a separate sealer.
I was, originally at least, thinking of applying two coats of the elastomeric paint (see link in my original post above).

I'll reply more later.

[LoneWolf]

Do get a hand-held orbital sander. It'll make your life easier. You may want two grits of sandpaper, the first to get the tough stuff, the second one for smoothness.

For the shed, if you are going to use Rust-Oleum, I'd use it as a primer, not a paint. Choose a color that will serve as a good primer, and then you can use an exterior latex paint in any color you choose. Sand off any paint and rust, then clean the surface thoroughly. Let it dry before brush-painting it. They may even have a Rust-Oleum designed as a primer; it's been a long time since I've used it.

The wooden door shouldn't be too bad. You should just be able to sand it, then wash it down thoroughly. If not too much sanding is involved and your wood looks nice, I'd still think about staining it; however, if the wood isn't in the best shape, paint will cover up. You can probably roll the door (assuming you're painting) if you do it a side at a time, otherwise a brush if you're staining.

My brother-in-law (an experienced house painter) and I painted our aluminum-sided house a year ago this summer. We sprayed the house down with TSP (gets rid of chalking on your siding or painted metal surface) then power-washed about 15-20 minutes later. Once dry, we brush-painted the house in two coats. We used an exterior semi-gloss latex, and an acrylic stain for the window trim. The colors were close enough that we didn't need to prime.

We did the wooden-sided garage a month later, with the same paints.. That kind of sucked, since I had to scrape it first (years of poor paint jobs). I couldn't get all the gunk off, but I got what I could, then orbital-sanded, and then wet-cloth wiped the whole thing to clean it. It took three coats for the garage; since the job wasn't as important, the longer sections we rolled on, and then spread out with brushes. I brush-painted the trim and detail sections.

For both the house and the garage, we used standard Purdy brushes. Get a medium or two, and then a smaller one for detail work. They are multipurpose, and will work on both surfaces, with latex paint or stain. Get a good wire brush cleaner too. The nice thing about latex paint is how easy it cleans up.

I can't tell you about the foundation, as I haven't painted one. The only thing I've done with mine is to purchase some DAP concrete sealer, which fits in a caulking gun and can seal exterior cracks. I used a special brush to clear gunk out of the cracks first, and then filled them and used a putty knife to smooth it out. You might want to do this before you paint.

Hope this helps.

[ehsanjadoon]

As you mentioned that the outside of your door is weathered, so it must have water stains and must be looking rough. So, for that, you will be needing a sanding paper of grit 180 to get the details back. And if it's a little too rough, you can also go for grit 150 paper.

If you want to do it in a more professional way, perform the sanding first, then use a paint remover, and then do the sading once again.

1" roller will do a great job in your case. And do not settle for a single coat. First, paint it with a white base layer that is used before the paint job. Then 2 coats of paint and you will have a brand new door.