We plan to paint our 1973 house this summer. The aluminum storm door is an odd size, and I'm sure replacing it is beyond my fixed income budget....so I'd like to restore it as well as I'm able and re-paint of course. The 'glass' is acrylic and all scratched. The door faces north. I live near St. Paul, MN. I'm looking for suggestions, tips, or any info on how to proceed. If you need some additional info feel free to PM me or I'll be back here to provide an answer. Thanks for reading!
Hey, Berry; the auto parts supply stores carry polishing kits for acrylic car headlights; they work like a hot damn!
I just recently did the headlights on my wife's car, they were totally 'fogged' when I started...clear as glass when I finished.
I used the "Mothers' brand kit... https://mothers.com/products/nulens...all-4lights-07251?_pos=1&_sid=af9533820&_ss=r
I give it 5 stars!
You do need an electric drill to power the polishing assembly.
The wrinkle paint does collect dirt and holds onto it, I’m afraid, but it does look good. How about a nicely finely sanded (brushed look) approach with a clear coat? Paint a cool scene on the acrylic sheet.
If the toothpast or the headlight cleaner doesn't work, replace the plastic. Wonder if you could find some shatterproof glass to put in instead? It won't yellow or scratch easily.
When you take the door down, you can try a number of cleaning chemicals on it, starting with something like Simple Green and a stiff scrub brush. If that doesn't do the trick, something stronger. Once cleaned, if you wish, fill the pits with bondo, let set and dry, sandpaper it smooth then paint. THEN put the glass or restored plastic, or new plastic/glass panel back in. That's what I'd do anyhow. Don't use storm doors here.
Buffing car lights works well but doesn't last as long as when they were new. I believe there's a UV coating on them originally that gets removed in the process. At the price of replacing them, it's still worthwhile though.
Herb, I've never tried that but I believe that UV protection is needed for plastics to last outdoors. Maybe even the bulbs emit UV rays. My old Jeep lights lasted about well over a decade before they got all foggy. After a buffing they looked quite good but only for a couple of years. I had to buy a new Jeep after that.
Oil based paints works the best for the protection against UV light. When I bought my patio door I was really concerned about the materials that I should use for the protection of my door. After a few researches on the best products of the market , I decided to use shatterproof glass for my door. It worked perfectly ! 5 years from now and my door still looks like new. Btw , the door I ordered from Buy Patio Doors & Sliding Patio Doors Quality Patio Doors and Sliding Patio Doors From Jeld-Wen . Really nice guys , appreciated the service !
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