We recently received an email with some photos from a very satisfied customer who used Polytrol colour restorer to revive her badly faded powder coated aluminium garage doors.
They are of the roller shutter variety and installed in 1991, but due to being South facing, had become badly faded. Not only that, they also had some staining around the locks from use of WD40.
As you can see, they were both in a bit of a sorry state. The customer was absolutely delighted with the success of the project and sent us some pretty glowing remarks:
We are delighted with the success of the treatment. They are now as good as new.
A one litre was enough to treat these 3 doors and my neighbour’s two garage doors. It also restored his faded brown guttering back to new condition.
What a magic product. We never imagined that it would be so successful at such reasonable cost.
What is Polytrol?
Polytrol is a saturating oil which restores the original colour and appearance of dull or tarnished plastics, gelcoats, metals and other surfaces.
It works by penetrating deep within the surface to re-wet the dried out pigments, restoring the surfaces lustre and colour that has been lost by exposure to sunlight, rain and pollution. When used on metal surfaces, Polytrol also gives long-term protection against corrosion.
How to apply Polytrol
Polytrol is a quick and easy to use wipe on, wipe off product:
- To apply Polytrol, first thoroughly clean your surface and allow it to fully dry.
- Next, apply the Polytrol with a cloth or brush and work it into the surface, making sure to work in areas which can be completed in 10-20 mins maximum, to ensure even coverage.
- Wipe off the excess Polytrol with a lint free cloth before it becomes tacky. Remember, it’s place is inside the surface, not a coating on top of it. For a shinier finish, buff the surface with a lint-free polishing cloth.
More information
We have a handy FAQ blog post all about Polytrol, as well as other projects completed using it that you may find interesting below:
- How to restore a faded wood effect composite door
- How to restore dull or faded bumpers with Polytrol
- Restoring a Faded Garden Trunk with Polytrol
- Restoring garden chairs with Polytrol
- Polytrol Used To Revive a 1996 Ifor Williams Horsebox
We hope you found this post on Polytrol being used to restore colour to garage doors interesting. If you have any other advice or top tips, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. We love hearing from you!
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About Owatrol Team
Our team are ready and willing to support you with your requirements whether it is protecting your newly laid deck or renovating a luxury yacht, whatever the application Owatrol has the solution you are looking for.
I have some fading of a Garador (apparently coated/stained fibreglass – white finish on the inside – light brown on the outside) lightweight up and over garage door – about 10yrs old. It faces directly south, and fading is likely cased by sun. Two/three years ago a Garage door fitter was fitting a different make of new door to my neighbours garage – and told me that my door would look much better with a coating of WD40. Do you agree? What would you recommend?
Hi there,
We would recommend using Polytrol on your garage door – it’s perfect for this application. It won’t do anything on the inside white surface as its job is to restore the pigments but on the outside brown it will restore the original colour. If you’re concerned at all then we’d recommend purchasing a sample pot first and testing it on a small area.
Many thanks,
The Owatrol Team
I have a grp double garage door in a mahogany finish which is looking a bit tired. I would like to revitalise it but am keen to ensure it remains a realistic mahogany finish, can you advise please
Hi John,
We would recommend using Polytrol on your garage door. It’s perfect for your project as it re-wets the pigments to bring out the original colour meaning you will absolutely keep your mahogany finish.
Please let us know if you have any further questions,
The Owatrol Team
I used polytrol on my fibreglass double garage door that had become very faded. The results were amazing and it was restored back to a ‘like new’ imitation mahogany finish. I cannot fault the product – easy to apply with excellent results.
How long after applying do you wait to buff for a shiny finish?
Hi Paul,
Always work in areas that can be completed 10-20 minutes to ensure an even appearance. If the surface absorbs the Polytrol unevenly (i.e. some matt and some shiny patches) move any surplus oil from shiny areas to matt areas.
Wipe off any excess Polytrol with a lint free cloth before it becomes tacky. Then, if you would like a shinier finish, buff the surface with a lint-free polishing cloth.
I hope this was helpful – please feel free to contact us again should you require any further assistance.
All the best,
The Owatrol Team
Hi. Our house has a combination of aluminium and Upvc windows which are powder coated in a blue grey finish. Many are faded and dull in places due to the south facing aspect and possibly also the proximity to the coast.
Although I’ve seen some mention of metal garage doors being successfully treated with your product, I haven’t seen any reference to aluminium window frames – so I just wanted to make sure that you think the product is suitable for this.
Hi there Ian,
It is safe to use Polytrol on aluminium and Upvc – it should only not be applied to surfaces that are white in colour.
We would recommend purchasing our 125ml bottle and testing it on a small area first to make sure you are happy with the results before applying everywhere.
For further information, please see our product specification sheet here: https://www.owatroldirect.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Polytrol-Product-Information-1.pdf if you have any other queries, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on: 01582 592707 or email us directly at: sales@owatroluk.com
All the best,
The Owatrol Team