A well painted front door looks fantastic offers strong surface protection and value and it can be completed at a fraction of the cost of staining.
Gel stain painted door.
Foam brushes or paint brushes i used both for gel stain application and wood sealer application.
With the oak cabinets the grain was very evident post staining.
Step 1 washing the first thing you will need to do is make sure the surface of the door is as clean as possible.
We ve lived in our home almost 7 years now.
With a damp rag clean front doors and allow to dry.
Once applied they settle into the grain of the steel door to give it a textured look.
Remove door hardware and apply painter s tape where needed optional.
Affiliate links included for your convenience we used a less than 20 can of gel stain to transform our paint faded aluminum garage door.
We have a factory white garage and front door would you recommend painting them a darker colour as a base coat before putting on the gel stain.
To put it in more drastic terms in most cases paint will last 10 times longer and cost 90 98 less than wood refinishing.
Since we moved into our home our brown painted aluminum garage door had faded more and more.
Fortunately applying a gel stain is a great affordable alternative to replacement and will leave the surface looking as good as new.
In fact gel stains are often applied to give steel doors the look of wood grain.
Wet or tacky gel stain can be removed easily with a rag moistened with mineral spirits.
Gel stain usually dries very quickly especially on a sunny day.
Or you can follow the direction of the garage door pattern.
The gel stain is thick like pudding not a liquid.
One quart of wood protectant i used this one how to gel stain over a painted exterior door.
Gel stain is easy to apply but it sets fast.
Stain over paint or existing stain without having to strip your old finish.
The best way to color a steel door is with a gel stain.
Gel stains are thick and designed to cling to and penetrate the surface.
To complete the graining process wait until the first coat of minwax gel stain is completely dry 24 48 hours then apply a second coat of gel stain with a natural bristle brush in the direction of the grain pattern created.
Once satisfied add the gel stain to the paint tray and begin staining.
I m worried that the white may show through when faux finishing other crafts i have painted a dark base coat first and then use a dry brush effect with a lighter colour to make the detail lines.
While gel stain does go on thick and sit on the surface of the wood i found that you can still see and feel the natural wood grain beneath unlike paint.