Your vintage garage door may have plenty of life left in it, but if it looks old, weathered, and faded, it’s probably hurting your home’s curb appeal. Your garage doors take up a lot of space in your home’s front-facing exterior, and it’s in your best interest to keep them looking great. Take a look at some tips that can help you update and freshen up those old vintage garage doors and transform the look of your home’s exterior.
Paint or Stain
A fresh coat of paint can fix a lot of problems, although if you like a more natural look for your wooden garage door, you may prefer to stain them instead. Either way, if the door is structurally sound and the metal hardware is free from rust, painting or staining the doors might be enough to give them a whole new and improved look.
The important thing to remember here is that before you paint or stain, you need to clean the dirt, grime, and scuffs off of the door. Use a gentle detergent and a soft sponge, and bring an old toothbrush to help you get dirt and grime out of the corners of the door. Make sure that you give the door plenty of time to dry properly before applying the paint or stain – wood takes longer to dry than some other garage door materials, like metal.
Strip and Paint the Hardware
If the metal hardware on your door is looking battered or faded, you may want to paint that as well. Remove the door from the frame so that you can update the rollers and hinges. Apply metal stripper to the brackets and rollers with a cut brush, and then use steel wool to wipe it away when it starts to bubble. You may need to apply the stripper more than once if there are multiple coats of paint on the hardware.
Spray the hardware with red oxide primer first, then allow it to dry thoroughly before applying paint. When the paint is dry and you reattach the hardware, don’t forget to lubricate the rollers.
Replace the Window Frames
If the wood around the windows has become weak and rotten, you can remove the frames and add fresh new frames. You can pry the wood frame loose with a hammer and pry bar, but be prepared – if the wood around the frames is weak, you may need to add a temporary support before removing the frames. A 2×2 can be screwed to the width of the door to provide support until the new window frames are installed.
You can apply the new frames with polyurethane glue. Apply the glue to the ends of the frames first, then connect them. Use finish nails to secure them, then lightly sand the new frames before painting them.
Updating vintage garage doors can be a fun DIY project to do during a free day, and it can really change the aesthetics of your home’s exterior. For more great garage renovation ideas, schedule your free design consultation.
