Over the last few months I have been looking for garage door painting ideas and after considering my options, I decided to go with faux woodgrain or faux bois painting so the door has a stained wood look. It is not hard to do and is a very budget friendly way to update any paintable surface in and around your home.
As you know I have been in the process of gathering ideas for updating the exterior of my house. I have shared a few posts on home exteriors I like that are doable on a small budget. If money was no object, the exterior home makeover decision making would be a lot easier and I would hire contractors to do it all.
Since that is a dream, I have to be realistic and find ways to keep costs down, which means more DIY. More DIY, means more work for me, so the process is slow going.
The most recent change is how I updated the garage door. A new garage door can do a lot to the curb appeal of a home, adding character and charm.
Don’t get too excited. :-) We didn’t get a new garage door, but I sure like this one… it would be pretty amazing.
Replacing a garage door doesn’t come cheap and can cost thousands depending on the type and style of door chosen, whether you need to repair or replace the hardware that allows the door to open and close, and even whether you need to resize the doorway or reframe the exterior.
The existing garage door on my house works fine and is structurally sound, its only problem was the fading color.
Recently, we had to make the decision to use money we had budgeted for a new door to go to something more important for the lake side of the house. One that we did have to hire a contractor to do. That project was just completed. I will share more on what had to be done once I get photos taken.
Back to the exterior makeover. I am still not sure what color I want to use for the house. If you look closely, you can see where I have been testing paint colors out on the frame of the garage door. I want to be 100% sure of my choices and feel that taking my time to get it right…is the right thing to do.
I am still searching for ideas, but a loose plan is forming in my mind.
Photo: Source
Here is a one of my latest exterior inspirations I am considering. I like the rustic appeal of this home, but what caught my eye is the dark blue/green color. My house is faded teal”ish” green. I had been thinking about going with a neutral color, but maybe dark would look better. It sure would work well for the setting and the current dark exterior trends that are becoming more popular.
If you are not familiar with the current exterior of my house, you can see my house in this post. It has exposed wood on the underside of the roof and deck similar to this inspiration house. If I went with this look, I could leave the bare and stained wood alone, which would save time and money.
Source: Hormann Garage Doors
The only color aspect of the exterior that I am 100% sure of is I like the look of stained wood doors, like the wood on these garage door.
I love the look of stained wood doors so much. You may remember last summer’s tutorial on how I faux painted my front door to look like it was stained wood with transparent wood grain showing through.
I also painted a smaller door in the garage using the same faux woodgrain technique earlier in the fall.
Both door painting projects were a success, so I decided to do the same with the big garage door.
The only problem I ran into was the weather. In the fall, we received so much rain and then it got very cold. My time window to paint was shrinking. I just had to wait for it to stop raining.
Finally, right before Christmas the weather forecast was in my favor. There were two days with warm temps and no rain. I went for it and got the door painted in 2 days. Now, although not perfect, it looks like the wood stained doors that are popular in home design now. It also matches my front door.
How to Paint a Garage Door To Look Like a Stained Woodgrain Door
For this post, I am sharing a painting overview along with BEFORE and AFTER photos.
For the Full Step-by-Step Tutorial:
I used the same paint, tools, supplies and followed the same painting steps that I shared in this post and video:
Faux Woodgrain Paint Finish On My Front Doors
The paint base and topcoat colors I used:
- KILZ® Premium primer
- KILZ® Complete Coat in semi-gloss in the colors:
- Base coat: Golden Sunrise
- Top Paint/Glaze coat: Tonka Bean
- Liquid Mixing Glaze – Sold in craft and paint stores. Used to create faux finishes with paint.
I used a half gallon of each the base color, top color and glazing medium.
Here is the before shot of my faded teal-“ish” green garage door.
Once I sanded and cleaned the door and it was dry, I put two coats of yellow paint/primer on the door. Why yellow? It is the under color that is needed to make the topcoat/glaze color look more like stain than paint.
Both the UPS delivery guy and one of my neighbors, skeptically questioned me… “You’re painting your garage door yellow?” I had to explain to them that it was only a base coat and they would soon see why it was needed.
Once the yellow coat was dry I made a mixture of brown paint and clear glazing liquid and applied it in horizontal strokes to one panel section of the door at a time using a cheap paint brush that had stiffer than normal bristles.
A few minutes after applying the paint/glaze mixture, I dragged the ends of a whisk-broom through the coat to allow some of the base yellow color to come through.
