Building your home or just renovating it to make it stylish and trendy again can be a bit tedious and expensive. That’s the reason why it needs proper planning and execution. After all, it’s your home and you don’t want it damaged just because of one mistake.

You need to be careful with painting a fiberglass door. Fiberglass doors are quite hefty so if you’re planning to paint it, make sure you’ll do it the right way. We’ll share with you how to DIY when painting a fiberglass door.

Gather all the materials and tools for this home project

It’s best to do some research first on what materials and tools you will need before you begin. This will make your job faster and efficient to accomplish.

Here are the materials you need for this project:

  • Old newspapers or paper (for catching all the paint on the floor)
  • Painter’s tape
  • Paint tray
  • Soft-bristled brush
  • Synthetic paint brush
  • Primer
  • Dry cloth
  • Sponge

How to paint the fiberglass right way?

Step 1: Wear Safety Gear

Safety is always a priority. Be sure you wear your personal protective equipment, especially the mask. Some chemicals can be harmful from the paint when inhaled for a long period of time. You don’t want to risk over spilling yourself with paint, so it pays to wear a protective suit.

Step 2: Take out the weather-stripping

Before you start the task, it’s important to take out the weather-stripping first. It’s actually specified in the Manufacturer’s Instruction Manual. Take a soft-bristled brush to help you do the work. Don’t use a different type of brush, it might damage the glass and the exterior of the door. Ensure that you’ve taken out all the weather-stripping with no residues left behind so the paint will look clean afterwards.

Step 3: Cleaning the door

Over time, a door can accumulate dirt, dust and mold build-up. You don’t want those to remain on your door with a freshly applied paint.

To clean the door, just mix a pail of warm water and mild dishwashing soap. Use a soft sponge to clean it and have it dip on the soap and water mixture. Wipe your door and clean it by stroking first from the top and then working your way towards the bottom part of the door. Do the sides and gently scrape all the dirt down.

Then, take another pail of clean water and dip your sponge to rinse the door. Rinse all the soap from it and ensure that nothing shall be left from the door. After rinsing the door, just let it sit for 3 hours until dry and ready for work.

Step 4: Protect the door’s hardware

This will stop the paint from sticking to the door’s hardware while painting. Please make sure you apply a painter’s tape first before painting. This protects the door knob, door jamb and other important hardware on the fiberglass door. Make sure you seal everything and don’t miss any crucial spots.

Step 5: Prepare and Apply the Primer

You will need to take your primer and transfer it on a paint tray. Mix it well for just a few times until it looks ready to apply. Before you apply the primer, make sure you have air flowing inside the house. It’s best to open the windows for good ventilation in the workspace.

Then, start applying the primer onto the edges of the door by using a paint spray gun. If you don’t have the paint spray gun, you can still use the painter’s synthetic brush for this task. When dipping the brush onto the primer, make sure that you drop the excess primer so it isn’t be too bulky on the door when applied. Carefully apply the primer onto the edges nicely and neatly. Let it dry for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Step 6: Start Painting

Once the primer has dried up, it’s about time to paint your glass door. First, you will need to apply the first coat. The first coat needs to be lighter when applied. Do not double coat just yet.

Let the first coat dry up well and then you can begin applying the second coating. Make sure the paint looks even all throughout the door. Most expert painters suggest that double coating works well when you’re trying to achieve a good finish.

Third or fourth coating is not necessary. But if you haven’t achieved the color that you like to see, you can do another coating as long as you dry the last coating before you begin with another one.

Step 7: Prime and Paint the Sides of the Door

Just follow the same steps for priming and painting from step 5-6. It should look uniformed from the front and back side of the door. The sides should be well covered as well making sure that there’ll be no missed spots. Let it dry.

There you have it! Hope your fiberglass door got the new look it deserves. Make sure before you install your door back again, it has to be perfectly dried so the paint won’t get messed up.

To make the paint last, clean your door regularly and handle it with care. Dirt build-up can actually mess up the paint. Always clean it so it doesn’t always look brand new.

Important things to consider

Here’s are some important tips that you need to consider before beginning this project:

  • Always seek advice with an expert on what type of paint to choose. There are three types to choose from: low gloss, regular gloss and high gloss. All of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. It will all depend on your preference and what you’re actually trying to achieve with your fiberglass door.
  • Always verify the pain if it’s rated as an “exterior paint”. These types of paints can help you save money for the long haul since it can withstand weather changes over time. The more it’s long lasting, the more you save up from constant renovations or home makeovers.
  • When picking on what type of paint base, always go for the following: polyurethane, epoxy, polyester and acrylic paint since these work best with fiberglass doors. It has to be uniformed as well for the base of the paint and the base of the fiberglass resin. For example, if it’s an acrylic resin fiberglass, then you’ll have to choose an acrylic-base paint as well.
  • No matter what, do away with melamine or oil-based paints since these won’t do well with fiberglass doors.

