The garage door jambs can be replaced with a wood composite material that will last a lifetime. It doesn't need painted if white is your color. It's paintable for other color choices. That's what I use when repairing outdoor structures like door jambs, window brickmolds, etc.

You can feather sand those chipped areas with #400 wet or dry sandpaper. Don't bear down hard, just lightly feather it out. The reason for the chips may be dirt under the paint.Be sure to scrub the door before proceeding. Since you're repainting them, I suggest a good water base bonding primer as your first coat. Glidden Gripper (ICI) or SW Bonding primer are both good choices. Finish with two quality top coats.

Michael

Hello Michael

Thanks for the help. I'll look into replacing the door jamb, but to be honest I hadn't considered this. It seems like a huge undertaking. The jamb seems to disappear beyond the ceiling, so I'm not sure exactly how high it goes. But if I were to replace it, would replacing say the bottom half be an option? Or, when you change the jamb, doe the entire side have to be replaced?

I'll be sure the surface is clean before I paint. I didn't realize dirt could do that much damage to a paint job - I always thought it was some hail storms we had last year. The dirt makes sense though.

Thanks again.

Yes, I've replaced half jambs many times. Just be sure the cut is square and flush fitted. You can use wood filler to fill the gap, sand smooth and it will disappear.

Michael