On the vertical sections of the door I applied the paint and dragged it vertically.
Once the first coat of brown paint was dry, I added a second coat in the same manner. On a few of the panels I also dragged a wood-graining tool through the wet paint/glaze coat to make it look more like wood grain and knots.
It you are wondering… One of the bottom panels on the door had a cat door installed. We removed it when we first moved into the house and replaced it with a new piece of wood. Not a perfect fix, but we didn’t think we were going to keep the door at the time.
I got the door painted in two days and on the third day it rained. Luckily there is a small overhang that protected the door from getting wet.
Faux Woodgrain Painted Garage Door – AFTER
I will be painting the teal trim around the door and gutters a darker color then the beige swatches you see, the teal color is not staying, but since I am doing all the painting, it will take time. Instead of waiting months to show you a final exterior reveal, I will share my progress with you one step at a time.
Once the weather warms up again, I may touch up a few panels on the door to even out the color, but I am very happy with how it turned out. I especially like the fact that the garage door now coordinates with the front doors.
Once spring arrives, we will begin making over the front steps and landscaping.
Slow going…but making progress. :-)
Ryan says
I really like this! What was the total cost of your project?
Diane Henkler says
Hi Ryan – The cost of painting my garage door to look like wood was approx $65. Two gallons or Primer/Paint and a quart of glazing medium. I had the paint brush and wood graining tool already. I didn’t use the full gallon of each color and had enough to paint two other outside doors.
Ken says
Hello. I’m thinking about a similar project for my garage door. I love the look. I have read a lot of reviews of others who have done the same thing with varying reviews. Fading, peeling. The weather here goes from the 20,s to a month off 100’s and a western facing front exposure. How is it holding up after it’s been done for a while? Thank you
Diane Henkler says
Hi Ken –
I could not be happier with how my painted garage door came out. It has been almost 2 years since I did it. There has been no fading, chipping or peeling. It still looks great.
The door faces west and gets afternoon sun. It does have a roof that extends over it. This helps keep rain off, so this may help.
I am not sure what the other reviewers used? A kit? Or did they make their own faux finish like I did? The best advice I can give you is to sand well, prime, apply only light coats and let them dry completely before adding another coat of paint.
I hope this helps.
Ellen says
I want to do this to a beer fridge in the garage. We have a western themed bar in there, and the white fridge sticks out like a sore thumb . Do you know if these products come in smaller quantities?
Diane Henkler says
Hi Ellen – After you sand and prime the fridge, you can use 2 oz. bottles of craft paint in the same colors I used to create the same effect. The colors don’t have to be the exact colors that I used, but find color that are close. It should be easy since craft paints come in so many colors.
You would need the golden yellow and then the brown to mix in with the glaze. The glaze is from the craft store and usually comes in small and larger sizes.
If you want the exact colors I used, check out this link: https://bit.ly/2BzGRBL for Tonka Brown. Looks like the yellow color I used is no longer in the KILZ line. Just get a golden yellow color and it will look fine.
Peg says
Hi Diane,
I so enjoy your informative, inspiring site and creativity.
I am curious how your faux bois painting on your front door and garage doors are holding up now that you have gone through several seasons? Also, did you seal the faux bois with polyacrylic or another product? If so, what would you recommend for a sealer?
Thank you for your time and sharing,
Peg
Diane Henkler says
Hi Peg – The painted doors – I did 3 – my front double doors, a side door in the garage and the garage door. I did not seal them and they have held up Perfectly. Better than I could have ever imagined. The front double doors are under cover and never see the sun, wind or rain. The other two get hit by all the elements and they looks just as nice.
If you are concerned about weather exposure, paint your exterior wood surface with a durable, waterproof acrylic enamel. This type of paint requires no sealer topcoat to protect it from abrasion and moisture.
If you paint the door with a gloss paint and use the glaze, a sealer may not stick to it. You could use Helmsman Spar Urethane by Minwax, but know that these sealers will probably break down before the exterior paint. I do not think a sealer is needed.
Judy says
I was thinking about this effect on my garage door it is some kind of aluminum .
Can I use the same products you did?
Thank you Judy
Diane Henkler says
Hi Judy –
Yes you can paint aluminum garage doors. Make sure to sand it and clean it well. You want to use a primer first on the door that is for metal. Most brand name primers will be fine for this. KILZ Premium is one I can think of off the top of my head. Once one coat of the primer is dry, you can follow the way I painted my door.