What kind of paint do you use on a fiberglass door?

According to the experts, high-quality 100% acrylic paint is recommended for a semi-gloss or satin finish. You shouldn’t need more than a quart of paint for one fiberglass entry door.

Do you need to prime a fiberglass door before painting?

Fiberglass doors and sidelights can be smooth or textured with a wood-grain finish. This material usually does not need to be primed, but painting is required.

What is the best paint for fiberglass exterior doors?

Only select acrylic (100%), polyester, polyurethane, or epoxy paints as their chemical properties won’t weaken the structural integrity of fiberglass. Lastly, you might want to use a paint that has the same base as that of the fiberglass resin. If the fiberglass is polyester-resin, use polyester-based paint.

How do you prepare a fiberglass door for painting?

What is the best paint for fiberglass?

A basic spray paint or latex-acrylic paint will do just fine on a decorative piece or a door. Polyurethane or epoxy paint are better suited to surfaces that will see a lot of heavy use, such as boats, bathtubs, and sinks. Polyurethane paint is ready to use.

What is the best primer for fiberglass?

Rust-Oleum Marine Wood & Fiberglass Primer provides a smooth base coat on surfaces that will be top coated with Rust-Oleum Marine Coatings Topside Paint. Recommended for wood and fiberglass that is above the waterline.

Do I need a special primer for fiberglass?

You can start by using a primer, although it is not necessary with a fiberglass boat. Be sure that the primer you are using is compatible with the paint you’ve chosen. After you’ve applied one layer of primer, you can use a 300-grit sandpaper and lightly sand the boat before applying the next coat.

What is a good spray paint for fiberglass?

Krylon brand paint is an excellent paint that is safe for all plastics and fiberglass, dries quickly, and is readily available at hardware and building supply stores. For this reason, it is the recommended paint of choice. Photo 2 shows the typical supplies required to spray paint the RC boat.

What kind of sandpaper do you use on fiberglass?

Sand the fiberglass using a coarse-grit sandpaper.

For the first sanding pass, use either 80 or 100-grit sandpaper. Mount the sandpaper to a long sanding board for large, flat components. For smaller areas or areas with intricate curves, a rubber sanding block works well to follow the shape of the piece.

What is the best way to sand fiberglass?

Sanding fiberglass should be something that you do with caution.

7 Steps of How to Sand Fiberglass Effectively:

  1. Place the fiberglass under the sun to cure.
  2. Join all the parts.
  3. Clean with grease remover (or wax):
  4. Start the Sanding process.
  5. Fill low spots.
  6. Spray your Primer for finishing.
  7. Do the finishing.

How do I get a smooth finish on Fibreglass?

Getting the Clearest Fiberglass Finish
  1. Choose fiberglass cloth wisely.
  2. Seal the wood with epoxy.
  3. Avoid outgassing.
  4. Use freshly mixed epoxy.
  5. Brush on epoxy.
  6. Apply fiberglass one layer at a time.
  7. Squeegee with care.
  8. Apply build up coats on the same day.

Can you use spot putty on fiberglass?

This car detailing putty can be applied directly to bare metal, body filler, fiberglass and fully cured sanded top coats.

Can I use regular Bondo on fiberglass?

Bondo Body Filler cures fast, shapes in minutes and is formulated to be a non-shrinking and permanently durable material. In addition to its uses on vehicle exteriors and other metal surfaces it is also a suitable repair option for wood, fiberglass and concrete.

Can you use regular body filler on fiberglass?

You can use regular body filler on fiberglass. It’s only on SMC panels used on later sharks that you can run into problems. If your car is a chrome bumper car (like in you avitar), you‘ll be ok.

Can gelcoat be used as a filler?

Registered. The 3M Marine Premium Filler; gelcoat will adhere to it and is is sandable and can be uses above or below the waterline.

Can I thicken gelcoat?

You can either thicken the gelcoat with cabosil/aerosil or tint epoxy thickened with cabosil to get closer to the level you need then do a couple of finish coats of gelcoat.

How do you activate gelcoat?

Gelcoat requires Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide or MEK-P to activate the hardening process. The amount is very small. We recommend 1-1/4% to 1-1/2% by volume, which means 13-15cc’s per quart. Darker colors require a bit more catalyst for the same reaction, so you can catalyze up to 2%.

Will gelcoat stick to paint?

Gelcoat should not be applied over paint, wood, metal or concrete. It usually will not adhere to these surfaces.