Motorized Garage Screen Painting

[Babbs1957]

I have a motorized garage screen that rolls straight up and down. It is currently tan to go with the tan home. Due to the condition of the exterior paint, I am repainting the home an approved gray with the appropriate approved color trim. The screen color will obviously not work.

So here is the question:
Has anyone spray painted their garage screen? I will be using my HVLP paint sprayer that I use to paint cars, so I know a brush or rattle can would not work. I can't find any info online and the screen company said no, but they will replace it for an exorbitant cost. I know it can be replaced for the color I want, but that's a whole new system just for a color change.

The screen was painted by the manufacturer initially, so I am confident it can get another coat of something, just curious of anyone's success and what they used.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[RICH1]

I must follow this screen painting post. Awesome idea. This could be better than the epoxy floor business..

[thelegges]

So are you just wanting to paint the screen roller & enclosure above the door? Or also the aluminum frame that comes down. While in Miami there was a house that had an art deco theme on their screen roller to match the driveway art. It looked to be a skin. The screen down looked like tropical scene screens on birdcages. There is a local company that uses them for re screen , but don’t remember name sorry

[villagetinker]

I would contact paint manufacturers as you will need a FLEXIBLE paint that can be applied over the screening. Automotive bumper paints have an additive that keep the paint soft, so it does not crack. Also, there are some people that paint birdcage screening with artistic screens, if you can locate one of them you can see if they can help.

[CarlR33]

The screen company said no (I assume to painting the screen) for a reason. Sadly, it does not sound like they can just install another screen color into the current roller system? Another idea might be take a picture of the screens and post online for sale and see if you can get some money out of them and order the correct color. Still a great deal of cost I’m sure but I am not sure I would tackle painting them and how they will look afterwards. If you end up painting them I would do it before redoing the house paint in case you get some overspray since I assume you would do it with them on the garage?

[C. C. Rider]

If you are asking about painting the screen mesh itself, I don't see how that would work without clogging the tiny openings in the screen mesh. This would not only block a substantial portion of the air flow from passing through the screen but would also block a substantial portion of your view when looking out through the screen.

Additionally, as mentioned above, the screen material needs to be flexible so that it can move as the wind blows against the screen. I would think that the added paint would dry on the screen and NOT be flexible.

Your best bet might be to see if you can sell your existing garage screen door at a reasonable price and then add some money to what you get from the sale and buy a new one that's made the way you want. Sometimes, attempts to adapt something for a use that it was never intended for simply ruins that thing for ANY use.

[airstreamingypsy]

The paint will clog up the air holes, and restrict the air flow so much the screen will be more like the garage door than a screen.

[CarlR33]

The paint will clog up the air holes, and restrict the air flow so much the screen will be more like the garage door than a screen.Most of the sprayers now you can adjust to put on a light first coat and that is not an issue.

[kcwhel]

I painted my aluminum clad patio doors with automotive acrylic and primer This lasted beautifully for 20 years until I replaced the door due to rotten frame.

[MarshBendLover]

I checked my roll down garage screen mesh size. It is 130 mesh. It also appears to be polyester with multiple strands woven together to form the horizontal lines for strength. Mine is probably at 20 years old, given the faded look, stretched sides and the wide garage was a add-on back in 05'.

If I sold it to make an upgrade, I doubt anyone is gonna pay more than a couple of hundred for a used screen and it would have to match their size vertically and horizontally, so I would say no on resale.

To match your exterior, the company probably only makes black, tan, gray, and white. What you want to do is match the color of the exterior or match the trim. There is a small test area on the inside, the top 2" all the way across cannot be seen from the outside, at least on mine. If you have same, you could test 2x12 sections of different types to see what worked best over a period of time. Acrylic paints are good for polyester. The paint for vinyl car seats has come along way just in the last 10 years.

BTW, window screens/patio/lanai (generally) are higher mesh to keep out all flying insects, while mesh size on garage doors are really designed to keep out the mosquito and larger items like lizards. If you had a smaller mesh (window type), I doubt you would have air flow and it would be quickly damaged. The polyester screen takes a lot of abuse by me and doesn't rip. Buildup on the mesh would be minuscule. Your probably going for something like a thin spray tan, not going to be doing a Tammy Faye Bakker cake-on.