Has it been a while since your garage door has wowed anyone? Perhaps it's time to add some visual pizzazz to it with a fresh coat or two. Refreshing your garage door not only gives your home more curb appeal, but it also protects your door from the rough treatment the elements can dish out. However, repainting your garage door isn't just a matter of slapping on a new coat of paint and calling it a day. These 3 great tips can help you rejuvenate your garage door's appearance without turning it into a complete disaster.

Always Get Rid of That Old Paint First

You'd be surprised at the number of homeowners who decide to paint over chipped and peeling paint out of sheer convenience. Contrary to popular belief, laying a new layer of paint over an old layer won't cover up its flaws, no matter how many coats you use. Not only does it leave your garage door with a less than professional appearance, but the new paint will simply chip and fall off along with the old paint underneath. Once that happens, your garage door's looks will go from bad to worse.

Before adding any new paint, scrape and sand away as much of the old layers as possible. Don't forget to clean the resulting debris from your freshly sanded surfaces and make sure none of the debris falls into nearby pans or buckets of fresh paint or other freshly painted surfaces.

Neutral Colors Always Work in a Pinch

If you don't have a particular paint scheme in mind, you can always stick with a neutral color such as beige, white or grey. These colors, along with off-white shades, work with practically any building color or material type, which is why most garage doors come in white or beige straight from the factory.

In some cases, however, white or beige can make your garage door clash with the rest of your home décor. Fortunately, you can give your garage door a neutral appearance by painting it in a lighter or darker shade of your home's main color. This way, your garage door won't end up being the focal point for your home.

Be Careful with Contrasting Colors

If you want to use a non-neutral color for your garage door or if you want to bring out the various decorative elements in the door itself, a contrasting paint scheme is the way to go. However, you should be careful how you choose your contrasting paint. After all, you won't want to use a color that causes your garage door to visually dominate the rest of your home.

To keep your garage door from becoming your home's focal point, it's important to choose colors that, while providing contrast, also won't cause your garage door to clash strongly with the rest of your home. Here are a few key points to keep in mind:

• For most garage doors, you'll want to use a single contrasting color that visually complements your home's main color scheme. A color wheel guide can help you choose one that offers the best complementary appearance for your home.
• Avoid painting the garage door with the same accent color used for the front door or shutters. However, feel free to paint the garage door trim in the same accent color, so that it matches the rest of your home.
• Be careful with using an additional color to bring out the decorative details of your garage door. While there are a number of doors that allow you to do just that (as long as the right contrasting colors are used), most garage doors are meant to be painted in one solid color.

Keep the above advice in mind as you tackle your next garage door painting project. You can also get in contact with a company like A AAA Allstate Door Company if you want to replace your door rather than paint it.