A quick garage refresh is simple and inexpensive, especially when your doors are wood or metal and respond well to exterior paint. Our double garage has one large metal door (painted to resemble two separate doors), so two coats of black semi-gloss exterior latex transformed it in no time. The paint itself cost roughly $20.
We always felt the old maroon color looked dated, and a glossy black finish would give our nearly 20-year-old garage an instant update. Glidden’s Dark Secret provided a crisp, classic look that did exactly what we wanted. Before starting, we protected the driveway with large cardboard pieces to prevent drips on the concrete.
During the project we grabbed a quick in-progress photo — John painted an impromptu diagonal stripe right before the shot. It was a lighthearted moment in an otherwise straightforward job.
The after picture shows how much difference a couple of hours and a fresh coat of paint can make. We started around 5:30 p.m. and were racing the setting sun, but finished comfortably before dusk — painting in fading light would have been messy and difficult.
For application we used a wool/poly roller to lay down most of the paint; foam rollers tend to introduce bubbles and an uneven texture, so we avoid them for this work. An angled brush handled the cracks and edge trim. The first coat set us up for an easy second coat, which went on faster and delivered full coverage. It’s a nice feeling to come home to what looks like a new garage, and when our house was recently appraised the appraiser even asked if we’d replaced the garage — a great return for a $20 project.
Are you planning any painting projects this spring? Small updates like painting a front door or refreshing terra cotta pots can have a big visual impact. We’d love to hear what you’re tackling next and what colors are on your to-do list.