What paint for a new exterior fiberglass door?

[Michael Schuch]

I am replacing an old exterior wood door with a new fiberglass exterior door. Both the door and jamb appear to be primed from the factory. The color will be white. The fiberglass has a woodgrain texture. The door gets about 6 hours of afternoon sun a day. I usually use acetone for wiping down before painting. I have an HVLP sprayer or I can roll the paint.

What type of paint should I use. The oil based paints that I am used to using seem to be no longer available.

[Jason Roehl]

Go to a paint store and ask for a recommendation, someplace like Sherwin-Williams, or PPG. Expect to spend $75-100/gallon, or $30-40/quart for a quality exterior acrylic. I’ve been out of the business too long to give a recommendation for a specific product.

Don’t mess with the HVLP—you won’t have good results with a thick exterior paint. You’ll have to thin it way too much to be able to spray it, such that it would be compromised. Part of their longevity and durability comes from being applied in thick coats—many thin coats aren’t the same.

[Tom M King]

I can't think of a good reason to use oil based paint for anything any more. Either use SW's best, or some even more expensive marine paint. Sherwin Williams Emerald Rain Refresh is amazing stuff and it's currently all I'm buying for exterior paint. I painted a fascia on a rental house with it when it first came out. That white fascia always had black streaks on it, but now, about a year later, it looks like I just painted it yesterday.

If you can't spray house paint with airless, I'd forget trying to spray it any other kind of way. I would brush an entry door. Sprayed finish might be too perfect for hands and to keep it that perfect you can only spray it again. With brushing you can repair damage in place. That paint brushes nicely. I'm brushing trim and windows with it.

SW often has their paint at 30 and sometimes even 40% off. Try to catch it on sale because even then the price is shocking if you haven't bought paint in a while.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Jason...go to a real paint store and get their recommendation for your application and area. I personally use SW and for my front door, Emerald Urethane Trim Paint got the nod.

[John TenEyck]

Wiping down with acetone doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Many paints are dissolved by it, and I'm not sure how well fiberglass would react if the door isn't primed. I would follow the paint manufacturer's instructions on prep.

Whatever paint you use, brush it on. Spraying is what you do on cheap metal doors. Frame and panel doors look far better with a brushed finish.

John

[Tom M King]

Acetone won't hurt fiberglass, but there are not many paints or primers it won't harm. I expect the door comes primed. I can't see them popping a door out of a mold with a gelcoat surface.

If you want a different color that won't require a whole gallon, check quarts of Awlgrip topside paint. Some are easy to sand and touch up, and even buff out. Do a google search for Awlgrip on boat forums.

[Rob Luter]

Who is the door manufacturer? Makers of doors with Fiberglass skins (aka SMC) all publish finishing instructions. Some door slabs are primed and some are molded in white and only look primed. Most jamb systems are just primed but a few suppliers apply a finish coat or a vinyl film. The entry doors I manufacture that use the Fiberglass skins are user painted. We suggest the following process:

Fiberglass doors should be wiped clean with a solvent such as acetone or mineral spirits. Allow the cleaning solvent to dry completely - until there is no residual odor. Next, the door must be washed with a mild detergent in warm soapy water, rinsed and then dried. Apply a primer for best results. For the color coat, use exterior, high quality, oil-based or 100% acrylic water-based latex paint.

[Michael Schuch]

The last time I went to Sherwin Williams they just wanted to push what they had with not much regard to whether it would work well for my application. It did not work well. After that I don't have any faith in paint stores. I feel like I am paying a premium to cover the huge overhead of the store instead of paying for a premium product.

Rustoleum makes a marine paint called "TopSide" which is getting excellent reviews. I think I am going to order a can and give it a try.

[Tom M King]

I never ask for advice in any store, including SW, but will continue to use their paint because I've found none better for houses. I just call them and tell them what I want, and they have it ready when I get there. I do keep a book of all their stock colors.

[Michael Schuch]

I love how well and fast acetone cleans stuff so thoroughly. But on reflection there is a center window (which compromises the majority of the door) which has a plastic frame. Acetone on any kind of plastic is bad idea. I will use one of the other solvents.

[Jim Becker]

I'm sad you had that experience at your local SW store, Michael. It's certainly not my experience at the three that are local to me. Everyone is well trained and very knowledgeable and they do a "yuge" business with the pros, too. But there is always "that one place" I guess.

[Rob Luter]

If you want to paint the doorlite frame you'll likely need to use an adhesion promoter. Isopropyl Alcohol is a good cleaner for the plastic.