How to Repaint a Metal Storm Door
Fall is coming and that means the trick or treaters will be on your doorstep soon. How scary is your entrance? We live in an area that gets harsh winters and hot summers. The elements really take a toll on outside doors. This is a good time of year to take care of any of those “scary” maintenance projects on your home. Today I’ll show you how to repaint a metal storm door.
In the front of our home, we have a wooden door and a white metal storm door with glass panes. It has gotten rusty over the years. Add in a lot of dirt from the traffic on the street and we were in need of a face lift.
Metal doors are easy to re-paint. There are a lot of color options to seal it and give it a new look. We decided to replace the mail slot, but repainted the door and door knobs. Of course, after you paint your door it may look so good that you’ll be inspired to replace those old door knobs.
Whether replacing or repainting your knobs, here are some easy steps on how to repaint a metal storm door.
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Repaint a Metal Storm Door Materials
- Drop cloths
- Painter’s tape
- Orbital sander and sanding pads
- Sanding block
- Screwdrivers
- TSP Cleaner
- Rags
- Spray paint primer
- Spray paint
- Respirator
- New mail slot (optional)
- New door knobs or paint (optional)
How to Repaint a Metal Storm Door Instructions
As you can see below, there was a lot of rust coming through the white paint. The doorknobs and mail slot were tarnished, and the glass desperately needed cleaning.
To prep the door, take off any hardware you will repaint (by spray painting) or cover it with painters tape and foil.
Take out any glass or screens, if your door has them. It’s easier to clean and prepare the door for painting without them. Cover the surrounding area with drop cloths. Cover a wide area since spray paint can travel and cover many surrounding surfaces.
Sand the door as best as you can. I used a random orbital sander and sanding blocks. The goal is to get rid of any loose paint, dust, debris and rust from the door to prepare it for paint.
Using a rag and TSP cleaner, spray down the door and wipe it dry. This prepares the surface so new primer and paint will adhere well. Now you are ready to prime and paint the door.
Prime with a good oil-based spray paint using thin coats. Let it dry the recommended time. Paint your door with a gloss enamel paint in the color of your choice. (I used one can of paint and one can of primer to paint this door on both the inside and out.) Let the door dry over night.
After the door dries you can put on your new hardware (if you chose to replace it.) I took the initiative to replace the tarnished mail slot with a new one in oil rubbed bronze. You can find these at your local home improvement store or online.
I chose to re-paint instead of replacing the outside of the door knob and deadbolt. Using a brush and a can of paint means you don’t have to tape off or remove the door knob to repaint it. If you are spray-painting, you might want to remove the knob first. It took two light coats to cover tarnished brass. Make sure to adhere to the drying time for this kind of paint.
Clean up all of your supplies and enjoy your newly painted metal door. I’ve done this on another door in our house and it saved us hundreds of dollars since we didn’t have to replace the whole door. Painting is an easy DIY project you can definitely do in a weekend.
See you at Decor Adventures soon and happy painting.
~ Read more of Jessica’s tutorials ~
Well done! How did you manage to do this without removing the door? How did you avoid having overspray everywhere?
What did you use to repaint the door knob and deadbolt? Thanks!
What color front door is behind the white metal storm door? Thanks!
I love this. I have been planning to repaint my metal door for so long. Thanks!
We have a dark maroon/deep red front door and need a security door. Although the door jamb is white, and our front porch is white, I felt that a white security door would be too stark against the dark red wooden front door. So I have purchased a black security door that I like (with insect mesh). What are your thoughts on a white versus black security door w/ insect screen, instead of a white one?
Question how did you get the glass out of the middle the two little peices. I didnt know they could come oit.
thanks