UPVC Front door refresh

[Tigger90]

I have a 23 year old white UPVC Rehau front door half glass and half plain smooth bottom panel. It is looking a rather tired so my latest idea is to replace the bottom panel and give it a coat of paint. I have priced up a new door but it was in the region of £1,000!
The thickness of the bottom panel is 20mm, it has a black rubber gasket on the exterior side and the interior has the black gasket and beading.
The panel I prefer, comes in 24mm or 28mm. Would it be possible to replace the panel with a 24mm thickness and fit a slimmer gasket?

 

[Tigger90]

I went for a like for like thickness of panel in a similar style to what I really wanted. After watching some videos I knew I had to remove the beading so armed with a putty knife and mallet I set to work. Unfortunately it wouldn’t budge until I removed the black gasket on the inside once removed I was able to prise off the beading which I kept in the right order! I cut the new panel to size and placed it back, fixed in the beading, added the gasket with the soapy water and all done! I hate the black gasket so when one the hunt for white at 3 local window companies but they didn’t have the correct profile
Here is the spruced up door!

 

[Keithmac]

Good work!, how much was the replacement panel?.

 

[Tigger90]

Good work!, how much was the replacement panel?.

Thanks.
It was £35 from a seller on Amazon.
I wish I had changed it years ago!!

 

[crank39]

Not many companies used white gasket, it was a late 80's early 90's thing, think only Staybrite from memory used it, after a few years it turns yellow anyway, the only way to rid the wedge or firtree gasket now is to replace it with a modern 'sightline' gasket that as the name suggests doesn't protrude beyond the pvc, all current pvc systems use sightline gaskets now but most are co-extruded along with the pvc profile and are bonded on but your old rehau system is well before this time and you can buy clip in sightline gasket so this might be an option for you

 

[Tigger90]

Not many companies used white gasket, it was a late 80's early 90's thing, think only Staybrite from memory used it, after a few years it turns yellow anyway, the only way to rid the wedge or firtree gasket now is to replace it with a modern 'sightline' gasket that as the name suggests doesn't protrude beyond the pvc, all current pvc systems use sightline gaskets now but most are co-extruded along with the pvc profile and are bonded on but your old rehau system is well before this time and you can buy clip in sightline gasket so this might be an option for you

Thank you for this information. I will give up on my quest for a white gasket!!

 

[Tigger90]

The door has had more of a refresh!
After a good clean up I have painted it in the Zinsser all coat exterior satin in RAL7005 Mouse Grey. I am really pleased how it has turned out and it was easy to brush and roll on.

I am undecided whether to paint the frame or not . Looking around some stay white or some are coloured… the frame does need some work on it to smarten it up anyway

 

[crank39]

You know what well done, top job because it's not something to be taken lightly taking a paint brush and a completely different colour to a PVC door, I know doors get sprayed all the time now but that's in a factory environment in big spray booths and proper equipment. Let us know how the zinnser paint holds out, I've heard it's the paint of choice for painting onto plastic, I have a plastic coated aluminum garage door I want to paint in 7016 to match my doors and windows, zinnser was recommended but I was still apprehensive

 

[Tigger90]

You know what well done, top job because it's not something to be taken lightly taking a paint brush and a completely different colour to a PVC door, I know doors get sprayed all the time now but that's in a factory environment in big spray booths and proper equipment. Let us know how the zinnser paint holds out, I've heard it's the paint of choice for painting onto plastic, I have a plastic coated aluminum garage door I want to paint in 7016 to match my doors and windows, zinnser was recommended but I was still apprehensive

Thank you I was really nervous putting the paint on but just thought sod it and got on with it!
It’s in the 7 day cure stage at the moment so fingers crossed it all goes ok!
I was going to go for the 7016, but went for the lighter grey in the end. I got a 1litre tin mixed and it was £18 which I thought was pretty good and I must only have used about an inch of paint.

 

[phatboy]

How many coats did you need to apply? I used satin white all-coat to cover a grey plastic soil stack. 2 coats it said.... 5 coats later it looked reasonable!

 

[Tigger90]

How many coats did you need to apply? I used satin white all-coat to cover a grey plastic soil stack. 2 coats it said.... 5 coats later it looked reasonable!

I used 3 coats. I think the can says 2 but I wouldn’t say it was a perfect coverage with just 2. It seemed to cover better with the roller.