Painting a PVC / Composite Door

[Deleted User]

Hello

Had a white composite / PVC looking door installed in our rental house which we are now buying, door is only around two years old

Would like to update it with a different fancy colour, been looking at Farrow & Ball (pricey)

Fence woodwork is in a dark sea green colour from Cuprinol

Anyone have any advice on good paint brands for this type of job, and prep involved as varying sources disagree

Seen a few doors of this type with a white surround and nicely coloured door

Many thanks

Furts

Composite doors have a woodgrain pattern fibreglass skin, and this is not meant to be painted. If you did coat it then it is a certainty the guarantee will become void.

With pvcu doors they are meant to be white and not meant to be painted. Again any painting will void the guarantee.

But these issues aside, getting a decent and durable paint finish will not be easy. Further, gradual wear, peeling and damage will make the door look dreadful - you will see the white showing through.

All round I suggest your idea of painting is a poor idea.

Doozergirl

I would not risk it either. I know people do it sometimes but you never see photos of it a year down the line.

Weird stuff happening with punctuation today. It!!!8217;s all fun and games on here recently!

Pupnik

I'm in the process of ordering a (bright yellow) composite door and asked this question as I was thinking I might like a change in future. I was told composite doors are coloured all the way through the outer layer so as not to fade, and are not designed to be painted so they don't recommend it.

Personally I think paint won't work, I expect it would just peel off, but I don't see why spray paint designed for metal surfaces (I think the outer skin is steel?) wouldn't work, although it might need frequent touching up and that might be a pain. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has painted or sprayed a composite door and how well it was able to stand up to the elements.

Furts

Pupnik wrote: »

I'm in the process of ordering a (bright yellow) composite door


Personally I think paint won't work, I expect it would just peel off, but I don't see why spray paint designed for metal surfaces (I think the outer skin is steel?)

Be careful with your colour choice. Cars have a poor track record with bright yellow paint being attacked by uv light. Certainly both Ford and Vauxhall have a record of problems with fading and discolouring. I think I have also seen faded Volkswagens. Perhaps that is why few yellow cars exist these days - the manufacturers are not keen on come backs?

Outer skins on composite doors are fibreglass, one brand is upvc. It only becomes steel if you move into specialist prices. Hence for coating composite doors it will be specialist paints, or multi purpose paint.

Pupnik

Furts wrote: »

Be careful with your colour choice. Cars have a poor track record with bright yellow paint being attacked by uv light. Certainly both Ford and Vauxhall have a record of problems with fading and discolouring. I think I have also seen faded Volkswagens. Perhaps that is why few yellow cars exist these days - the manufacturers are not keen on come backs?

Outer skins on composite doors are fibreglass, one brand is upvc. It only becomes steel if you move into specialist prices. Hence for coating composite doors it will be specialist paints, or multi purpose paint.

Thanks, that's good to know. It's a North-facing door so hopefully won't get bombarded with too much UV. I was concerned about how composite doors do over time as they're still fairly new, but timber was so expensive. They said the colour wouldn't fade as the colour is all the way through not just on the top - but we shall see!

Furts

Pupnik wrote: »

Thanks

They said the colour wouldn't fade as the colour is all the way through not just on the top - but we shall see!

Unfortunately this is a typical sales statement made by sales folks who believe their ignorance is bliss! Look at any piece of brown plastic guttering, or terracotta plastic drain pipe, or black ducting - all these have through colour and all fade.

But also composite doors are not all through coloured - many are white as standard and then sprayed to give the finished colour.

Have a look at your chosen door and reassure yourself, though north facing should be OK, especially if you have a porch for protection.

lg13mza

I've been told that the fading yellow paint with cars from a few years ago has been resolved more recently. Like yellowing white satinwood paint from a few years ago the composition has been allowed to be changed to combat it. I hope so anyway, the wife had a yellow Mk1 Seat leon that suffered from this. She changed it last year for a new yellow DS3!