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DIY, Painted Furniture, Crafts, Tutorials, Painting Tips, Before and After

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How to Paint your Front Door and Metal Framed Storm Door

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Painted Metal Storm Door

After you see my painted metal storm door you will want to paint yours too and I’m going to show you how. I bet you didn’t know you could paint that ugly metal frame around the storm door, did you?

To tell you the truth I wasn’t sure this paint project would turn out okay but I wanted to give it a try anyway. I’m glad I did. The paint isn’t chipping or peeling and the door looks great. The metal frame around the glass storm door now matches the color of our front door. Yea!

painted metal Storm Door

 Freshly Painted Metal Storm Door

Have you ever painted your front door? I’ve painted mine several times. If you’ve been following along you know that we’ve been doing a lot of exterior updating. My husband painted the shutters here, and I painted the door hardware here, and of course this is a post about painting the front door and painting the metal framed glass storm door is another exterior update.

How to paint your front door, Petticoat Junktion

I painted our front door red about 15 years ago. I think it’s the first time I painted a door. Let me tell you….when you use red paint it takes several coats of paint to get good coverage. Or maybe I just didn’t know what I was doing. I’ve learned a few things about paint since then and I still have a lot to learn.

Anyway It’s time for a paint change. We are slowly upping the curb appeal of our home. We updated the house shutters and the light fixtures on each side of the door this year.

The red paint on the door is oil-based so it needed priming. I used Glidden Gripper Primer in Grey. They don’t make the grey primer anymore so I have them tint the white primer for me. Grey is a good color for a primer.

I chose Behr premium Plus Ultra paint and primer for the new paint finish. When doing a job like this I like to be extra sure and prime, prime, prime.

Before painting I taped off the door knob with painters tape. I removed the kick plate and the door knockertoo . They needed to be updated and that’s a post for a later day. No more shiny metallic gold hardware.

How to paint your front door, Petticoat Junktion paint metal storm door

This is how the front door looked after the paint job and the hardware spray paint makeover which you can see here. I hated the look of the white metal around the glass storm door. It really stood out against the blue door so it got me to thinking. I asked my husband if he thought the metal would paint up ok. He said go for it.

painted metal Storm Door

I taped off all areas I didn’t want to paint accidentally. I’m a very messy painter. Painter’s tape has saved many many times. The shelf on the step ladder was a great place to set my paint and work tools.

How to paint your front door, Petticoat Junktion

I decided to paint the  handle and door bell the same blue color. Didn’t know if the paint would stick to them either but might as well try it.

I also primed this door. You can never go wrong when starting a paint project with a coat of primer. I painted all of the weather stripping, metal door casing,  and the inside casing between the storm door and the front door blue.

How to paint your front door, Petticoat Junktion

The only thing I didn’t paint was the inside frame of the storm door. I guess I should have painted it too but hey, I don’t see that when looking at the door from outside. The painted metal storm door looks great. Why didn’t I think of painting it sooner.

How to paint your front door, Petticoat Junktion

The white vintage iron posts really stood out once both doors were painted blue. The JTS painted the house shutters brown and I painted the iron porch posts. Much better now.

We also changed out our old, sad, rusty, exterior light fixtures on either side of the door. I’ll be showing you how we did that maybe next week.

How to paint your front door, Petticoat Junktion

The exterior is shaping up. We need to do something about the landscaping. The shrubs are original to the house and the house was built in 1965. We’ve lost a tree or two to storms and luckily they didn’t fall on the house.

How to paint your front door, Petticoat Junktion

Love the brown shutters and blue door much better than the white shutters, red door, and shiny hardware. What do you think of the makeover? I can’t believe I didn’t get a before picture of the front of the house. Umm, notice the playground basically at our front door. Grandkids, they’re the best.

update to this post June 11, 2015 see how the door looks 2 years later…..click this link …Paint A Metal Framed Storm Door

Click here to learn  How To Paint Shutters….the painless way.

View my tutorials on painting furniture and special techniques…


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As always thanks for being here and have a great day, Kathy

Comments

  1. Love the door and the hints on painting. I am painting our front door tomorrow. Just needed some tips on what to pain the space between our front door and the storm door.Storm door is green, brand new. Painting the door a reddish brown. Just didnt know what to do with the space between, white or the color of the front door. After reading your post, am going with the same color as the door. Since the screen door is green, think it would look odd to paint that space white. Thanks for the tips.