Dana says
Hi, its Dana, Ann’s daughter! She’s been telling g me about your blog for a while now, glad I stumbled upon this tutorial, I want to try it! Do you think this same technique would work on a fiberglass front door?
Diane Henkler says
Hi Dana –
So happy to hear from you. :-) Tell your mom, Hi for me.
Yes you can do the garage door paint technique on any surface, you willjust need to prepare the surface a little differently for Fiberglass. Since fiberglass is smooth you will need to use a primer for glossy surfaces. This KILZ formula will be good: https://amzn.to/2pET01Y
Once you scuff sand the door with 100 grit sandpaper, clean it well with detergent and hot water. Hose is off and let dry completely. Then apply 2 thin coats of the KILZ Adhesion primer or follow the can’s label directions for priming fiberglass. Let the first coat of primer dry completely, before applying the second. Read the label on the primer can for re-coating times.
After the primer is dry, then use acrylic latex paint to paint the door following my tutorial. My best tips are to make sure the door is super clean after you scuff sand it, no grit or grease. Only apply paint and primer in light coats and watch the temps. Now that it is getting colder out, your exterior painting window may close soon. Most exterior paint needs to be applied in around 70 degrees for optimal adhesion.
If you have any other question, don’t hesitate to ask.
Jessica says
What glaze did you use & the grain tool?
Diane Henkler says
Hi Jessica –
You can use any clear glazing liquid. I used Valspar that I bought at Lowes, but any clear glazing liquid will work. Rustoleum has one, so do most major brands of paint. It is sold at most paint and craft stores. For the graining, I used this tool https://amzn.to/2ZxHKC5 and a stiff whisk broom after using that to soften the lines.
Ruby says
Great job! It looks amazing. Have you got the color names for the yellow primer and the brown you mixed with the glaze? Thank you – I will be using this tutorial on an ugly white garage door asap this summer before the rains come! Thank you so much.
Diane Henkler says
Hi Ruby –
Here are the colors I used to paint faux woodgrain on my garage door:
KILZ® Complete Coat in the colors: Both in semi-gloss finish
Base coat: Golden Sunrise
Top Paint/Glaze coat: Tonka Bean
Liquid Mixing Glaze – Sold in craft and paint stores. Used to create faux finishes with paint.
If you would like to see more inspiration and a video on the same process and paints I used on my front doors, you will find it here: http://bit.ly/2xZDIWs
rose says
Thank you so much for all the details – very much appreciated! Have a great summer ~
Karen Harrell says
Love Love Love It! Its 5am and woke up stressing on how we can get a new wooden garage door.
Your painting was just what I was looking for!!! Thank you for sharing!
Diane Henkler says
Hi Karen – After I did the paint technique on my front door and it was such a success, I just had to do the same on the garage door. Everyone that sees it, can’t believe it is a painted finish. If you are new to using glaze and dragging, test it out on a piece of scrap plywood to get your dragging technique down. I hope it turns out fabulous!
rose ntuli says
hi there i have painted my wooden with the enamel paint please advise if i can do this process on the picture look like stain wood
Diane Henkler says
Hi Rose – The process can be done on any surface. If it is enamel, I would sand first to rough up the surface first. Clean it and then follow the steps to paint the surface to look like wood stain.
ANNA KENNEL says
I recently discovered this blog: awesome!!! I love all the “brave” jobs you tackle. Regarding your garage door makeup, is your door aluminum/metal or wood? I wondered if this work on my garage door.
Diane Henkler says
Hi Anna – My door is wood, but you can do the treatment on any door. Scruff sand the door with 100 grit sandpaper to provide some tooth for the paint to adhere. Apply one to two light coats of a primer for metal. Most are nowadays – like a multi-surface primer. Once that is dry you can paint the door as I did mine. Make sure you paint when the door is in the shade so the paint won’t dry too fast.
Ann says
thank you for this post. I have been wondering what to do with our white doors on our mid century ranch and you have given me the answer. I will send photos next fall after the 2 feet of snow is gone!
Diane Henkler says
Hi Ann – I look forward to seeing your doors. Hope you are staying warm and cozy with all that snow outside. Brrrrr!!!
