Dallas sun is relentless. UV exposure, heat, and wind-driven dust can fade paint, chalk clear coats, and expose bare metal faster than most homeowners expect. Add spring storms and the occasional hail scuff, and your garage door takes daily abuse. The good news: with the right prep, primer, and paint system, you can restore a tired door and make it last far longer between repaints. This guide covers steel, aluminum, fiberglass, and wood doors, plus practical tips that work in our North Texas climate.
Why repaint instead of replace
A well built door can serve for decades if the skin and hardware are sound. Painting is the fastest way to refresh curb appeal, protect against rust or rot, and delay replacement. If your panels are structurally bent, severely rusted through, or delaminated, replacement may be smarter and safer. If the structure is solid, a high quality refinish is often the best ROI.
Step 1: Inspect before you touch a sander
Walk the door from top to bottom with the door closed and the opener disengaged. You are looking for three things: substrate condition, hardware health, and water intrusion paths.
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Substrate check: Surface rust, paint chalking, peeling edges, hairline cracks in fiberglass gelcoat, or cupping on wood rails and stiles.
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Hardware check: Loose hinges, wobbly rollers, missing fasteners, cracked struts. Tighten or replace before painting so new coatings do not crack from movement.
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Seal check: Brittle perimeter weatherstrip or a flattened bottom seal invites dust and moisture behind the paint line, which shortens coating life.
If significant rust is visible, read our focused repair advice and process in How to Remove Rust from Your Garage Door to stabilize metal before you prime and paint.
Step 2: Deep clean plus degloss
Paint bonds to clean, dull, and dry surfaces. Skipping any part of that trio is why many repaints fail early.
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Wash: Use a bucket of warm water with a small amount of TSP substitute or a mild exterior cleaner. Scrub the panels, stiles, and insets with a soft brush. Rinse thoroughly and let dry.
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Degloss: For glossy factory finishes, use a liquid deglosser or lightly scuff with 220 grit to promote adhesion. Do not burn through corners.
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Detail edges: Dirt loves recessed panel edges and trim. A soft nylon brush helps remove debris that would otherwise telegraph under paint.
Step 3: Rust treatment and patching
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Light surface rust on steel: Sand to bright metal with 120 to 150 grit. Feather the surrounding paint edge. If pitting remains, a rust converter may help, but primer is still required.
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Heavier corrosion: Fill shallow pits with a thin metal-safe filler after priming, then sand smooth. If you can poke through the panel, plan on a panel replacement rather than bodywork.
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Fiberglass cracks: Open the crack slightly with fine sandpaper, prime, then skim with a compatible exterior filler if needed.
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Wood checks: For minor checks, prime and use an exterior wood filler. For deep rot on the bottom rail, consider a dutchman repair or a new panel section.
Step 4: Mask like a pro
Mask windows, weatherstrip, handles, and photo-eye brackets. Slip a strip of cardboard or painter’s shield behind perimeter trim to avoid sticking the door to the stop molding. Place drop cloths inside and outside. Good masking saves hours of cleanup and prevents overspray on cars and brick.
Step 5: Choose the right primer for the substrate
Primer is not optional in Dallas sun. It seals stains, blocks tannins, and grips tight to the substrate so the topcoat keeps its color and sheen.
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Steel and aluminum: Use a corrosion-resistant DTM (direct-to-metal) acrylic or an epoxy primer designed for exterior use. DTM acrylic primers are friendlier for DIYers and dry fast.
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Fiberglass: A high adhesion acrylic bonding primer prevents peel on gelcoat.
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Bare wood: An exterior alkyd or stain-blocking acrylic primer locks in tannins and evens porosity.
For product selection and surface prep specifics on metal doors, Sherwin-Williams offers a practical overview with DTM systems and prep sequences that translate well to garage doors. See their exterior metal door painting guide for primers and topcoats that handle sun and moisture.
Step 6: Pick paints that beat UV and heat
Dallas UV and heat magnify differences between paints. The wrong coating can chalk or fade in a single summer.
