Refinishing a front door that faces afternoon sun in Torrance

Two front doors that look alike from the street can fail at completely different speeds, because one faces the afternoon sun and the other sits under a porch. Exterior painting on a front door in Torrance, CA is mostly about exposure, and the intervals torrance exterior painters exploration 17 uses for west-facing doors are shorter than the paint can suggests. The door is the most handled and most looked at surface on the house, so the finish gets more care than the walls.

Stripping or sanding

A door with a sound film only needs sanding and a scuff sand before recoating. One with peeling, crazed or bubbled paint gets stripped back to wood with a chemical stripper, because a heat gun can scorch the grain and blister the veneer. Once the stripper is washed off, the door is sanded through 80 and 120 grit, moving with the grain.

Paint or stain and clear coat

A solid colour door takes primer, then two coats of acrylic enamel in semi gloss, which wipes clean. A stained wood door takes stain and then a clear coat with UV blockers, since afternoon sun breaks down clear coat on a west face well before it fails on a shaded door. A clear coat on that kind of front door often needs a fresh topcoat every couple of years to keep the wood from greying.

Hardware, hinges and the edges

The knob, deadbolt and strike plate come off. Taping around hardware leaves lines and drips, while taking it off gives a clean edge. The hinge side, the top and the bottom edge all need paint, since bare edges draw moisture in the damp months.

Timing between coats

Oil based enamel needs overnight between coats and a light scuff sand. Water-based acrylic recoats in a few hours in dry weather, but marine layer mornings near the Pacific Ocean push that out. A door closed too soon after the last coat can stick to the weatherstripping, so the door stays open or propped for a full day.

Sun, salt and sheen

Salt air near the coast and sun on the west side make a flat sheen look dull within a year. Satin and semi gloss hold up better and rinse clean with a hose. Dark colours absorb the most heat, so on a door in full sun a lighter or heat-reflective formula holds its colour longer and keeps the panel from warping.

Frame and threshold

The door frame and threshold get the same attention. Soft spots at the bottom of the jamb are dug out and filled with epoxy filler for wood rot, and caulk seals the gap between the casing and the stucco before the topcoat.