The hardest decision to make on the garage is not about ventilation or the horsepower of the door opener but the color to put on the door.
Your color choice will depend on many factors, but the main consideration is curb appeal.
Accordingly, Are Black Garage Doors a Bad Idea?
It’s going to depend on your area’s climate and a few other things. If you live in a cold climate – YES; in a hot climate – NO. Fortunately, there’s a new class of black paints engineered to avoid some of the problems associated with black, including overheating. Still, you will need to ensure your black garage door is compatible with the exterior style of your garage/property.
See Also: What Should You Do If Your Garage Door Remote Is Stolen?
When ARE Black Garage Door A Bad Idea?
Here’s when not to put black paint on your garage door:
1. If You Live In A Hot And Sunny Climate
Black is a magnet for heat. However, whether your black garage door will be a magnet for heat may largely depend on the direction of the door and your area’s climate.
If the door is facing the direction of the sun and your area is sunny most of the time, then prepare to work in a baking hot garage.
How?
The physics of this problem is that black surfaces absorb all the seven wavelengths of light, converting them into heat. That’s why solar heaters are painted black.
White is the direct opposite – it reflects all those wavelengths, so the temperature on white surfaces tends to stay low even in super-hot conditions.
The fact that black surfaces hold heat longer than lighter surfaces could complicate matters even further.
Problems Associated with Hot Black Doors
Warping
This problem is reported often in non-metallic doors, especially those made from wood.
Warping is a product of moisture imbalance between the wood and the environment.
In hot climates, nights are hotter than daytimes, meaning temperatures tend to change rapidly in the mornings and evenings.
These changes cause wood to lose moisture erratically, warping in the process. Sudden temperature changes can produce dramatic results, including cracking and splitting.
Choose A Hardwood Door
Fortunately, nowadays, most ‘wooden’ garage doors are not solid wood / solid boards. Instead, manufacturers use several hardwood sheets (redwood, cedar, etc.).
These woods are less vulnerable to moisture changes, moisture, and rot which means they are less prone to noises, warping, and moisture-induced rot.
Hot Interior
Another problem associated with black doors is their tendency to transfer the accumulated heat into the rest of the garage.
Things can be worse if you are dealing with a metal-based door because metals are so good at conducting heat.
A hot garage could bloat your energy bills because the fan or AC machine needs to run longer.
Fading and Peeling
Black doors, especially metal-based doors, are prone to fading.
That’s because black surfaces absorb more UV rays to add to the accumulated heat.
Both the UV rays and heat deteriorates black paint, causing it to lose its luster.
2. Incompatible With House
Don’t go for a black door if the color won’t match the outdoor style of your garage.
And since the garage and the rest of your property are one unit, the color of the garage needs to be in line with the rest of the property.
A black door on a light-colored property may reduce the value of your home as some buyers will be reluctant to buy and add their favorite color.
External paintwork (whether it’s on the door or not) should improve the curb appeal of your property.
Other Disadvantages Of Black Paint:
Black Conceals Dirt
A fresh coat of black paint shines with a pleasant gloss, but it’s the worst color at concealing such flaws and dirt as scratches, splattered mud, smoke from your car, stains, grime, and dust.
Visibility Issues
It’s harder to see and identify a black gate at night than a light-colored gate.
It makes it risky to reverse into the garage especially if the lighting in and around your garage is poor.
All these issues with the black paint, especially overheating, tend to be more profound in metallic doors than any other material.
As such, the mere fact that your garage door is metallic should make you change it or opt for a lighter color.
So, When Should You Paint Your Garage Door Black?
Black can be a great color in certain situations.
For instance, if the style on the exterior of your garage is all for it, why not put it on the door?
It could reduce your heating costs in the winter because black doesn’t lose or radiate heat as readily as white paint.
1. Black Paint Reflects Heat
If you can lay your hands on any of the latest black paints designed to reflect heat, then go for it to remove overheating problem.
2. Cold Climate
The garage and the rest of the home will demand more heating in the winter than any other time of the year.
If you live in a climate zone with a long cold season, you will be inclined to boost the space’s energy efficiency at all costs.
One of the proven ways is to paint your doors and even the rest of your home with black or hues of black.
Black is the color of energy efficiency because it absorbs most heat and doesn’t lose it easily.
You don’t need to paint the whole property pitch black. Make the door dark black and opt for a greyish hue on the rest of the property.
Top 22 Hues of Black
There are actually 134 shades of black, meaning you can accompany a black garage door with almost any other exterior color.
Here are the 22 most recognizable shades.
Other advantages of black paint
1. Black Goes Together With Many Other Colors
As mentioned above, there’s a shade of black to accompany any color you choose.
As such, you can mix and match to meet your specific taste and satisfy your creativity.
For instance, with a black door, you can add pretty any other color on the door wrap, say, blue or green, and everything would still look great.
2. A Black Door Can Serve As A Focal Point
If you would like to shift the attention from the rest of the property to the garage, paint your property with light paint and put black on the garage door.
Visitors will look at the garage first before anything.
Hereof, What’s The Perfect Color For The Garage door?
There’s no perfect color for garage doors, unfortunately. But there’s a general rule that can guide you through your choices.
Choose the default white or opt for the same color as the dominant coat on your garage or the rest of the property.
Going for the same color as the rest of the property may work for you because it makes the home look bigger than it actually is.
Conclusion
So, are black garage doors a bad idea? There’s no straight answer to that question.
It’s a bad idea if you live in a hot climate and vice versa. Black can turn your garage door into the focal point of your homestead.
