How To Paint A Primed Fiberglass Door

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The end result of priming this fiberglass front door with two coats of Kilz 2 Primer.

The terminate result of priming this fiberglass forepart door with two coats of Kilz 2 Primer and Floetrol.

Allow's be honest. Who primes a fiberglass door? Someone who cares–like y'all.

I'm putting this right out there because, with my vast feel (aka my own fiberglass front end door with two layers of unprimed pigment), many practise not prime number before painting. Put lipstick on a pig and move on.

Merely y'all and I do not exercise that. 1 out of 3 does not make the states part of the majority, but ane door at a time, correct? *Although it should probably should be 2 out of 4 since I'm including you–still not a bulk…yet.

Permit'southward get started!

Tools and materials used for priming this fiberglass exterior door:

Kilz two Primer

Floetrol

4″ (mini) paint roller

4″ (mini) high density foam roller

iv″ Purdy paint brush

1.4″ athwart Purdy paint brush

Denatured Booze

A brand new disposable paint tray –you lot'll see why beneath–or skip that and just apply a paint can screen

Boom! All the tools and materials needed to prime this (now finished) fiberglass front door.

Smash! All the tools and materials needed to prime this (now finished) fiberglass forepart door.

Before jumping straight to the finer points priming a fiberglass exterior door, at that place are a few points to consider if yous are working with a pre-loved door.

Are you trying to refinish an sometime door and the paint is in bad shape? If and so, y'all are going to have to remove the quondam paint otherwise y'all might accept a keen paint chore, only it'due south going to look terrible and won't last long on top of the failing paint beneath. Tip #2 in this post: 10 Unusual Tips on Repainting a Front Door

Also, this post will come in handy: Stripping Paint Off a Fiberglass Door

At this bespeak, having stripped old paint off the door you may or may not accept many of the original wood grain divots. Many may nevertheless be filled in, depending on the last coat(s) of paint. If woods grain matters to you, a new door may be a better option.

Tip #i. Decide on what kind of finish you want.

If you hate looking at brush strokes, use a paint sprayer. If you don't have one, buy, borrow or hire one.

This is i of those splurges that could be worth it. If y'all don't and you are left with paint brush marks, you know you are going to regret it when you encounter it EVERY DAY when you get home.

What yous should not do if y'all hate paint castor marks:

Utilize a pigment roller (nap or sponge), sponge brush.
No paint brushes!

If y'all like brush strokes (or don't intendance that much), go for it!

Alfred DB2 Surface and Door Paint: I'm still thrilled with how amazing the finish of the Alfred DB2 plays off the new paint. It's like it was meant to be!

I'one thousand still thrilled with how astonishing the finish of the Alfred DB2 plays off the white castor strokes. It's like it was meant to be!

Suddenly, curious about that lock? Cheque out the full write up here: The HOTTEST Smart Lock in 2020: Alfred DB2 Review

Tip #2. Have the door off and lay it flat.

Take the door off and lay it flat before painting primer.

This is 1 footstep you don't want to do in place, no matter how small of a time box y'all accept.

The probability of a drip goes up 1000000% when a door is left vertical. Then does paint buildup in the corners.

Avoid Paint Buildup in Corners by Laying the Door Flat

But don't.

Grab a friend and popular those pins out. The nice affair almost a fiberglass door is information technology is lightweight.

Tip #3. Make clean off the door ane last time before priming.

Grab a container of denatured alcohol and requite the door one terminal scrub. This will remove any last dust, dirt and fingerprints added between stripping the door and moving it to the place where yous'll exist painting it.

Clean the door just before priming. No fingerprints allowed between the primer and the door!

No fingerprints allowed between the primer and the door!

Another positive belongings of denatured booze is it is…await for it…alcohol! It dries quickly!!! Y'all can see it in action here in the timelapse in this video at x:45:

Tip #iv: Tape off the edges of the door where the paint should stop.

A straight border where one color stops and another begins looks professional.

Painters tape is your friend leaving a clean line with no sticky rest.

Video at:

Tip #5: Motility FAST!

Get to the bathroom.
Drinkable an extra shot of espresso or down a Rockstar free energy drink.
Put on energy98 .