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100 percent acrylic exterior paint is the workhorse for most garage doors. It resists UV, stays flexible, and is easy to recoat.
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Urethane modified acrylics add toughness and better block resistance when doors sit in full sun.
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Avoid interior or low-grade latex that lacks exterior UV packages.
Color matters too. Dark colors absorb more heat, which can print panel seams or accelerate expansion. If you crave black, choose a high quality exterior paint and consider a satin rather than a gloss to mask thermal telegraphing. To understand why UV matters for exterior surfaces, review the EPA UV Index basics which explain how sunlight intensity varies and impacts materials across seasons.
Step 7: Spray or brush
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Spray (HVLP or airless): Best uniformity on textured panels and faux wood grain. Practice on cardboard first and work in light, overlapping passes. Keep the door locked down so spray pressure does not move sections.
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Brush and roll: Use a 2 to 2.5 inch high quality synthetic brush and a 4 inch foam or microfiber roller. Work one section at a time from top to bottom, brushing into recesses and laying off with the roller for a consistent finish.
No matter the method, maintain a wet edge, watch for sags on recessed panels, and back roll problem spots immediately.
Step 8: Timing and weather windows
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Temperature: Aim for 50 to 90°F surface temp. In Dallas summers, paint early morning or late afternoon to avoid hot panels that flash off too quickly.
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Humidity and wind: High humidity slows cure. Wind carries dust and seeds right into wet paint. Pick calmer hours.
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Cure time: Respect recoat windows. Two thin coats beat one heavy coat every time.
Step 9: Do not glue the door shut
Paint can act like adhesive between sections and weatherstrip. After each coat sets to the touch, use a plastic putty knife to gently break any bridging at panel joints and along the perimeter stop. Lift the door a few inches and lower it again to confirm it moves freely before the coat fully cures.
Step 10: Hardware and trim refresh for the final polish
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Nylon rollers: Quieter and cleaner than pitted steel rollers. Upgrading while you have the door prepped gets you a silent open-close to match the fresh look.
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New bottom seal and side weatherstrip: Paint will look better and last longer if moisture and dust stay outside.
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Handle sets and faux hinge kits: If you like carriage style, choose stainless or powder-coated hardware so it does not rust-stain fresh paint.
If your current panels are badly warped or oil-canned, and the look still bothers you after paint, step up to a new insulated door. Learn what a full swap entails on our Garage Door Replacement page.
Color strategy for Dallas homes
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Match roof and trim families: Pull a neutral tone from brick or stone and choose a slightly lighter or darker door shade for contrast without clashing.
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Use sheen strategically: Satin hides small waves and dings better than gloss and stays cleaner looking between washes.
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Mind HOA rules: Some Dallas neighborhoods restrict bold colors or window placements. Get approval before painting to avoid do-overs.
Maintenance plan so your paint job lasts
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Quarterly rinse: Hose off dust and pollen. Skip pressure washers which can force water into joints.
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Annual inspection: Touch up chips before rust or UV gets underneath.
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Lubrication: Use a garage-rated lube on hinges and springs. Do not spray silicone or oil onto freshly painted surfaces.
Troubleshooting common paint issues
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Peeling in squares: Inadequate deglossing on factory finishes. Sand, prime with a bonding primer, and repaint.
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Rust stains reappearing: Rust was not fully removed or sealed. Re-sand to bright metal, DTM prime, and topcoat.
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Sticky in summer: Cheap paint or too heavy a coat. Recoat thin with a better exterior acrylic once fully cured.
When repainting is not enough
Paint is a finish, not a structural cure. If panels are soft with rot, metal has perforations, or the door sags and scrapes tracks, invest in new sections or a complete door. That is your chance to upgrade insulation, window lites, and color at the factory for a finish that lasts longer than any field repaint.
Ready for a professional refinish
We prep, prime, and paint doors across Dallas with products that handle UV, heat, and sudden storms. We also correct rust, replace seals, and upgrade rollers during the same visit so your door looks great and runs quietly.