  4. Hi, How is your paint holding up on your storm door? It looks beautiful.
    We want to do the same, but nervous about paint chipping.
    Thanks!

  5. Perfect! My storm door is very OLD and very UGLY and is dire need of TLC. This is the perfect way to give the old girl a face lift! Can’t wait to stop by the store for new paint on the way home!! THANK YOU for a great tutorial 🙂

  7. I have read this post about four or five times deciding if I have the guts to try it out. We bought a house last fall and the previous owners had a teal front door (not so bad) with a hunter green (circa 1990’s style) storm door. I am sick of the clashing and want to paint it all a neutral – plus the front entryway is so dark, it needs to be brighter! I am going to try to convince my husband that this will be an easy project! Thank you!

  8. Any suggestions on a metal door that is starting to peel from the heat & sun. I don’t know if I can get it all off and down to bare metal.

    • The only thing I can think to do is to sand off all the paint that you can, then apply a good primer and paint. I used Glidden Grey Gripper and Behr paint and primer all in one. Hope this helps. Let me know if you repaint the door!

    • Since the heat from the sun is already peeling the paint, you might try a heat gun to speed up what’s already happening. They’re only about $30, so they’re a cheap, reusable solution. Alternatively, there are chemical paint strippers that work quite quickly. Just make sure to do it outside because of the fumes!

  9. Kathy: I cannot tell you how many times I have flipped back to this posting about painting the metal storm door on my house. I had painted the front door a brilliant emerald green/turquoise and wasn’t happy that I could not really enjoy it because the black storm door stood in the way. Today I got up the nerve to just “go fer it” Almost step by step following your pictures and notes: taping, priming and now waiting for that to dry to put on my colorful, final coat. My family just kinda shake their collective heads when I tell ’em what I’m up to with paint because there’s hardly a surface that goes untouched. Especially since the town I live in has a recycle/reuse area with all the free paint one could ever want…in a multitude of colors, finishes. Don’t like what you’ve done, take it back and find something else. Thank you for your inspirations!

    • Glad I could inspire you. I know what you mean about family. My husband gave up on my a long time ago! I wish I could get free paint…nice.

  10. Kathy: I cannot tell you how many times I have flipped back to this posting about painting the metal storm door on my house. I had painted the front door a brilliant emerald green/turquoise and wasn’t happy that I could really enjoy it because the black storm door stood in the way. Today I got up the nerve to just “go fer it” Almost step by step following your pictures and notes: taping, priming and now waiting for that to dry to put on my colorful, final coat. My family just kinda shake their collective heads when I tell ’em what I’m up to with paint because there’s hardly a surface that goes untouched. Especially since the town I live in has a recycle/reuse area with all the free paint one could ever want…in a multitude of colors, finishes. Don’t like what you’ve done, take it back and find something else. Thank you for your inspirations!

  11. What I like is that the post disappear when painted dark. I have been thinking of painting my front door but was not sure due to the storm door now I know what to do.
    BTW love your trips to the Nashville Market.

  12. i was just washing the storm door glass yesterday and with our newly painted orange door the old bronze storm door looks really poopy…i love you lol never thought about painting it thanks xx

  13. Wow nice idea and information you shared with us.
    Actually before some time i was thinking to paint my doors.It will be very beneficial for us.Thanku for posting

  15. looks great! im getting ready to paint my door and screen door. im painting them in split complementary. door will be a nice pop out blue and the screen door will be a light orange! hope it looks as good as yours!

  16. Looks great! We are just starting to get a lot of outdoor updating done. We bought the house then had three babies… Now that the oldest are turning three and the youngest one we are able to get to these projects. I was looking for something about painting the hardware and storm doors. Thanks!

  17. This is exactly what I am wanting to do, but am concerned about using a brush to paint the metal storm door we have. I have heard it is difficult to not get drips etc. Did sand yours first? Thanks for info!!

    • Thanks Amy, I like black but if your door gets a lot of sun and gets hot I wouldn’t paint it black. That might be asking for trouble!

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