How To Restore a Faded Garage Door
Garage doors provide your home with a sense of beauty and functionality. By maintaining them, you can elevate your home’s exterior. When it comes to garage door fading, you may wonder how to assess the damage and determine your options for fixing it. Here’s everything you need to know about garage door fading and restoration.
What Causes Garage Door Fading?
Your garage doors are functional, beautiful pieces of your home. However, they’re also exposed to the outside elements, which may cause them to fade faster than you’d like. Many times throughout the day, a garage door can experience the wear and tear that contributes to fading and deterioration.
For example, the paint or stain may experience wear and tear when you open and close the door. When a ball bounces off the exterior, or someone touches the surface, it can also degrade the finish.
These are some common causes of garage door fading:
- UV rays from the sun
- Extremely high temperatures
- Rain, wind, and hail
- Daily opening and closing
- Prolonged exposure to moisture
How To Know If Your Door Is Faded
It’s important to understand that garage door maintenance is part of regular home maintenance and that your doors are bound to begin fading eventually. Inspecting them once or twice a year can help you identify signs of fading quickly. This is important because if the stain or paint on your doors is compromised, the weathering may begin to affect the material itself.
To determine if your garage door is faded, you can go outside when it’s sunny and check for damage. You may look for signs of peeling, blistering, or cracking in the paint, which indicate a degradation of the paint or the finish. Check for gouges, dents, and scratches that may have harmed the finish. Any damage to the door may allow moisture into the material, which may cause further damage to the door’s integrity. You can also rub your hand across the door to feel where the paint may be eroding.
Fixing Up Your Faded Garage Doors
Garage doors are a source of beauty for the exterior of your home, and caring for them properly helps them continue to function for a long time. While you can fix some damage to the doors yourself, it may be advisable to contact a professional and get help with the garage door restoration process. Hiring a professional can help you ensure your doors are free of damage that you may miss. If you want to fix up your garage doors yourself, these are some ways you can do so.
Restoring Faded Painted Doors
If you have painted garage doors, you can restore the damage by applying another coat of paint. This strategy is best when you frequently inspect for small dents and damage to the paint, as you can touch up the area before it can spread and cause more damage. Applying wax to your painted door may also offer additional protection.
Stained Garage Door Restoration
Unlike a painted door, a stained door doesn’t have a layer of color over the top. Instead, stained doors show off the natural wood. The stain and finish on a stained door can begin to weather, allowing the wood to dry and make it look patchy. To restore this damage, you can apply touch-up stain to small areas and regularly use a stain maintenance coat.
Use Clear Coating To Condition
Clear coating for garage doors helps to restore color and protects the door from further damage. You can clean the garage door and apply the clear coat, without worrying about buffing the surface. This is often a good alternative to adding more paint to the door, as the paint may occasionally bubble or peel when the conditions aren’t right.
Caring For Your Garage Doors
To keep your garage doors as fresh as possible, you can take extra steps to care for them. It’s important to understand what causes the fading to take measures against it. For example, if your garage doors face west or south, they may be exposed to the sun for several hours daily. To protect your doors from UV light, you may choose a UV-resistant stain or plant trees that provide shade.
You can also apply wax or clear coat to your garage regularly to help protect the finish. Doing this can repel dirt and rain that may otherwise erode the finish on the door. Always follow the instructions on the package to ensure you take proper care of your garage doors.
Is It Time To Replace Your Doors?
Sometimes replacing your garage doors makes more sense than restoring them. If the door’s material is damaged or it’s not functioning properly, it can be beneficial to invest in a new garage door. Additionally, sometimes it may cost more to pay for restoration than to replace the doors, depending on the type of door, paint or stain, and the extent of the damage. Speak with a garage door specialist to determine your best course of action.
Contact Teak Master for Expert Garage Door Service
The professionals at Teak Master know all about garage door restoration and will help you improve the exterior of your home and protect your garage doors. When we restore your garage doors, we begin by removing all the old finish. We chat with you about your preferred color for the doors or find the perfect match for the color they were before.
Our specialists add several layers of finish to the doors to ensure they stay fresh and continue to boost your home’s beauty. When the restoration is done, we can help you create a plan for maintaining the doors. Here at Teak Master, we can manage your maintenance to ensure your doors will never need another full restoration. Check out our before and after photos to see what we can do for your home.
Maintaining your garage doors can help you keep your home’s exterior looking fresh. If you’re considering refinishing your garage doors, we hope this guide has helped you explore your options. For a no-hassle garage door restoration, consider contacting our team of dedicated professionals today.