ARE BLACK GARAGE DOORS A BAD IDEA?

Protecting your garage and your home is the main job of a garage door, but it isn’t its only function. It also acts to enhance the aesthetics of your home. That’s why it’s a must to choose the right paint for your garage door.

One of the colors people want to use most on their garage doors is black. But due to a lot of professionals discouraging this, people naturally ask, “are black garage doors a bad idea?”.

Black garage doors have more disadvantages than advantages. They make the interior of the garage warmer, cause the garage to become energy inefficient, and make dirt and other stains stand out more. They also fade away more quickly than other paints. 

Let’s take a deeper look at why it is a bad idea to paint your garage doors black. 

Why you shouldn’t paint your garage doors black

When choosing a paint, most homeowners at first go for looks rather than functionality. And the choice of color for most of them is black, it doesn’t matter if it is the exterior walls or the garage doors. So, do black garage doors look good?

Of course, it does. But is it the best choice for your garage door? Sadly, it isn’t, and here are the reasons why:

It makes the garage interior warmer

Black paints absorb the most heat out of any paint out there. So, if you put this paint on your garage door, where it directly faces the rays coming from the sun, it will only get warmer and warmer as the day goes on, making the garage interior warmer as well. This will make the inside of the garage impossible to stay in.

So if you want to make your garage’s inside impossible to stay in, we would suggest you refrain from painting your garage door black. 

Also, it is extremely uncomfortable for sensitive people. They will get sunburnt, dehydrated, and start suffering from other heat-related issues quite often due to the extra heat produced by black garage door paints.

The garage becomes energy inefficient

As the garage becomes warmer and warmer, you have to eventually install an AC in it for you to be able to stay in it. This bumps up the cost of putting black paint on your door. In addition to that, the AC units have to work more to keep the garage cool enough as the temperature rises.

As it happens, the energy expenditure goes up. As the energy expenditure goes up, so do your electric bills. So not only is putting black paint on your garage door making the garage energy efficient, but it also makes you spend a lot more money than you planned to. So are black garage doors more expensive? Yes, they are. 

They make stains and dirt stand out

When you pick a color for your exterior, including garage doors, you want the paint to hide stains and dirt as much as possible. Otherwise, your house won’t look as good as others with better paints. Black paints on your garage door can’t hide dirt and stains on your door properly, rather they enhance them.

So unlike paints of lighter colors, you will be left with a dirty-looking garage door, and the worst part is it will look dirtier than it already is. It also becomes a pain in the bottom to clean them.  So if you want a cleaner-looking garage, you should invest in paints that hide dirt and stains well.

Black paint fades more quickly than other paints

When compared to white paint, people often ask, do black garage doors cost more than white? They do because not only does black paint not hide stains and dirt marks, but they also fade more quickly than white ones.

So you have to repaint your garage door more often, making black paint more expensive. 

They cause the wooden garage doors to warp

While black paints are very good conductors of heat, wood isn’t. So when You put black paint on your garage door, it heats up quicker than wooden doors. As a result, there is a huge difference between the temperature of the door and the paint, which causes the moisture from the door’s wood to go away, causing the door to warp. 

When that happens, your wooden door will break, bend or crumble, leading you to call garage door repair services. So if you don’t want to spend a lot even after applying paint, you should apply other paints on your garage door. 

They make your house look smaller

If you are stuck deciding between black or white garage doors, know this, white garage doors easily complement the color of your exterior while black ones don’t. Black paints actually make your house look smaller than it is. It also makes your home a lot less inviting. 

What colors are good for your garage doors?

So what color should you use if you can’t use black garage door paint? Here are a few options for you to ponder about:

• White: It is the most popular color for garage doors, and for a good reason. It complements the exterior of the house well, It doesn\’t absorb much heat, and it looks gorgeous on a garage door.

• Brown: Another popular choice for garage doors is brown paint. They give the garage door and the house a classy look and do well to hide dirt and stain, while also being energy efficient. 

• Gray: A color that epitomizes sophistication and class, Gray paint gives your garage door a classy and stable look. It also complements the usual exterior paint colors as well. They are also very energy efficient and hide various dirt marks and stains well.

Final Words

Are black garage doors a bad idea? If you aren’t living in extremely cold conditions, yes they are. If you are looking for classy yet functional garage door paint, go for gray, brown, or white paint. Not only will they save you a lot of money and trouble, but they will also ensure your house retains its curb appeal. 

FAQs