# Painting new Andersen 4000 Bronze storm door



## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

I was at everyone's favorite paint store (HD) last evening when one of the guys in millwork who knows I am a painter brought an old couple to ask me a question. The couple have just pruchased a home in a gated community and have been doing a few things there prior to moving in. One of these things was having a bronze (actually a very dark brownish-gray) Andersen series 4000 storm door installed that looks like this, including the screen:

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/70/1a/87/...a2cd37--andersen-screen-doors-storm-doors.jpg

They paid about $700.00 for it (including installation I am guessing, as the doors are about half that price.). Now they find out from the homeowners association that only white storm doors are allowed and that they have 10 days to either remove the storm door or have it painted.

I have not painted many storm doors. I did paint one a couple years ago that was about 40 years old with jalousie windows. I cleaned it up really good and just used an exteriorprimer and satin paint because they were selling the house. Even though I brushed it, it was hard to tell it wasn't sprayed. 

I have my doubts that I could do a good enough job the Andersen door I am speaking of without spraying it, and I am no expert on spraying  . I am wondering what those here would use to prep, prime and paint a brand new Andersen storm door, basically from very dark brown to white.

Any suggestions on whether to sand or chemically degloss the exterior of this door? What primer and paint would you use? If I do paint this door, I will probably brush it out with the same artists brush I used for the jalousie storm door I did several years ago. If it really should be sprayed, I could go see my favorite paint store guy at the local BM dealer and ask if there are any cracker jack sprayers he knows.

Some of the materials, such as dark brown nylon on the hinges, might not be able to be painted. I might be able to special order just the hinges.

I would like to help these folks if I can. They are nice and it might be a way to get my foot into this gated community for future work, even if I don't end up painting this particular door. I am going to guess that it will cost over half of what they paid to paint this door white.

Any thoughts wopuld be appreciated. If I left anything out, let me know. And yes, I do know that Gardz is only for interior use.

futtyos


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## Romanski (May 4, 2008)

Just use some rattle cans.

Take it off and scuff and use gloss off. Find a good industrial enamel and just give it a couple of coats. Pretty sure that would be the easiest. I've had success with Rustoleum High Performance Enamel. Do a test spot to see if you need to use a primer spray.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

Yup. Rattle cans. Probably about 4 or 5 (figuring on about 4 or 5 real thin coats) of rustoleum. Easy.


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

I advised the couple to just get a new door in all white. They told me that that was the decision that they were inclined to make and appreciated my input. Hopefully they will call me in the future for other work.

futtyos


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

Why did they buy the door in that color in the first place? Couldn't they see that all the others were white? I guess having a lot of money doesn't make you smart! :biggrin:


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

Brushman4 said:


> Why did they buy the door in that color in the first place? Couldn't they see that all the others were white? I guess having a lot of money doesn't make you smart! :biggrin:


The husband is a retired attorney. He and his wife just paid about 750,000.00 for a new townhouse in a gated community. They have not yet moved from their old house yet, which is on the market for 1,210,000.00. I would say he and his wife are entitled a a mistake here and there.

futtyos


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

futtyos said:


> The husband is a retired attorney. He and his wife just paid about 750,000.00 for a new townhouse in a gated community. They have not yet moved from their old house yet, which is on the market for 1,210,000.00. I would say he and his wife are entitled a a mistake here and there.
> 
> futtyos


As I said having a lot of money, does not make you smart! It's you're job to tell these people they are delusional.


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

*wealth and intelligence*



Brushman4 said:


> As I said having a lot of money, does not make you smart! It's you're job to tell these people they are delusional.


Brushman, do you really think that it is my place to tell a retired attorney that he is delusional for making an insignificant mistake of installing the wrong color storm door in their new 3/4 million dollar townhouse while sitting with him and his wife in their beautiful million dollar+ home? Who is being delusional here?

If anything, I probably was delusional for not just telling them straight up at Home depot that they should not waste their time trying to paint a dark brown (bronzetone) storm door with detachable window and screen to white. While at their old house, I mentioned how good their white storm door looked. They said it was 15 years old. I told them that i did not think a white paint job over a baked on bronzetone finish would last as long and look as good as how their old storm looked after 15 years.

Like some here might be inclined to think, I wonder about the intelligence of some rich folks and how they are able to survive by the end of each day while I struggle to make a living. I think that I may be more delusional for looking down at them for being what I consider stupid instead of just thinking that some people are better at some things than others and that they are better than I at accumulating wealth.

If the average Joe or Joan could paint as well as those of us here at Paint Talk AND were inclined to do so, this forum might not exist.

I look at this little encounter with this storm door challenged couple as an opportunity to let them know who I am and what services I can offer them. I planted a seed, whether it will grow or not, I don't know, but i do know that if I did not plant that seed, I am guaranteed that nothing will sprout.

futtyos


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## ParamountPaint (Aug 25, 2016)

I would have probably sold them a new white storm door with install.

I do despise storm door installs, though. 

You did right...no sense in trying to repaint a door that probably was like $350. If they have the money, which it sounds like they do, better to take the lump and replace the thing.

Lessons learned.


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