Exercise whatsoever it takes to move fast, stay focused and uninterrupted.

One time primer hits the clock is ticking. Primer dries quickly. You take to movement fast to go along brush strokes from going the wrong direction and catching drips.

Also, with regard to stripping off the pigment–you lot know you've already spent So MUCH TIME having removed the erstwhile pigment. Y'all don't desire all your hard work to become to waste!

Tip #six: Floetrol.

Add Floetrol to the primer.

Floetrol is and so awesome information technology gets it's ain bullet bespeak! Floetrol is also worthy of lots of exclamation points!!!!

Floetrol is an additive you lot use at both the primer and colour coat steps. Flotrol changes the consistency of the paint to a smoother and oil experience. This causes the brush strokes in the paint to flow together and give you a smoothen finish expect.

Many contractors use water to sparse the paint, but this only makes for a thinner glaze that will deteriorate faster over time. While Floetrol thins the paint, it doesn't take away from the solids in the primer and paint. It is a better bonding amanuensis.

I had previously used the Floetrol in both the primer and white Alkyd to comprehend the roughsawn plywood siding we are installing to recover failing drywall nether the entrance of our home. The finish outcome was nothing brusque of flawless. I will admit I am disappointed it volition be and then far out of eyesight and achieve because it is then nice to see and touch.

We wanted the same, high quality, brushless look on the fiberglass forepart door also. While nosotros have pigment sprayers, both handheld and the large upright kind, they are over ane,000 miles away. Literally. But we thought for certain, nosotros could withal get the terminate we wanted.

Our workaround (although we'd still utilize it if we had the paint sprayer) is Floetrol. Floetrol, a ⅜" roller knap and sponge brush worked GREAT for the roughsawn plywood.

Use a 3/8" knap roller to apply primer on rough surfaces (like this roughsawn plywood).

⅜" knap roller on the roughsawn plywood.

Use a Sponge Brush for Detailed Rough Surfaces

Using a sponge brush for detail work.

So it would work on the fiberglass door, right?

Wrong!

It.

Looked.

Terrible.

It looked like I was painting on rug!

Do ont use a knap roller to apply primer on a fiberglass door. It looks like carpet.

Said carpet.

I was horrified. As I stated above, all I could retrieve nearly was the four afternoons I spent on stripping the old paint, just to replace information technology with a terrible paint job.

Thwarting was setting in as I knew the primer was already drying the moment I put information technology on. Thankfully, my married man grabbed a few brushes and jumped in to help.

The other effect is 1 of our "helpers" had picked at the paint tray. Little flecks of erstwhile paint were making their presence known. There is a reason for using a NEW dispensable paint tray every time…

Stressed, and upset are two other words you can add to describe this signal in the process.

This was an awful time, but I couldn't run across myself stopping in the center. And then I continued on and consoled myself by thinking at least the door was a nice, bright white.

Obvious at minute 7:09 in the video bloopers:

I practical two coats.

Later it dried, I was THRILLED. All the castor marks were minimal.

I as well noted the door did not have the chalky primer experience. I can't expect to see what the thicker colour coat is going to look similar with the Flotrol.

If you've never heard of Floetrol, you can bank check it out for pricing/reviews here .

Tip #7: Use a high density foam roller to apply the primer.

In retrospect, I should take used a loftier density foam roller instead of a knap roller. Both apply the paint evenly. Much more evenly than a pigment brush which is decumbent to thick and sparse patches.

A high density cream roller looks similar berber carpet compared to a knap roller'south seventy'due south shag.

**Spoiler alert**

Use a High Density Foam Roller to Apply Primer to a Fiberglass Door

The color coat went on soooooo overnice!

Tip #8: Attention to detail!

Yous may accept sanding and 2 more layers of color coat to go, but those next steps won't cover brush marks going the wrong direction.

It is much harder to hide drips and buildup when the paint has stale.

Similar when you repaint all your interior doors over a bad pigment job (from by owners). Hey, at least information technology is now bright and white (and admittedly, our paint spraying skills have much improved since so as well)!

