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Perfect BM glossy black shade for front door?

SunnyCottage
11 years ago

I've been toying with the idea of painting the exterior of our front door for quite some time, and have now nixed all the numerous color choices I'd been considering. I want a black door. Glossy, shiny black! There is a black iron and glass storm/security door covering the front door, and the front door itself is currently a deep crimson red. The red with the black iron is jarring, but I believe a deep, glossy black will look very nice. I prefer to use Benjamin Moore, but when I looked at swatches on their website, once again I felt confused. All those black shades! I don't want a brown-black or a blue-black or a gray-black ... just a straight up black-black! I'm eyeballing Universal Black, but am open to suggestions!

Comments (26)

  • sheesh
    11 years ago

    The blackest, shiniest black I know is Rustoleum. It glides on easily, self levels leaving no brush barks. You will barely even put a dent in a quart on a door.

  • SunnyCottage
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Really? Rustoleum? I would never have thought of that! I suppose there's just one shade of black? Hmmmm ...

  • SunnyCottage
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    This door is painted in Rustoleum Color Accents in Satin Black. I love it!

  • sheesh
    11 years ago

    Yup, Rustoleum. I've only used glossy black, but it is REALLY glossy! That satin finish door is beautiful...I think I'd like a door better in satin than gloss, but if your security door is glossy, well, then....I guess I don't know.

  • SunnyCottage
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Well, the security door isn't super glossy ... I actually think the satin finish might look quite nice with it. Maybe I could pick up a quart of glossy and satin, and see which works best. Love the thought of something that's going to glide on smoothly. I'll definitely check out the Rustoleum this weekend. Thanks so much!

  • xoxogg
    11 years ago

    Sunny cottage, that is gorgeous!

    Our garage door is brown and the side door is unfinished. I could try brown. My husband wants to buy a new door so it is worth a try.

    Is it a spray? If not do I roll it on? Brush it?

    And, I think the black door will look great with your storm door.

  • kimiko232
    11 years ago

    I painted the back of our front door in gloss off the shelf black by SW. It looks nice, but not great. I need to put a fourth coat (yeah, you read that right). It's glossy, not not great.

    Now, I wanted it match our banister. I painted that last year in oil gloss black by rustoleum. The finish on that is wonderful. I can actually see my reflection in that baby. Especially, on the balls on the top of each banister thing. I painted the banisters and the hand things downstairs and up. Everyone thinks it looks nice. The finish is rock hard. And, it's a nice deep glossy black.

    Faron (in the paint section) said that it was an awesome paint, especially for the price in oil. Now, if you're wonder why I didn't paint the door... I didn't want to smoke us out of here. That stuff stinks! It's definitely an outdoor/summer (ie-open windows) project. It goes on great. Just make sure you really sand beforehand. It shows every flaw. But, I think it looks awesome!

    I've use the creme de la creme Fine paints of europe to paint our cabinets. It's also beautiful. But a dutch door kit will run you a 140 or so for the kit. I honestly can't believe that the deep finish could be any better than that rustoleum. At least to the average person. BTW, I've used that FPE paint in other rooms and our cabs. It's wonderful paint, but expensive.

    I've used BM paint exclusively for a long time. I've used semi gloss in that, but wasn't super happy with it. I switched to pratt and lambert, which I love. And, it's cheaper.

    Sorry to drag on. Try the rustoleum. Use a good brush like corona or purdy. I think I used a half of one of those little tiny containers for three coats. Anyway, I think you'd be happy!
    Kim

  • likewhatyoudo
    11 years ago

    Our door is SW Tricorn Black # 6258 - Sherwin Williams Resilience Exterior Acrylic Latex Satin used on the interior and exterior of the our entry door. It has a sheen to it but is not shiny looks very nice.

  • sloyder
    11 years ago

    BM Satin Black in Semi Gloss looks good. Have it on some interior doors.

  • trailrunner
    11 years ago

    You will love working with the oil Rustoleum paint !! We used it on the aluminum coping around the swimming pool. We put on 3 very thin coats. If flows and levels and is simply beautiful. I used a good Purdy sash brush and didn't get one drop on the concrete and I never tape ! You will love it...oh and we used about 1/3 can for all the painting. You won't be sorry. c

  • SunnyCottage
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you all so much for the very helpful suggestions! rtwilliams, your door is gorgeous! I'm not sure why I was never really drawn to a black door before, but now I can't get the thought of one out of my head! (I even dreamed about black doors last night! ;-)) There's something so traditionally beautiful about them.

    I think I am going to try the Rustoleum. I'm just not sure whether a gloss or satin finish is best. My door is older and definitely not perfect ... will satin "hide" the flaws better than the gloss? My current cranberry red door is very glossy and just looks ... cheap. We had it painted when we moved into the house about 9 years ago, and the painter didn't exactly do a bang-up job. Which finish would you choose?

  • teacats
    11 years ago

    Black door here too -- although it is simply basic black paint from HD in satin gloss .....

