Fixing a sunken front porch: Part 2/6

Welcome back to the 6 part series of my front porch makeover.

This is part 2/6, and I will be showing how I re-finished my screen door.

This post contains affiliate links to products I used and recommend.

This part of the porch was one of the quicker items I did, which was nice since there were much bigger items I had to accomplish. It was pretty budget friendly too. Ill break down the steps I took and the cost.

materials:

Check out my amazon storefront that has links to all of the tools I used.

Step 1: Removing the door & Old Rust

This door was in pretty bad shape. It functioned ok, minus the screen and glass attachment panels being loose from broken screen door holders. I even had a neighbor come and ask me if I was painting my door brown. From the street, it did kinda look like I was painting it brown… that is how much rust had taken over the front of it.

I started by using my drill and tried to remove the screws in the hinges to remove the door from the door frame. I got a few screws out, only to realize that they the rest of them were stripped out, or had been painted in so many times that I couldn’t fit the screw head into them.

So I opted to leave the hinges attached, and instead used a hex head to remove the screen door from the frame of the doorway instead.

Once I got it removed, I brought it out to my yard and propped it up on two buckets I had to elevate it off of the grass. I placed a sheet under the door to catch any paint overspray and rust dust.

I then used a wire brush, and scrubbed and scrubbed the chipping paint and rust away from the metal. It took a little while, but it came off pretty good.

I thought about using sand paper as well, but knew that it wasn’t going to look completely brand new, and there would be bumps and divots here and there. I chose not to strip it alllll the way down, and take it somewhere to get powder coated, but honestly that would have been the best long term option. It just was not the most budget or time friendly option.

After I had scrubbed off the rust I used a cloth to remove dust and debris from the surface. Then came masking!

Step 2: Rust treatment

I tried to remove the door handle, but like the hinges, I wasn’t having any luck, so I opted to keep it on, and just mask it. I used painters tape, and covered the handle, and any brass areas that I didn’t want painted black.

Then I used this rust reformer spray paint. I LOVE THIS STUFF.

I feel like I can’t say that enough. It is good stuff. I love the way it looks all by itself, as a paint too on non- rusted surfaces.

I have used it on a few projects now, and I am hooked.

I did one good coat all over the rusted areas, and everywhere else too. Then I flipped the door over after it was dry and did the same thing to the backside.

Step 3: Painting the final coat

After all of the rust reforming paint primer coat has dried, its time to paint the top coat.

I loved the look of the flat black sheen on the metal, so that is what I chose. When it comes to sheens of paint there are pros and cons to both ends of the spectrum.

The flatter a paint, the less imperfections will show up on textured surfaces, but it can show scuffs, and dings more easily and may be difficult to clean. The more sheen a paint has, the more the texture will show up, but it may be easier to wipe down and clean as well. Its just about choosing what is right for you. I chose flat paint to help even out the textured metal, and am interested to see how it hold up over time.

Spray in slow even strokes, as to not create any pile up or dripping. I ended up doing 2 coats.

Step 4: Re- Attach door & Screen Fix

I re-hung the door reversing the steps I took to remove it. It worked great.

_{(You have to be careful not to paint doors in general too heavily, or then might not fit back into the casing. This is very true for interior doors, but this door had plenty of space and fit great.})

This step may not be something you need to do, and I honestly forgot to take any before photos. The screen before had holes in it, and was sagging a lot.

I purchased some screen material, and cut it to size.

I used the same cord that was already in the screen, which was helpful with the way it was bent already, and it was in good shape. It is too cracked, you will also need to replace this part.

I laid the screen material over the frame, pressed the cord in, and used the screen tool ( I found at a garage sale for $1) and pressed the cord in.

I also attached new brackets into the door to hold the screen in. These were a cheap addition that helped to hold that screen door in much better than before.

Here is the cost breakdown:

Item	#	$	I Already had?
Wire Brush	1	$8.65	X
Screen presser tool	1	$3.97	X
Rust Reformer Spray Paint	2	$26.29
Rust stop spray paint in flat black	2	$13.96
Drill for removing the door	1	$99	X
Tack cloth	1	$0	X
New screen holder brackets	2	$11.34
screen material	1	$8.99	X
Painters Tape	1	$4.49	X
Screen cord material	1	$9.99	X
TOTAL:		$186.68	I paid: $51.59

These costs are based off of the best prices I could find online, I already had a bunch of the items on hand from previous projects, so I didn’t count the costs towards this project.

AND that’s it.

It made such a huge difference to have the rust gone, and I love how bold the black on black is. Next up on the porch makeover is part 3, where I will be showing how I painted the railings, and the mailbox hanger. Thanks for being here.

To see part 1 of this porch makeover go here.

Here is part ones video as well:

-Amanda