How to paint metal door frames

[homediynoob]

  

Hi there, 

I am wanting to repaint the metal door frames in my house. Not sure where to start as the instructions on the web seem to all be around wooden door frames. The metal door frames do have chips here and there so not sure if I need to prepare them in another way? 

Thanks so much. 

[mattwhite]

I wasn’t no. I will be now though. I’ll report back once I get back to it. 

[juliancanhelp]

Just posting on here from my DIY experience. Aquanamel is NOT for DIY people, I would not attempt to use a brush or roller with this unless you are a professional painter. In saying that a lot of professional painted would not touch this paint to apply by hand. Spray painting this paint is the only way you will get a reasonable finish.

I think if using Gloss it would be different and more forgiving but I used Low Gloss.

After a lot of trial and error I ended up spray painting Aquanamel on my door frames and doors. All frames that I did with a brush look hideous. All waterbased enamels dry much faster than Oil based enamel. The slow drying time of oil based enamel allows the brush strokes to flow into the surface that is why you get a smoother nice finish.

Added some photos. I used Aquanamel Vivid White Low Gloss. I also used Floetrol to thin paint for spraying.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/flood-floetrol-4l-acrylic-paint-and-stain-conditioner_p1563340

Door Spray Painted Aquanamel Vivid White Flat

[JacobZ]

Hi @juliancanhelp,

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

As you've said, Aquanamel is a quick-drying paint, which in some situations is a pro, and in others, it can be a con. 

Using a brush or roller with this product can be difficult because it will dry very quickly meaning brush and roller marks can be difficult to avoid and overworking the paint will be fairly obvious.

Ultimately, using Floetrol and a paint sprayer has given you a fantastic finish that you can be very proud of.

Once again, thank you for sharing.

Jacob

[JamesMarshdale]

Hey there @juliancanhelp, may I ask which paint spraying gun you used to get this job done? The frames in your photo look exactly the same as mine and the paint job is exactly what I'm trying to achieve.

Thank you!

[juliancanhelp]

Hi @JamesMarshdale the spray gun I used was this one https://sydneytools.com.au/product/star-s77031s-1l-suction-spray-gun-with-2mm-nozzle however I would not recommend buying it for this purpose, I already had the spray gun at home and a compressor. That type of spray gun is not suited to these type of paints. I would recommend looking into getting an airless sprayer, you will get a better result and paint will not require so much thinning out. 

[Belinda14]

hi Matt,

Will the spraygun be the best option if I have already painted my walls? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @Belinda14,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and thank you for your question.

If you've already painted your walls, a paint sprayer is still and option, but you will need to mask things to prevent overspray.

Personally, I find a paintbrush, with a bit more care and precision a better option for a project like this.

Check out the process in How to paint trims for some guidance on painting areas that require more precision.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Jacob