How To Repair, Prime, And Paint A Dented Steel Garage Door
If your steel garage door is dented, it doesn't have to stay that way. You can easily repair the dent using automotive body filler and make the dent virtually invisible after painting. Below is a step-by-step guide to repairing a dented steel garage door:
Materials you will need
- Automotive body filler
- Magnetic dent puller
- Putty knife
- 80-grit sanding block
- 200-grit sanding block
- 400-grit sanding block
- Tack cloth
- Plastic comb
- Primer
- Exterior paint
- Paint brush
How to perform the repair
1. Reshape the dent — Using a magnetic dent puller, work out the dent on the garage door panel by following the instructions that come with the device. The dent does not need to be completely removed, but the more shallow you can make the indentation in the panel, the better your end results will be.
2. Roughen the site of the repair — Once you have pulled the dent out as much as possible, use an 80-grit sanding block to roughen the metal surface of the door. This will enable the body filler to adhere better to the metal. Next, wipe down the surface of the door with a tack cloth to remove sanding dust.
3. Apply the automotive body filler — After roughening the metal, mix a small batch of automotive body filler. Next, use the edge of a putty knife to apply thin layers of filler to the dent. Build up the layers until they are flush with the surface of the door. Slowly pass the putty knife over the body filler to remove any excess and to blend the repair with the door. If the garage door is textured, then lightly pass a plastic hair comb over the surface of the body filler to make shallow grooves. Be careful not to press too deeply or you may need to refinish the surface to remove deep marks.
4. Sand the filler — Once the filler has hardened completely, use a piece of 200-grit sandpaper to smooth the surface of the filler; if you made grooves in the filler, then sand lightly to knock off any sharp or rough edges. Once again, wipe the surface of the door to remove sanding dust.
5. Prime and paint the door — Before painting, you will need to apply a coat of primer to seal the body filler and blend the repair with the door. Use a high-quality primer suitable for exterior applications. After the primer has dried, apply an exterior latex paint in a color of your choice.
For more information, contact a professional in your area or visit a website like http://shankdoor.com.
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