Fiberglass is a common material used for exterior doors. It’s popular because it’s durable, easy to paint, and relatively cost-effective.
However, over time, the paint on fiberglass doors can begin to peel off, making them look a bit worse for wear.
You may find that fiberglass will peel off your door if it was painted with poor quality paint, insufficient preparation, or the paint was applied incorrectly. In order to fix this, you will need to remove the paint, prime the door and paint again.
Why Is The Paint Peeling Off My Fiberglass Door?
The first step to solving the problem is determining why the paint is peeling.
There are a few reasons why your fiberglass door’s finish may be peeling off, so let’s take a look at some of them:
Poor Quality Paint
If you used cheap paint (like spray paint), it probably didn’t apply as well as it should have and was more likely to come off than if you had used better quality materials.
Poor Preparation
Fiberglass doors can be damaged during installation, which can lead to chipping or flaking later on when moisture gets under the top layer of finish.
The best way to prevent chipping and flaking is by using a good quality primer before painting over it with regular latex paint.
Poor Application
If you’re painting your fiberglass door yourself, make sure that everything is clean before starting.
This will make sure there won’t be any contaminants on your brush or roller that could get transferred onto the surface of your new door when they’re removed at a later date – especially if someone else has touched those surfaces!
Do You Need To Sand Fiberglass A Door Before Painting?
If you’re planning to paint a fiberglass door, one question typically comes up: do I need to sand down the door first?
Fiberglass is made of glass fibers woven together and then compressed into paneling. The weave of this material makes it very strong but also very fragile in certain situations.
When your fiberglass door was installed, if it wasn’t pre-painted, it probably came with a protective coating or primer that must be removed before painting.
Sanding down your fiberglass door will help remove any imperfections on the surface and ensure that your paint job looks great after application.
If you are planning on sanding your door, make sure you take all necessary safety precautions. As the name says, you are dealing with glass fibers so you need to be cautious.
If you want to avoid having to sand down your door, you can do a few things. First, ensure the door is clean and free of dirt or dust particles. You can use a vacuum cleaner attachment or compressed air to remove these contaminants from the surface.
Second, ensure your fiberglass door isn’t warped or bowed. If it has been damaged during installation, it may need to be replaced before painting.
Sanding will give you the best finish with less imperfections and will last longer.
Should Fiberglass Doors Be Primed Before Painting?
Yes, it would be beneficial to prime your fiberglass doors before painting them.
Priming a surface before painting helps the paint stick better and last longer. It also protects against peeling and cracking paint, especially if using an oil-based or water-based latex primer.
If you plan on painting your fiberglass door with latex paint, use an eggshell or semi-gloss sealer/primer as the first layer of protection (you can also use latex primer).
If you’re using an oil-based or water-based paint, use a flat or semi-gloss enamel as your base coat.
How To Remove Paint From A Fiberglass Door
Paint peeling off the fiberglass door is a common problem. If you face this issue, there are a few ways to remove paint from a fiberglass door.
Scrape it: You can scrape the paint off using a scraper or sandpaper and finish with some mineral spirits to remove any residue left behind by your scraping.
Remove it chemically: There are chemical strippers available in stores that will help you remove all kinds of things, including varnish or lacquer, enamel paint, and polyurethane finishes such as gel coats on boats and fiberglass doors.
They work by dissolving the surface so that you can apply a stripper with a brush or putty knife, then remove both solids and liquids with rags or sponges until nothing remains except bare wood (which should be sealed afterward).
Some people choose not to use chemical strippers because they’re often flammable when mixed up into solution form at home.
Plus, they may contain harmful chemicals like ammonia which could cause respiratory problems if inhaled over time while working around them regularly during removal efforts (especially if someone has asthma).
What Is The Best Kind Of Paint To Use On A Fiberglass Door?
Now that you know how to strip your fiberglass door, it’s time to think about what kind of paint to use on the surface.
You have several options: latex, acrylic, and oil-based paints are all excellent choices.
Latex paints are generally easier to apply than oil-based paints or acrylics because they’re water-based and don’t need special equipment or high temperatures to dry appropriately.
However, latex paint can make your fiberglass door look streaky if you don’t apply it correctly (or if there’s too much humidity in the air).
If this doesn’t bother you, consider using matte-finish interior latex paint without much gloss (reducing reflection).
Acrylics are more expensive but also offer more durability than either regular or exterior grade latexes.
And again, these tend not only to reflect less light but also give off less glare due to their glossy finish.
Which makes them excellent choices for rooms where windows are often kept open during warm weather months such as kitchens or dining rooms where natural light is plentiful.
When To Know To Hire Professional Help
If you’re uncertain about the problem or unsure how to fix it, it’s always best to call in a professional.
- If there are any areas where the paint has peeled off and is still bubbling up through your fiberglass door, this indicates that there may be a deeper problem than surface damage.
- If you don’t have access to the right tools or equipment needed for solving this problem (such as pry bars), it might be worth hiring someone else with those tools instead of trying on your own.
- Lastly, if you don’t have skills like carpentry or painting and don’t know how to properly apply them without hurting yourself or others around you (like pets/children), then again, calling in an expert may be wise — especially when dealing with potentially harmful chemicals like methylene chloride which can cause serious health issues such as nausea or dizziness if inhaled too much over time!
Conclusion
If your fiberglass door has started peeling, don’t let it get any worse. If left it can cause more problems than just an unsightly door, like water ingress.
Paint peeling off a fiberglass door is often from incorrect preparation or incorrect paint application, so if you are going to rub your door back and start again, make sure you do a good job to stop it happening again in the future.