  • patriceny
    11 years ago

    Sorry for the quick hijack - but RT Williams, are those Westie ears I see by your front door? :) If so, from one Westie owner to another, I LOVE your front door!

    And to everyone else - Rustoleum, huh? Wow, I'm so glad to hear that. I'm another one who is craving a glossy black front door, and it would have never occurred to me to use Rustoleum!

    Does anyone happen to know if that will work on a fiberglass door?

    Jen - good luck. I love glossy black too, and I hope you'll post pictures when you are done!

  • lazydaisynot
    11 years ago

    Sunny Cottage, the gloss will definitely highlight any imperfections. Satin will be more forgiving.

  • SunnyCottage
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks very much! Rustoleum black in satin it is! I'll let you know how it turns out ... provided I do get to paint this weekend. Temps are supposed to drop fairly significantly here by Friday, and I'm not sure how thrilled DH will be at not having the house battened down tightly. ;-)

  • SunnyCottage
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I just visited the Rustoleum website and see that they have a paint formulated specifically for front doors. Is this what you would suggest using?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Product info

  • likewhatyoudo
    11 years ago

    Sorry I accidentally submitted that post before I was finished:

    patriceny - Yes, my westie Rose Marie, I love this little dog. She is my constant companion. My door is fiberglass and it painted up very nicely.

    Sunnycottage - Goodluck with your door, I have used Rust-Oleum American Accents Satin interior/exterior in canyon black from Lowes with good results. I have not used it on a door just out door pots and crafts. I would make sure they shake it well and use a good sponge roller and nice trim brush to apply. Hope to see pictures of the finished door.

  • likewhatyoudo
    11 years ago

  • patriceny
    11 years ago

    RTWilliams - we have very similar tastes. I love your house....and I absolutely adore that dog. :) My Westie is the love of my life too.

    Thanks for the information about it working on fiberglass. I'll be thrilled if it turns out as well as yours did...

    Jen - sorry for the highjack again - and thank you for asking the question, because I learned a lot from it.

  • ENMc
    11 years ago

    I don't know if it too late, but Lowes has an on the shelf house Black Gloss premium enamel that is fabulous. I wanted high gloss for my crown molding and the paint lady who I had become familiar with told me about this paint.
    It is on the shelf.. they don't ned to make it up.

    Top of can has a black band that says Gloss Black. Under that it says Premium Enamel with Valspar under that. And then Latex Enamel Interior/Exterior. Oh, and it comes in quart sizes, too.

    It is a gorgeous glossy black! I don't think you will get the same "look" you want if you use a Satin finish.

    E

  • Sandy1963
    11 years ago

    I know you weren't looking for a red, but I used Rustoleum paint on the back door leading to the garage, and also on the cellar bulkhead this past spring. I need to still do the kitchen door, and front door too, but haven't found the time. This is the one I used, and haven't had any complaints about it yet.

    Here is a link that might be useful: paint

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    11 years ago

    The glossiest black paint is made by Fine Paints of Europe. Their gloss line is named "Hollandlac Brilliant"
    Casey

    Here is a link that might be useful: FPE Hollandlac Briliant

  • SunnyCottage
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    The front door is now painted a glossy black, and it looks so much better than it did before. However, it seems that nothing we do around the house is ever as simple as we think it's going to be, and painting the door was no different. Last week I'd asked DH to stop by the Benjamin Moore store on his way home from the gym, after calling and asking the manager to have a quart of "a deep, glossy black" ready to go when he stopped in. I first expressed my confusion over the many different shades of black on the BM website, and the manager said, "Oh, we have a standard gloss black that's already mixed and ready to go." That was fine with me. When I went to paint on Saturday, I opened the can, gave it a good stir, but noticed that it looked very gray - not really black at all. Maybe it will look different on the door, after it dries, I told myself - and proceeded to apply 3 coats. It looked even worse when it dried, taking on a deep blue-gray cast. It wasn't at all what I wanted. I ended up running to a nearby Ace Hardware yesterday morning, and taking one of their gloss black paints off the shelf. Turns out it was absolutely perfect, and I guess I have to just view the weird BM stuff as primer. I'm definitely returning the unused BM quart to the store, though, as it's not at all what I'd asked for. I wonder what happened ... bad batch, perhaps?

  • kmkare
    9 years ago

    Can anyone tell me what to do about painting my exterior shutters? I have painted my front door in Rustoleum Gloss Black and I LOVE it! But now I need to paint the shutters on either side of two of the front windows. Should they match the sheen on the front door or should I go with a satin or semi gloss? The front door is under a small porch roof but the two windows are not protected except by the eaves. The front of the house is red brick. Any advice? I need to get on this before the cold weather sets in which will be soon here in St. Louis. Thanks in advance.

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    9 years ago

    I've kept this as a reminder for gloss black paint for years. Maybe this will help. Not sure they still make this, but sometimes products like this are only advertised to architects and designers. You may have to ask at a Benjamin Moore store.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Current BM Entrance Paint

    This post was edited by beverly27 on Sun, Oct 26, 14 at 11:51