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    Home » my house » How to Paint A Metal Storm Door And Wood Front Door

    How to Paint A Metal Storm Door And Wood Front Door

    This post may contain affiliate links

    After you see my painted metal storm door you will want to paint your storm door too. I'll  show you how I painted the metal and my wood front door too!

     

    changing paint on a front door from red to blue

    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.

    Glidden Gripper is the best

    I used Glidden Gripper Primer in Grey. I find the gray paint color works well under any paint color and is easier to cover than white primer. They don't make the grey primer anymore so I have them tint the white primer for me. Update May 2021- They no longer make the Glidden Gripper or it's not named Glidden Gripper. It is now called PPG Gripper and you can find it at Home Depot.

    Behr paint for painting exterior doors

    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. Behr Ultra goes on smooth and doesn't chip off.

    use painters tape to protect surfaces

    Before painting I taped off the door knob with painters tape. I removed the kick plate and the door knocker. They needed to be updated and that's a post for a later day.

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    prime front door before painting

    Door primed and ready for paint. I applied one coat of primer, just enough to give the top coat something to grip to. Now about that shiny brass hardware I painted. I'll give you a preview!

    brass door knocker

    This is how the door knocker looked before painting. And yes I know it's upside down thanks to one of my on-the-ball readers. I'm a little nutty sometimes.

    painting door hardware

    And it's still upside down but isn't the color much better! See the spray paint makeover project here.

    you can paint a storm door and front door the same color

    This is how the front door looked after the paint job and the hardware spray paint makeover. 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.

    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. I've often looked at the frame around the glass storm door wondering how it would look painted to match the front door paint. Now I know.

    did you know you can paint a metal storm door with primer and latex paint

    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.

    paint the latch on your metal storm door

    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.

    I also painted our metal back door after this project turned out so great. You can see the back door makeover here.

    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.

    front of house with painted door and iron posts

    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. It's really easy to change light fixtures. I can even do it myself.

    our house in 2012

     

    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.

    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.

    The door was painted in 2012 and this is how it looks in 2022...

    metal storm door painted

    No chipping, no scratches, no fading that I can tell. I'm getting ready to paint it again.....after we finish the interior of the house and this Fall when the weather is cooler. I just need to decide on a color.

    paint exterior metal door

     We've been painting the interior of our house and using a paint sprayer to paint the closet doors is so easy!!..... video below....

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

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

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lizzy

      May 06, 2022 at 11:37 pm

      That looks great and it's a big improvement over the red. I would have never known that you could prime and paint the storm door trim. You learn something new every day. Thanks!

      Reply
    2. Access Doors and Panels

      May 05, 2022 at 2:30 am

      Thanks for telling us about this. You have a great way of seeing things, and you have done a great job of presenting this information.

      Reply
    3. sam

      May 07, 2021 at 10:31 pm

      love this!! did you just use regular latex paint??

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        May 08, 2021 at 9:04 am

        Yes, but prime first.

    4. Janet

      July 07, 2019 at 2:16 pm

      Great minds MUST think a like! I was just in the middle of painting MY two storm doors to match my newly painted doors when your post showed up in my mail box!!! Yes, the paint gives the entranceway a WAY more updated appearance! Nice to know someone else was performing the same chore!!!!

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        July 07, 2019 at 3:49 pm

        YES!

    5. Kathleen Hicks

      June 25, 2019 at 6:37 pm

      Wow you sure have followers that love you-I do not have a storm door, live in Ca.(sorry) and my front door is wonderful on it's own, it's was home made over forty yrs ago and has black strap hinges and such. BUT I sure wish I could have a red front door like you did. The blue is beautiful and painting the storm door was genius.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        June 25, 2019 at 7:04 pm

        Thanks Kathleen. Your front door sounds very nice.

    6. Christina Woodcock

      June 25, 2019 at 12:20 pm

      Love the blue Kathy! My door is red right now, but this makes me want to change it!

      Reply
    7. Kay Hess Grogg

      June 25, 2019 at 8:43 am

      Thanks for this post. I painted our front door red, many long years ago and changed the hardware many years afterwards. Now we have a white space around the door handle. This inspires me to get moving and repaint the door and the storm door to all match.
      Tell me about the ladder you use. I would like to have a little paint ladder with a shelf for the paint can.
      Thanks,
      Kay

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        June 25, 2019 at 9:20 am

        I know, I'm so ready to paint the door again but it's too hot right now. We've had the ladder forever. Check at your local discount stores or hardware stores.

