How to Remove Exterior Metal Door Paint

Exterior doors need to be repainted periodically to protect them from the elements.

Exterior doors on your home take a lot of abuse. The rain, wind and sun attack the door constantly and the only protection the door has is the thin layer of paint that coats the wooden surface. This elemental assault eventually takes its toll on the paint, so, the paint must be periodically replaced to insure the protection of the door. The first step in replacing the paint on your exterior door is removing the old paint from the wood.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Rubber mallet
• 2 buckets (1 gallon)
• 2 saw horses
• Paint thinner
• Clean, dry rags
• 5-in-1 painter's putty knife
• Palm sander with heavy, medium and fine grit sandpapers
• Heavy rubber gloves

Instructions

1. Remove the door from the hinges. Place the tip of your screwdriver against the bottom of the lowest hinge pin of the door. Tap the handle of the screwdriver to knock the pin up and out of the hinge. Remove the middle hinge pin. Hold the door closed with your shoulder and remove the top pin. Twist the door knob, pull the door free and place it across your saw horses.

2. Remove the kick plate from the door with your screwdriver. Take the door knob assembly off along with the strike plate, bolt lock and hinge halves. Place all of the retaining screws and hardware from the door into one of your buckets and set it aside with the kick plate until you are ready to replace them on the door.

3. Pour paint thinner into your empty bucket. Dip a rag into the thinner and wipe the door on both sides and around the edges to loosen the paint. Allow 15 minutes for the thinner to loosen the paint and begin to evaporate.

4. Scrape away the old, loose paint from the door with your putty knife. Gently cut away the paint in the grooves and corners with the point of your 5-in-1 putty knife. Remove as much paint from the door as possible with the putty knife while being careful not to damage the wood. Wipe the door with a thinner soaked rag to soften the remaining paint. Allow 1 hour for the thinner to evaporate completely.

5. Sand the entire door with heavy grit sandpaper to remove the remaining paint. Switch to medium grit sandpaper and go over the door again to remove any blemishes in the wood. Switch to fine grain sandpaper to achieve a smoothly prepared door that is ready for a new coat of paint. Wipe down the door with clean, dry rags to remove dust to complete the job.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear rubber gloves when working with paint thinner to protect your skin from the harsh chemicals.

• Dispose of used thinner and contaminated gloves and rags in a manner that is legal and friendly to the environment.

References

• Hammerzone: Re-Painting a Steel Door