As you can see with door number one, which is west facing, the paint is noticeably peeling. The picture of door number two was taken with a thermal camera during the winter. The outside temperature that day was only 12 degrees but the temperature of the door was 144! You can see that the paint on this door is bubbling and peeling as well. Finally, with the third door (which is a south facing basement door) you can actually see the window frame melting!! If this had a storm door the damage would have been even worse…
So what’s the problem? All three doors have been painted with a dark color. Dark colors absorb heat and the heat damages the door.
The solution is easy. When choosing a color for doors that get a lot of sun exposure – going with a lighter shade will improve the look and longevity of your exterior doors.