It is much harder to hide drips and buildup when the paint has dried. Like when you repaint all your interior doors over a bad paint job (from past owners). Hey, at least it is bright and white (and admittedly, our paint spraying skills have much improved since then too)!

Proof, information technology was not me–the crimson Milwaukee paint sprayer is in the foreground. Memories from 9 years agone…

Priming interior doors outside with a Milwaukee paint sprayer.

Looking a 2nd time before stepping abroad is a good idea too.

Tip #9: Use a razor blade when needed.

I can't stand looking at brush strokes going the wrong direction (aka, when I don't perfectly match the management of the forest grain). Because of this in that location were a few brush strokes I refused to leave behind.

Keeping my paint transitions straight with a razor blade.

Keeping my paint transitions directly with a razor blade.

The exposed fiberglass after removing the primer brushed on the wrong direction.

My patch job.

When the paint is already dried in place and you are nevertheless working on the area–attempting to get it going in the correct direction–a little heavy handed intervention can exist a good thing.

While a razor blade is on the extreme stop, that's what I had on paw so I used it.

Definitely don't wield it with a lot of musculus. The whole point of this is to preserve the door, not make more than lines. I mostly dragged the blade backwards so I would not dig into the fiberglass. Mostly.

Here is the end outcome of that spot subsequently two layers of primer.

Clean transitions with the paint brush marks matching the primer to the faux wood grain on the fiberglass door.

Using a razor blade is only an choice for the first coat. After that you'll demand to catch errors when the paint is wet. This is where wearing gloves (Tip #ten) comes in handy. A gloved fingernail is also a nice "tool" that allows you to remove the errant paint while not excavation into the layer below.

Tip #10: Pull your hair out of the way.

I ever forget this stride and accept some bit of primer at the very ends.

A quick ponytail or bun will keep your long locks out of the difficult-to-remove primer.

If you watched the video already, did you notice how my pilus went from a ponytail to a bun?

Tip #11: Foreclose clean up.

Like to tip #x, prevention is easier than cleaning.

Drop cloths / builder newspaper / plastic lining are a expert idea if you are concerned well-nigh the look of the floor infinite after your paint job is consummate.

Wear gloves to prevent days of primer on dry hands.

Wear gloves to prevent days of primer on dry hands. Winter and I don't agree--my hands are almost as white as the primer from being sooooo dry!

Winter and I don't agree–my easily are almost as white every bit the primer from beingness sooooo dry!

FAQ for Priming a Outside Door:

Q: Do you need to prime your door before the color coat?

A: Yeah! Two coats of primer is necessary to create a continuous layer without whatever holidays (spots that inevitably appear on each layer caused by bubbles, an uneven spot, etc. Two layers guarantee a solid bonding coat.

Q: What if the outside door is already pre-primed?

A: However yes! At to the lowest degree one layer is necessary to attach the color glaze properly.

Q: Do I really need to prime number? "I'm asking for a friend…"

A: See previous answers…Yep! Primer is the bonding element between the door and pigment. Primer volition as well protect the door beneath and assistance the colour coat terminal longer. Please send them this post or, in the to the lowest degree, advise them to spend a little actress time on their project to prime.

While it was satisfying to strip the former layers of paint (none of which had a single layer of primer), it withal took multiple afternoons. I don't want to do this again anytime soon. Primer will help ensure my paint job lasts longer than the two layers I discovered–combined!*

*In fairness (or perhaps, not in fairness, but information technology was just done wrong), I'd almost bet in that location was only one layer of latex pigment and the oil based paint below might have only been one layer also, with no primer. I'chiliad feeling pretty confident my paint task will final longer than maybe even the two layers AND the factory finish. I've lived in the business firm for 11 years. I'll give an update in 11 years. Or less if it turns out otherwise.

Cheers for stopping by and cheers for caring about your door. And caring most how the finished product will wait and final! I sincerely hope your project goes smooth and lasts a VERY long fourth dimension.

Stripping Pigment Off a Fiberglass Door

10 Unusual Tips on Repainting a Forepart Door

Why Every Smart Lock Needs a Gasket!!! <– Spoiler alert: because you don't want information technology earthworks into your newly primed (and painted) door!