Preserve finish on garage doors?

[Puddin' Man]

Preserve finish on garage doors?

Hi,

Non-insulated steel garage doors, installed ~ '96, dark brown baked enamel crinkle finish.

After 10 years of direct sun, the finish has turned dull and powdery-looking. Used to be gloss/semi-gloss.

I'd like to preserve the enamel finish and retard deterioration.

Can't use wax: it'll go on but not come off b/c of the crinkle finish.

What'd happen if I just sprayed or wiped light oil on the enamel?

Any/all info/suggestions etc much appreciated.

Skoal, Puddin'

Pease pudding hot, Pease pudding cold, Pease pudding in the pot Nine days old.

[Richard J Kinch]

It would look wet and streaky for a few days or weeks until the oil evaporated.

You probably have a powder-coated polyester finish. Boat owners know all about this kind of weathering. Consider a clear acrylic wipe-on coating such as you'll find at an (overpriced) boat store.

Household Mop-n-Glo is another type of clear acrylic source that is good quality and not so expensive, but make sure you use something for outdoor applications which will have UV inhibitors.

[professorpaul]

I'd repaint them myself. I just moved into a new development. You could have any of 6 or so colors. The paint crew simply painted the "as issued" white door to your color choice. No idea what the paint was. I'd prep with TSP, or the like, and go to it. Brush/roll, not spray. Couple of coats should do nicely, I would think. The oil will just weather away, and might stain things, into the bargain. If you wanted to wax it, how about some of the "Armourall" that you use on vinyl car tops, etc.? I've used that on a spa cover that was exposed to the elements, and needed to do it every couple of months.

[Norminn]

Is there oxidized paint? If so, does clean metal show anywhere when you rub it?

I would removed the oxidized paint and repaint it. On the cheap, use a car finish cleaner/protectant.

[m Ransley]

Repaint them, you need to remove all the chalking but that is tough to do, Sherwin Williams makes a paint guarnteed to bond with chalking.

[Lee & Cathi Thomas]

I haven't used this product, but found it when looking for a solution to tarnished brass

[Puddin' Man]

But wouldn't harm the finish?

You may be right. Seems they told me it was baked enamel, but the Wayne-Dalton blurb-sheet that I just found in my records just sez "Woodgrain Textured Surface".

I have a handrail in front that takes the same kinda sun. Paint didn't last long, I tried some spar poly-urethane. It didn't last long either. :-)

Cheers, P

Pease pudding hot, Pease pudding cold, Pease pudding in the pot Nine days old.

[Puddin' Man]

There's no evidence of serious deterioration of the finish. If I rub a little wd-40 on a spot, it looks almost like new. No cracks, no chipping, no bare metal.

It looks kinda like the dull finish on an old car hood that's never been waxed. If it wasn't for the damned "Woodgrain Textured Surface", I could likely just wax it every year or so.

I doubt a protectant would last given the direct sun.

Thanks, P

Pease pudding hot, Pease pudding cold, Pease pudding in the pot Nine days old.

[NickySantoro]

I've done a number of theses over the years. Welcome to the world of Ultraviolet damage. The only long lasting solution is to scrub it clean then apply 1 or 2 coats as needed to cover of latex exterior semigloss. It's the same process for painting oxidized aluminum siding.

[Puddin' Man]

With no *real* surface prep (i.e. sandpaper or other "rough-up") so new finish will adhere properly? Such surface prep would be difficult owing to the "Woodgrain Textured Surface".

It may come to something like that ... I'm getting progressively more tired of lookin' at the dull, dull finish.

If I could prep it, how 'bout "aluminum paint"? Such as is used for galvanized chain-link fence (I'm likely getting desperate, now).

Thanks, P

Pease pudding hot, Pease pudding cold, Pease pudding in the pot Nine days old.

[NickySantoro]

Yes. Scrub it well with a strong detergent solution and a scrub brush.

That aluminum paint is some ugly stuff. Do you want that on your door? I usually only use it on steam radiators and the inside of rusty medicine cabinets.

[Puddin' Man]

I know. I don't really consider it to be "paint" because it's so different and such a mess to apply.

I used it on my chain-link 9 years ago. It's held up -very- well. If it'd hold up as well on the garage doors, I'd consider it. Sure, it'd look wierd. But it'd reflect the heat, keep the doors cool, maybe last

15 years (if it would adhere properly, about which I'm uncertain).

I figgered you'd know what it was. It's truly hideous stuff ...

Cheers, P

Pease pudding hot, Pease pudding cold, Pease pudding in the pot Nine days old.

[Goedjn]

One of my brothers painted the inside of his turnabout with that stuff once. Repainted it two weeks later, on account of the sunburns....