It s recommended that you use a gel stain rather than a conventional stain.
Minwax gel stain metal garage door.
Gel stains are thick and designed to cling to and penetrate the surface.
Its unique non drip formula makes application easy for vertical surfaces.
Our gel stained garage door makeover happened one year ago so i m giving you guys an update.
The best way to color a steel door is with a gel stain.
So here s my tutorial on how to make your garage doors look like wood.
Instead gently stir don t whip the gel stain with a stir stick.
Most garage doors are stamped to look like wood grain even though they are metal.
Step 1 wash the metal door.
Do not shake the gel stain or it will bubble as you apply it.
I used the mahogany wood gel stain by minwax since it s gel it works on metal and a 2 foam brush here s the original garage door that s my.
However the garage door will need to sit for up to 48 hours to allow the stain to dry completely.
Gel stain usually dries very quickly especially on a sunny day.
How to stain a metal garage door to give it a faux woodgrain finish.
Below are the materials that you need along with the instructions on how to stain a metal door.
It s a pretty easy thing to do overall.
These bubbles are permanent and can ruin the finished look.
Once applied they settle into the grain of the steel door to give it a textured look.
It has a thicker consistency so it won t be as likely to run or drip.
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.
When brushing work on each section of the door at a time and try to mimic the direction of natural wood grain.
Apply the stain when staining your metal garage door be sure to use a good quality brush.
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 ve lived in our home almost 7 years now.
A matte finish is preferable.
Most garage doors are stamped to look like wood grain even though they are metal.
It s a pretty easy thing to do overall.
Since we moved into our home our brown painted aluminum garage door had faded more and more.
Or you can follow the direction of the garage door pattern.
Gel stains are best for staining metal since they stay in place longer.
Gel stain is easy to apply but it sets fast.
In this edition of just ask bruce he demonstrates how to stain a vertical surface such as your front door without letting the stain drip.
Bruce recommends using minwax gel stain for vertical wood metal or fiberglass projects.
In fact gel stains are often applied to give steel doors the look of wood grain.
I used the mahogany wood gel stain by minwax even though it s for wood it works on metal.