This is our method for restoring a faded composite door.
Composite doors aren’t supposed to fade. However we are seeing more and more of them with problems such as fading, discolouring and peeling. It seems to be more of a problem with the cheaper, lower end quality doors and particularly if they are south facing. This was the case with the composite front door in the photo above. When the sun is out it hits the door from around 8.00am in the morning until mid afternoon. There is a canopy above the door which provides shade. This has resulted in the bottom half fading but the top half retaining its colour.
Our first job when restoring a faded composite door is to remove it in most cases. This makes it easier to work with. We don’t have to mask up around the doorway and laying it flat allows us to get thicker even coats on. The handle, letterbox, hinges and door knocker are removed. We then mask up the reverse of the door and any glazed panels. All surface dirt and grime is removed with a solvent based cleaner. Using fine scotch pads we remove any peeling coating and lightly abrade the surface. It is then given a final clean.
A light dust coat of our specialist UPVC coating is applied. If there are any contaminants remaining on the door the paint will react and need further cleaning. Once this coat has dried without any adverse reaction we then apply another 2/3 coats. The door in the photos needed the dust coat and a further 3 coats to get solid coverage. After 30-45 minutes we are able to remove the masking and re-hang the door.
The coating we use to spray paint composite doors is very tough yet flexible and contains UV protection. We are happy to provide a 10 year guarantee on our work and the paint.
