What Are The Best Paint For Fiberglass Door In 2024?
This article aims to provide you with the best paint for fiberglass door. Some of you might be wondering: Aren’t standard paints applicable on fiberglass doors?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Beautiful as fiberglass doors might seem, they are quite troublesome when it comes to painting. They have a unique texture that resembles real wood, making them look very cool, but these doors are also tricky to deal with. If you choose the wrong kind of paint, your fiberglass door might end up in a disaster.
Without further ado, let’s check out this review and buying guide for useful information.
Buying Guide
Before purchasing any products, it would be useful to do some research about them. With that said, we are going to give you some detailed guidelines to help you.
Types Of Paint For Fiberglass Door
Like any other paints, fiberglass paints come in various degrees of shine or gloss. These include high gloss, regular gloss, and flat finishes. Because fiberglass doors have frequent exposure to water and sunlight, it is necessary to protect them from those external factors with a proper kind of paint. In this case, exterior paints will be the perfect choice.
Generally, there are three main types of fiberglass door paints.
- Acrylic Paint: For fiberglass doors, the IMO, 100% acrylic paint is undoubtedly the perfect option. Usually, Acrylic paint is ideal with a semi-gloss or satin finish.
But before you decide to purchase one, contact the manufacturer for useful information. Ask them whether it is water-based or not. By doing this, you’ll get the most eye-pleasing look for your fiberglass door, as well as avoid making your door look dull.
- Alkyd Paint: This particular paint contains oil. Like the Acrylic paint, this one is ideal for fiberglass doors. However, the only downside of this product is that it has a very long dry time.
It is advisable to leave the door open to dry out when you finish painting. However, the sunlight can be harmful, so beware.
For a better coating, you should remember to clean the paint surface regularly and ensure its dryness.
- Gel Stain: These products are perfect for exterior garage fiberglass doors. However, it requires clear varnish after painting. It is quite easy to apply this paint – all you need is a rag or a brush.
Application
Like other materials, fiberglass doors require a primer beforehand. It is crucial to choose a primer that is compatible with the paint you use.
Generally, most fiberglass paints are workable with urethane, epoxy, and latex primers. However, we do advise against etching primers. These can not work well with fiberglass paints. Never forget to check the product’s description for recommended topcoat paints, too.
It is not good to buy primers from one company and opt for paints from another manufacturer. Instead, you should purchase both in the same company if possible. By doing this, you can get the optimal results.
Also, it is vital to maintain consistency between the fiberglass resin and paint. Specifically, if your door is an epoxy resin fiberglass one, it would be best to opt for an epoxy-based paint. For polyester-resin fiberglass doors, a polyester-based paint is a right option.
Best Paint For Fiberglass Door Per Category
#1 Rust-Oleum 245199 Door Paint – Best Overall
The first product on our top list is the Rust-Oleum 245199 door paint. We regard it highly for its distinctive features, which make this paint the best overall.
With oil-based formula, this splendid paint works well on fiberglass doors. Not only that, it is perfectly applicable on other surfaces such as wood, plastic, metal, concrete, wicker, and vinyl. The paint is truly a panacea for all your discolored doors and furniture.
The product offers an extra advantage. It has a very short dry time, precisely what most painters desire. Only half an hour and the paint will completely dry to the touch.
The paint comes in 25 different colors, ranging from dark shades to light ones. Feel free to pick your favorite to give your door a better look!
As mentioned above, because this product is the best overall, it has nothing to complain about.
Pros
- Applicable on any surfaces
- Short dry time
- Many color options
Con
- None
#2 Minwax 260914444 Door Paint – Best For Vertical Applications
The next product we want to recommend is the Minwax 260914444 door paint. This particular product is well-known for its great vertical applications.
Most painters would agree it is challenging to do vertical applications such as doors and molding. But with this paint, the process becomes a piece of cake. The magic lies in the non-drip formula, making it ideal for painting on such vertical surfaces.
Aside from fiberglass, you can also paint it on both wood and non-wood surfaces, such as metal or veneer. It still retains the same performance on such materials.
Another worth-mentioning feature is the unique color options. It offers many wood colors with various degrees of gloss and shine, giving your door a beautiful look.
A friendly reminder with the paint is that it doesn’t come off easily from the skin. So before you paint, remember to equip yourself with gloves.
Pros
- Ideal for vertical applications
- Applicable on wood and non-wood surfaces
- Eye-pleasing wood color
Con
- Not come off easily from the skin
#3 Rust-Oleum 238313 Door Paint – Best Coating
Are you concerned that your fiberglass door will get discolored in next to no time? No more worries with the Rust-Oleum 238313 door paint.