Lesley says
Painting the exterior of your home a dark colour is a fantastic idea! It would make it even more unique than it is now. The garage door also looks fantastic. Well done
Diane Henkler says
Thanks Lesley – I think I am going to go dark. Now I am trying to figure out what is the best way to handle the gutter downspouts. They are what I dislike the most on the house, but they are needed, especially since the ground in front of the house is mostly a concrete driveway.
Sue says
Your garage door looks great. A home in our neighborhood just had this done. They also did the German smear on the brick. It looks amazing.
Linda L Weeks says
You knew that this wood effect would be better than another color! That is a real home improvement! We all like colors, and such a large part of your home, the wood look is definitely the best shade you could have picked. I would have probably just found a ‘happy’ color and gone with it, but this looks so much better!!
Katie says
Wow! This post will blow up Pinterest from all the pinning! It looks amazing! What an incredible difference!
TerriC/HoustonLady says
Hi Diane,
Your garage door looks Awesome ! I know the color you end up picking for the trim will also turn out Awesome : ) Happy 2019!!
Alison says
Garage door looks SO good! Love that you matched front door.
Vicki V says
It looks fantastic! I can see why your neighbors were concerned with the yellow. ?
Carole says
What a great job you did completely changing the look of the door. You always inspire me however I am too old to this much hard work anymore.
Christine Gowing says
Unbelievable ! Who knew you could paint your door “wood”!
I do now!
Carol says
Brave girl! Looks like a million bucks!
Holly says
Looks amazing!! I love how the garage door & the front door relate to each other now. Beautiful.
Jolene says
Oh my goodness! It looks so, so good!! I LOOOVE faux finish technique posts!! Thank you! Now I want to go woodgrain something! Yummy, yummy!
Catpainter says
Diane, you did a splendid job on your garage doors. I respect your ability to focus and persevere with a project – something we used to call “grit”. I did a cosmetic makeover of the dark kitchen with 50 years of accumulated grease in my daughter’s new 1967 fixer-upper this past year – painting walls, caulking, pulling cabinet doors down, cleaning AND sanding, soaking hinges, making alterations to make them hang right and fixing drawers that didn’t work – all in 7 days. Vent-a-hood filter must have weighed 4 pounds – ugh – but she found a replacement on the internet. I worked straight through the last night to finish and boarded my plane in the morning. But it made such a difference and gave her a bright, usable kitchen. Not bad for a 72-year-old with bad knees. Grit – you never lose it. Was as proud of myself accomplishing it as I was of the transformation.
I love all that you and Ed have done – you are my inspiration. And thanks for letting us see it all. Just goes to show what a little grit and focus can do.
PS. I do love the dark exterior on the sample photo – it almost looks navy, which ties in with the new navy in your hall and bedroom. Love to carry a color through a house!
[email protected] says
Wow it looks amazing!
Barbara Dudas says
Great transformation! Well done Diane!
june says
What a beautiful update to your home. I love the look. You are such a talented painter.
Kari @ Me and My Captain says
Very pretty Diane! you always do a great job with your faux painting. I don’t have the patience you have, :(…BTW, when we moved into our home almost 13 years ago, I did not like the white garage door so after a few years, I grabbed some brown paint I had and painted it without properly preparing it…I mean I did nothing other than dust as I painted and luckily, it has withstood our Florida heat and looks just as good as the day I did it, five years ago …with a bit of sun fade but not much. I guess I was lucky. LOL
Kay says
Love how your garage door turned out. We bought a lake house and I painted the porch deck railing black. It was previously an awful tan. Best thing I did. I love the contrast. You know living near water in the south, moisture causes black/green on light surfaces. The black helps mask that until it’s cleaned off. I definitely vote for dark trim on your house. I’m betting you will love it.
Peggy says
JUST AMAZING LOOKING. LOTS OF WORK BUT, WORTH IT.
Mary0 says
Looks great Diane. Can you share the exact products and colors you used for this project?
Diane Henkler says
Hi Mary – I used the same products and technique that I used when I painted my front doors. I have a full tutorial and video in that post showing exactly what I used and the dragging technique. You can find it here: https://inmyownstyle.com/how-to-paint-faux-woodgrain-finish-on-front-doors-and-more.html
Judy Schweichler says
The garage door looks great!
Diane Henkler says
Thanks Judy
Sharon Smith says
That is perfect. What a great job you did!
Mary Ann Howat says
You did an awesome job on your door. You are so good with colors. You give me inspiration. But, I’m still too scared to try anything. Right now my project is decluttering. .