    8. Laney

      June 25, 2019 at 7:31 am

      Thanks for the post. My double front doors and storm doors are very similar to yours, and have given me the push I needed to move forward with painting the doors. Original color is almost same shade of blue, with the storm door a dark brown alloy metal. Brick front, almost same as yours. And, we had the ironwork posts. We covered them in wood, boxed and added some nice trim work. The scale of the new posts is much better with the wooden posts now. Wish I could send you a photo, as the fronts are very similar. Thanks again!!

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        June 25, 2019 at 8:32 am

        Yes!! I want to wrap our posts in wood. Send a pick to my email address. [email protected]

    9. Bonnie

      September 13, 2015 at 2:49 am

      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.

      Reply
    10. Janet

      September 01, 2015 at 10:02 pm

      Did you use a special kind of paint for metal on the storm door?

      Reply
    11. Michelle

      August 05, 2015 at 12:08 pm

      What color did you use for the front door? I love it!

      Reply
    12. Sonya

      April 08, 2015 at 9:13 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Marie

        May 15, 2015 at 1:29 pm

        I am wondering the same thing! How has the painted storm door held up over time?
        Thanks!

      • Kathy Owen

        May 15, 2015 at 9:46 pm

        I'm going to take photos this week and do a post about the door. It looks as good now as the day I painted it!

    13. lisa

      August 29, 2014 at 11:57 am

      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 🙂

      Reply
    14. catherine

      July 27, 2014 at 5:54 pm

      What is the blue paint color? I love it.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        July 27, 2014 at 7:14 pm

        I don't know off the top of my head. I have to see if the paint is still in my workshop or if I used it all!!

      • Nancy Kay

        August 05, 2014 at 12:07 am

        I also love the blue you chose and was wondering.

    15. Elizabeth

      July 02, 2014 at 1:27 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        July 02, 2014 at 2:41 pm

        It really is an easy project Elizabeth...hope you convince your husband. Let me know 🙂

    16. Rhonda

      June 07, 2014 at 8:29 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        June 08, 2014 at 8:47 am

        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!

      • Dave Bohlander

        June 09, 2014 at 2:54 pm

        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!

      • Kathy Owen

        June 09, 2014 at 3:22 pm

        Thanks for the tip Dave.

    17. Sue

      May 28, 2014 at 2:28 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        May 28, 2014 at 7:32 pm

        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.

    18. Sue

      May 28, 2014 at 2:26 pm

      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!

      Reply
    19. Linnya

      May 26, 2014 at 7:46 am

      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.

      Reply
    20. chris aka monkey

      November 19, 2013 at 10:36 am

      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

      Reply
    21. Murraywells

      October 04, 2013 at 1:01 pm

      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

      Reply
    22. Megan

      September 06, 2013 at 6:15 am

      It turned out terrific, Kathy! 🙂

      Reply
    23. gail

      June 29, 2013 at 5:28 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        June 29, 2013 at 5:48 pm

        oh, I'm liking the color combo!

    24. Amanda

      June 18, 2013 at 6:50 am

      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!

      Reply
    25. Emily B

      March 26, 2013 at 8:31 am

      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!!

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        March 26, 2013 at 5:29 pm

        Emily, I didn't sand the door and I used a brush, no problems at all. good luck!

    26. Amy Marshall

      December 04, 2012 at 4:23 pm

      It looks so different! It looks great with the matching storm door! I'm thinking about painting my front door black one of these days so thanks for the inspiration!
      Amy

      Reply
      • Kathy

        December 04, 2012 at 9:22 pm

        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!

    27. Julie

      November 25, 2012 at 9:04 am

      It looks terrific, what a difference paint makes! You have a good eye to realize what colours would look best.

      Reply
      • Kathy

        November 25, 2012 at 9:55 am

        Thanks Julie, you're so sweet

    28. Laura @ Our Prairie Home

      November 25, 2012 at 8:08 am

      What a difference paint can make! It really changes the whole feel. Love it! (And love those grandchildren's toys - our first in on the way. :D)

      Reply
      • Kathy

        November 25, 2012 at 9:55 am

        Thank you and congratulations on the grandchild. They're the best!

    29. Sandra

      November 24, 2012 at 11:12 am

      It looks great~love the shutters,and painting the posts makes a completely different look~very nice!

      Reply

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