# Peeling exterior metal doors.



## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

Any threads on this? Bad subject? I know from experience that it's tricky to fix. The paint rarely feathers nicely with sanding, lifts when priming, and peels again before long. 

Seems the best thing is to sand strip or chem strip the entire surface and start over. A heat gun, I'm guessing, would be bad bad. 

So strip the whole door. Have fun convincing the ho to do this. They'll probably want a new door.


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## porgyiii (May 3, 2012)

I've got an identical issue, that seems to have been compounded by prior failed attempts at fixes. I saw thinking about aggressive sanding and two coats of DTM (assuming I will sand down to bare metal in places.) Thoughts?


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Pretty common. I think factories applied a finish that is incompatible with galvanized metal. What does not peel now, will in the future.


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

I should say, most cases I've delt with either, 0ne, the coating is very old or, two, the color was dark enough to cause thermal degradation, perhaps. 

Still seems to reason that the primer should stay in tact and not peel also? This could be just my habitual way of thinking. 

Anyway, I think the answer might be to sand all or chem strip and start over. Sanding and priming with auto primer and finish with oil or duration still didnt stop the peeling and couldn't feather it either.


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

When latex (vs. oil) primers were first introduced, they weren't as good as they are now, I'm told. Maybe this is why there's bonding failure with earlier (80's) steel paneled doors?

I wonder if newer doors have no problems of yet?


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

sincere painter said:


> Anyway, I think the answer might be to sand all or chem strip and start over. Sanding and priming with auto primer and finish with oil or duration still didnt stop the peeling and couldn't feather it either.


I'm looking back at my post since I have another door to contend with. I'm not sure why I said "auto primer didn't stop the peeling" as I think i just used the auto primer as spot primer. If anyone has had success with a primer on a sanded-down steel door please let me know. I'm going to use p&l suprime since I have some left over. 

Btw, I used slow oil on my last peeling metal door last summer and no call-back yet. I asked them to let me know how it holds up. 

Thanks for your posts.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

sincere painter said:


> I'm looking back at my post since I have another door to contend with. I'm not sure why I said "auto primer didn't stop the peeling" as I think i just used the auto primer as spot primer. If anyone has had success with a primer on a sanded-down steel door please let me know. I'm going to use p&l suprime since I have some left over.
> 
> Btw, I used slow oil on my last peeling metal door last summer and no call-back yet. I asked them to let me know how it holds up.
> 
> Thanks for your posts.


I think you're earlier post was on the mark: about when mfg. made the switch. There are a lot of cars/trucks from the same period that have suffered the same fate.

We strip the doors chemically and start fresh. The last few, we've just taken the stripped doors to an auto-body painter who uses an epoxy primer.


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

I don't have that much in this. I usually just finish with aura semi. I wish I could be at your level though. It does make sense to put on a premium finish after all the prep. You make me feel like I'm wasting my time IMHO.


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

Thinking of a "self-etching" primer in a rattle can. But would rather use my left-over p&l suprime to be honest. I still like your way better.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

I've primed a ton of them with cover stain. It's never failed to bond to my knowledge.

Recently did some rusty ones, sanded and primed with khem kromic. Seemed to work great too.


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

Cover stain is great. Should it cure some or just slap some aura over it in an hour?


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

Khem kromic is 2 part, right?


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

I used to go over it quick like that, but I suspect it bonds better if you let it cure some, half day or a day. 

Khem k is just a xylene based industrial metal primer. It's one part . Very hot material.


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## TrueColors (Jul 30, 2010)

It's called saponification oil paints don't like to Stick to galvanized metal. You can etch it with copper sulphate and go over it with a proper galvanized metal primer. I think DTM works as well.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

TrueColors said:


> It's called saponification oil paints don't like to Stick to galvanized metal. You can etch it with copper sulphate and go over it with a proper galvanized metal primer. I think DTM works as well.



Are you sure? I've used copper sulfate to test galvanized for "passivation' I think is the word. 
It's a special condition of galvanized that doesn't respond to regular etching. I hadn't heard copper s would etch too. I always use vinegar if its not passivated or whatever.


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## Dkon7 (Jan 23, 2013)

I hear about peeling paint on doors a lot. Unfortunately most pre-primers are only made to keep the metal from flash rusting until its distributed. In other words, its not much of a product. They also tend to build a glaze as time goes by that inhibits adhesion. Best thing to do is to scuff sand them, reprime them, then paint them with a good acrylic paint.

I've also heard of folks wiping them down with minerals spirits before applying water based paints. Big mistake! Use crud cutter, simple green or other water based cleaner so there is no chance of cross contamination or incompatibility issues.


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

I'll never use gator paper from lowes to strip oil from a steel door again. Pita. Using the chemical strip and a power washer next time. Or upgrade to an orbital with a better stroke and paper. Maybe that will be worth haulin the pressure washer. Scary thought though doing all that at the job sight. 








Turned out nice with rustoleum metal primer. Whimped out. Helped the ho pick a color too.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

sincere painter said:


> I'll never use gator paper from lowes to strip oil from a steel door again. Pita. Using the chemical strip and a power washer next time. Or upgrade to an orbital with a better stroke and paper. Maybe that will be worth haulin the pressure washer. Scary thought though doing all that at the job sight.
> View attachment 16384
> 
> 
> ...


I gotta get a new monitor, mine made the edges of the door look all funky.


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

Primed it closed. It was late in the day and didnt want to bother ho to leave the door open to dry. Really was mostly concerned about the exposed steel.


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## 1camper (Feb 17, 2013)

Self etching primer works great. Not the stuff in the rattle can tho.. Napa auto sells real self etch if you don't know where to find it. It's 1:1 mix and is only good for 12 hrs typically. I'd agree with a chemical strip also.


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

The main entrance of a house is like a crown. If done right, it can be a masterpiece!


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

Thanks for the help, pt. This is ppg "brick dust" on the door. The homeowner cleaned her brass knob with some fine sandpaper and steel wool. The door pops now. Homeowner loves it and couldn't stop staring at her door.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

sincere painter said:


> The main entrance of a house is like a crown. If done right, it can be a masterpiece!


One designer with whom we worked on quite a few projects used to say that she wanted the front entry "to say hello to the street". 

The "Brick Dust" door looks great, by the way. I gotta say, though, that I would have steered them in another direction: away from something so close to the brick color. OTOH, as one old painter once told me, "It's all white to me."


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

Yes I did. I wanted something that wouldn't clash with the shutters. Deep green, navy or black bean or mid to deep tone Carmel or something. I really tried. She dug her heals in. Good thing it was a deeper red.


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## sincere painter (Apr 14, 2010)

Maybe this shows the door better.


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