Mary C. Wickham says
Beautiful Job! Have you considered black on the trim and gutters? It does such a nice job of outlining and crisping things up. We built a new home a few years back and did the black trim and gutters (although my roof is black too) and I love love love it!
romeogirl says
That looks amazing! We ate going thru the same thing only our brick home is really ugly brick so I am considering painting the brick. All of the trim and garage door is painted a dull brown but new windows were installed in white! And a brown roof. It’s a real mess but I think I have a garage door solution now! Thank you!
Krista Aasen says
Looks great Diane – I am loving your inspiration for darker with wood trim – that dark blue/black is also fabulous for the exterior paint (we’re looking for colours for our new house, as well!). I hadn’t considered a wood door but now you have me thinking about it!
Diane Henkler says
Hi Krista – I am so excited to see what you do to your new to you house. Funny thing.. I got the idea for the stained doors from one of your inspiration posts. :-) One of the images you shared a while back had the stained doors. I am tried to find it, but it is somewhere deep in my blog archives. If I find it, I will send to you.
Barbara H. says
Your garage door makeover is amazing. I knew you were good with paint from all your other projects but this one really shows off your talent.
Susie Monk says
Well done Diane the doors look amazing. Dark trims will make it look even better. Can’t wait to see the final result. Have fun and may your energy keep up with your ideas. Happy 2019?
Sheryl says
Love it! I, personally, would paint those gutters and surrounding trim the same exact color of brick to make them disappear. Did that a few homes ago and it was magical.
Diane Henkler says
Hi Sheryl – That is my plan to say goodbye to all the teal trim. When we first looked at the house with the Realtor 3 years ago, the first thing I said to Ed was that I didn’t like the teal trim. I have learned to live with it, since it is simply a cosmetic thing, but I will happy when the day comes that I can drive down my driveway and not see it anymore.
Di Jackson says
Well done, a very good job and lots of $$$S saved. The door will look even better when the trim isn’t teal. I’m sure you will want to make the other teal painted items ‘disappear’ into the brickwork. At the moment, my eye is drawn away from the garage door.
Diane Henkler says
Hi Di – I plan to paint the teal trim all around the house. Just need the time and weather conditions to get it done. Luckily I live in the south where we do have warm days pop up. I will be watching the weather reports to find a few days like this so I can continue to paint the trim.
Di Jackson says
I thought that it was your intention but these jobs do take time and effort, especially for us of a ‘certain age’.
Kathleen Berlin says
Diane,
Awesome job! LOVE following your DIY projects and I love the fact that you are not afraid to venture into new territory with projects. You go girl!
Diane Henkler says
Thank you Kathleen. Sometimes I wish I could afford to hire someone to do it all for me, but when I look at the savings of DIYing, it always gives me the incentive needed to do the updates myself.
1960s girl says
Hello,
The garage door looks beautiful! You are very good!
Wouldn’t the trims look good in a dark solid colour (black, charcoal, chocolate brown)?
Happy new Year! I am looking forward to all of your new posts!
Diane Henkler says
Thanks Chantal – Yes, I think the trim would look better dark too. The paint testing I was doing on the garage door trim was when I was thinking of going with a light neutral color for the house and trim. I will start testing new darker colors now.
Kathy says
Wow! That’s looks awesome – like you got a new door! Great job! Happy new year!
Diane Henkler says
Thanks Kathy. I am so happy that I decided to go for it. Happy 2019! I hope it is a great one for you.
Diane Henkler says
Thanks Kathy Happy 2019 :-)
laura janning says
Diane, the doors look so good. wow. that sure was a budget saver. We intend to replace our doors at some point but jeez they sure are expensive .
Diane Henkler says
Hi Laura – Thanks. Garage doors are crazy expensive, especially when the door is one big massive door like mine, plus the installation. Cha…ching….:-)
Lynn W says
The garage door looks amazing!! What a difference it makes ?. I love the inspiration photo of the dark blue/black paint that you showed. Really gorgeous look and I can see that on your house.
Diane Henkler says
Thanks Lynn – After finding the photo of the dark painted house, I am leaning to the dark side. :-) There was a new house built across the lake from mine in the summer. It had all neutral exterior colors. After the owners moved in they painted everything dark. It was fun to see the transformation. The house now looks like it was always there. Fits in the wooded lakeside setting.