Hi, folks,

I've always had issues when painting an exterior door that has weatherstripping in the frame. The paint can dry fine on the door, but once you hang it, inevitably the paint starts getting peeled off in a line where the door meets the weatherstripping (most notably on the hinge side). I suspect this is because, while the paint can be dry, it's not fully cured.

The problem is that the cure time for paints is measured in weeks. I can't leave the front door off the house (or even just ajar enough not to contact the weatherstripping) for days at a time until the paint cures.

Thoughts/solutions on this? My current front door is a great color I love, and it's good quality paint (Ben Moore Aura exterior paint) over a good primer (Stix) with reasonable prep (sanded, primed, sanded before finish coats and between coats, etc.). I just can't keep the paint from peeling off the door.

 

So your referring to the weather stripping in the door frame sticking to the freshly painted door?

I'd have to say I've painted a lot of doors over the years and never had that issue while allowing nothing more than a modest amount of dry time, 10-12 hours.

The only thing you mention that I have never done is used primer.

Doors from the factory come with a primer coat and anything that gets repainted just gets the paint scuffed down with a Scotch pad. It may be that the coat of paint is not allowing the primer to fully cure so even the slightest "stiction" is taking the paint off.

 

Most weatherstrips are removable. Whenever possible I remove the weatherstrip for 2-3 days.

 

Is it actually sticking to the weather stripping and peeling off?
How long before it starts to peel off?

I use strips of wax paper over the weather stripping. and we avoid using that door for a while.