There is no better material for entrance doors than iron. After all, it is characterized by high strength, durability, reliability, therefore, it perfectly protects housing. But the front door should possess not only such qualities, since it is also a kind of “face” of an apartment or house. And it is high-quality painting of metal doors that will help to ennoble their appearance.
In addition to giving beauty, this event will also protect this iron structure from rust, corrosion and negative external influences in general. And although this process is not very complicated, you should be aware that the technology for painting such surfaces has its own nuances. And the type of paint for iron doors differs significantly from the type of composition used for the same structures, only made of wood or other materials. Therefore, before embarking on such work, you first need to figure out which paints are suitable for metal. And then it is already possible to proceed directly to the painting process by studying the instructions previously described below.
to contents ↑Types of paints for metal surfaces
Each painting composition for metal doors has its own characteristics. Also, any of their type has its pros and cons. And choose the right option should be based on each specific case.
That is, for example, someone needs to give the door more anti-corrosion properties. Some need to provide it with good resistance to moisture, UV rays, if it goes outside, and not into the staircase. For others, on the contrary, the attractiveness of the appearance of the front doors is important.
And now we will pass directly to the types of compositions with which it is possible to paint iron sheets:
- Powder paints. Such tools create high-tech door coverings, which are rightfully considered one of the most elite decors. Unlike liquid formulations, powder paints last longer, they are more durable and perfectly withstand all negative atmospheric influences, they are characterized by high fireproof and environmental performance. A wide range of colors for powder paints allows you to choose the right option for every taste. They look especially beautiful on textured surfaces.
- Nitrocellulose enamels. These compounds have a wide color range. They do not dry for long, and after application form an attractive glossy surface. However, their disadvantage is poor adhesion to metal, which requires painting the door with a primer before painting the doors. In addition, nitrocellulose enamels are flammable, weakly resistant to various external negative influences, and if used incorrectly, they are prone to peeling. In this regard, in some cases, especially if metal doors are facing the street, it is undesirable to use such paints.
- Graphite paints. Such tools, primarily due to the ability to create a plastic film with excellent anti-corrosion properties. It also protects metal products from mechanical and chemical influences. Graphite paints are environmentally friendly. After application and drying, they create an attractive matte rough surface that is able to withstand sudden changes in temperature.However, the fireproof qualities of the graphite coating are low, so the door after painting on top will have to be additionally treated with special fireproofing agents.
- Hammer enamels. This type of paint creates protection on metal doors with high anti-corrosion properties. They are made on an alkyd-styrene or epoxy base, to which aluminum powder is added, which gives special strength properties to coatings from hammer enamel. After its application, a very beautiful rough texture is created, which perfectly masks all defects, which makes it possible to apply this type of paint even on severely damaged surfaces without preliminary cleaning and preparation.
- Alkyd enamels. Such paints are created on a pentaphthalic, melamine or glyphthalic basis. Coatings from them have excellent strength, beautiful gloss, good resistance to chemical and mechanical influences, excellently withstand temperature extremes in the range from -55 to +60 degrees. Alkyd enamels dry quickly, but you need to work with them very carefully, as they are highly toxic and fire hazard.
- Acrylic paints. This type is made on the basis of polyacrylates. They form a polymer film, due to which the coating will last more than 7 years. The same quality gives the doors good resistance to atmospheric and other external influences. In addition to ease of use and affordability, acrylic paints are distinguished by excellent adhesion, high wear resistance, resistance to temperature extremes, non-toxicity, fire safety and good resistance to UV rays. Of the minuses, we can distinguish that these paints darken after drying, so it is not always possible to achieve the desired color with them.
Subtleties of coloring
Painting a metal door is then considered to be of high quality, when its surface becomes even, smooth, homogeneous, there are no smudges or other noticeable defects on it. To achieve this, you need to follow a few simple but important rules.
First of all, it doesn’t matter whether the painting is done with a roller, spray gun or brush, in any case, in order to obtain a high-quality result, the whole process should occur without sharp transitions and omissions. That is, each applied layer should be uniform and uniform in thickness.
Usually for a metal door 3 layers of powder or other paint are sufficient. If smudges formed at some stage during the painting process, then they must be removed with an emery cloth after the paint has completely dried (time depends on its type). After that, all the flaws will need to be painted over again.
The second rule is that you should start painting the door first with small parts. The application of paint on the canvas itself must begin after they have dried. If it had old paint, it must be pre-sanded beforehand and if there are strong chips, putty should be leveled with metal.
It is better to paint the structure in the form removed from the hinges, that is, in a lying position. Otherwise, it will be inconvenient to work, and this, in turn, will lead to the appearance of defects, since places that have not yet been dried up can be accidentally touched by hand.
The third rule - to paint the door should be in rooms where there are no drafts, dust and sudden temperature changes. But good ventilation must be present in them. In open air, coating the doors with paint is highly discouraged. If toxic paints are used, then it is necessary to work with them in protective devices.
In conclusion, it can be emphasized that it is the right choice of paint type and accurate work that will help a nondescript iron door to gain a very attractive look. Do not neglect your front door, because it is your "calling card"!