The paint prides itself on the excellent coating. With oil-based formula, the paint creates a highly durable, protective coating. It is also resistant to external factors such as weather, corrosion, abrasion, fading, chipping, and rust.
If you intend to paint it on a satin surface, there is some extra good news. The paint offers a beautifully low-sheen look with a satin finish.
Unlike other low-quality products, it doesn’t take long for this paint to dry. You only need to wait for 1-2 hours, and it’s done.
The only downside of this product is its high price. But considering its many great features, it can be a worthwhile investment.
Pros
- Excellent coating
- Low-sheen look for satin finish
- Short dry time
Con
- A bit expensive
#4 Varathane 224459H Door Paint – Best Coverage
Last but not least, we recommend the Varathane 224459H door paint. If you have a lot of fiberglass doors waiting to be painted, this paint is the right option.
What is unique about this product is its considerably extensive coverage. With only one can of paint, you can cover up to 250 square feet. That is to say, this particular paint’s coverage is about twice as much as that of traditional oil-based counterparts. For the large painting project, it is the perfect choice.
It won’t take you ages to wait for the paint to dry. Just wait for an hour and then you can touch your door freely.
This product earns one plus point for its beautiful colors. There are nine red colors available, each of which has various degrees of gloss and shine.
Although you can apply this paint evenly with neither lap marks nor grain raise, there are some exceptions. It is not recommended for floors, decks, or siding.
Pros
- Extensive coverage
- 1-hour dry time
- Many colors available
Con
- Not recommended for floors, decks, or siding
FAQs
Q1: What Kind Of Paint Do You Use On A Fiberglass Door?
A: Aside from the paints we’ve recommended, you can try acrylic, epoxy-based or polyester-based paint. As mentioned before, epoxy resin paint is specifically designed for epoxy resin fiberglass doors. Similarly, polyester resin paint is exclusive for polyester resin counterparts.
Q2: Do You Have To Sand A Fiberglass Door Before Painting?
A: Not recommended. Since fiberglass doors usually have smooth surfaces, you can still have an enjoyable and smooth experience painting. Also, if you sand it too hard, your fiberglass door might end up losing its texture.
However, we do advise you to do some preparation before painting. It is perfectly fine to sand the wooden trim around glass insets. The ideal sandpaper to do this job is the 220-grit one. Then, get rid of sanding dust with a lint-free cloth that is dipped in acetone beforehand.
Q3: How Do You Paint A Textured Fiberglass Door?
A: For this type of fiberglass door, it is quite a challenging task. You should be extra careful and gentle when painting textured fiberglass doors.
First and foremost, open the paint can and stir it. This step requires some patience to succeed. It would be best if you stirred the paint slowly to get the paint evenly mixed.
Under no circumstances should you stir the paint rapidly. Otherwise, there may appear some unwanted air bubbles on the paint surface.
Next, dip the brush into the paint and paint accordingly. First comes the wooden trim around glass inserts, followed by the wood’s grain.
Red more: Best Exterior Primer For Bare Wood
Q4: Is It Better To Paint Or Stain A Fiberglass Door?
A: It depends.
For those who want to have a solid flat finish on their front doors, the ideal method is to paint. Because most fiberglass doors have smooth exterior designs, a painted finish is undoubtedly a wise choice.
It is widely believed that painted fiberglass doors offer more durability than their stained counterparts. More often than not, this assumption is valid.
However, it is not always the case. Many factors can significantly affect the durability of a fiberglass door’s finished surface. For example, the materials used, how well the painter does the job, the elements it gets exposed to, and the owner’s care.
Also, the amount and the intensity of sunlight play a big part in affecting the door’s finish. Therefore, it is virtually impossible to claim whether painting is better than staining and vice versa.
Q5: Can You Paint Over Stained Fiberglass Doors?
A: Yes, but only if you use an exterior Acrylic paint.
Acrylic paints have more excellent resistance to sunlight than other competitors. Only when you have already primed the surface could you apply exterior acrylic paint over a stained fiberglass door.
In this case, apply no less than two coats of exterior acrylic primer with a roller. It is advisable to use a natural-bristle brush.
Conclusion
So, what is your opinion? Have you already made up your mind about which one is the best paint for fiberglass door? We are sure the answer is a yes since our article already provides sufficient information that you need.
If you are still vague about which product to buy, you can go for our top pick – the Rust-Oleum 245199 door paint.
Lastly, thank you for taking your time to read! We hope this article has helped you a lot!
