# What paint should I use to paint front door? Why using Urethane in paint?



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

The only way to achieve "no brush marks" is to spray the door. The best paint jobs I've seen on doors is when the door is taken off and an automotive paint is sprayed on. Those doors come out awesome. You could also spray the Emerald, but, I don't think it will look as good as the automotive paint.

If you can't do that or don't have access to a sprayer, use a mohair roller and apply a direct to metal paint. You will get some roller stipple (ever so slightly with the mohair) but you won't have brush marks.


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## VAProPainter (Jan 29, 2014)

I would use Ben Moore Aura exterior. It comes in whatever sheen you would like and if you apply it with a whizz microfiber mini-roller it levels out beautifully. It is also a very tough finish.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I've sprayed a lot of steel doors over the years, never with an automotive paint but the ones sprayed with oil base gloss enamel resembled an automotive finish. Not all steel doors are suitable for oil base paint! Some are spec'd latex only because the metal is thin and any movement of the sheet metal with temp changes can pop oil base paint.

Thinning the paint slightly and using a quality brush along with a good brushing technique will reduce brush marks. Sanding between coats also helps. If using a latex coating, adding Flood's Floetrol or XIM's Xtends to the paint will slow down the drying time which helps the paint flow together better.

Not all steel doors look best sprayed, if there are any dings or other defects in the door a sprayed glossy paint will highlight them.


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## woodco (Jun 11, 2017)

The problem with these waterborne urethanes, is they 'mar' VERY easy. They are bullet proof, and look beautiful sprayed, but if you even lightly drag the back of a fingernail on it, it leaves a permanent mark. BM gave me a gallon of INSLX cabinet coat. (another waterborne urethane) I test sprayed two coats of pure white on a new door, (the dark brown shiny kind) with no primer or sanding. It covered GREAT. Looked GORGEOUS, and 1/2 hour later, you couldnt scratch it with a fingernail. a month later, I barely drug the backside of a fingernail., and you can see the track... Its a real bummer. SW gave me a sample of the emerald, and its not as hard, and the same marring effect still happens. Also, emerald is $80 a gallon retail. You can go to Kelly moore and get a quart of Durapoxy, for much less, that wont mar. It wont look quite as beautiful though. Breakthrough from PPG is a very similar product, and it doesnt mar. Of course, I heard breakthough is now lower VOC, which means its not as durable as it used to be. 

Thats the problem. Low VOC=lower durability...

I would skip the emerald urethane, and just use the semi gloss version of the siding paint. Especially if you can get it in a quart, instead of paying for a full gallon.

If you dont want brush marks.... dont brush it.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

There's no way in hell you're going to get a brush mark free finish using Emerald that's for damn sure. And whatever roller you use, no matter what nap thickness it is, you'll get a stipple in the finish. Emerald is the most over rated and over price paints you can buy. Why do you think the SW robots push it so much?


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

Quick test. Two coats Emerald trim enamel (white) vs superpaint (thistle). With superpaint, you can see brush strokes all the way across. The emerald mostly leveled out except the deepest troughs. I think with a softer brush, lighter strokes, roller, etc. you could make it look darn close to spraying.


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