Red brick
The most common Bedfordshire frontage and where 7016 performs best. The cool blue-green undertone sits against warm red brick without fighting it, which is exactly where a flat neutral grey tends to look muddy.
Colour Guide
RAL 7016 anthracite grey garage doors
The single most requested garage door colour, and the reason so many frontages have quietly modernised over the last decade. Here is how 7016 behaves on a real door, and what it costs to get there.
Why almost everyone chooses this one
RAL 7016 is not a fashionable grey. It is the grey the window and door industry standardised on, which is why new builds, replacement uPVC, composite front doors and modern sectional garage doors all arrive in roughly the same shade. Once a street has a few of them, the white and brown doors start to look like the odd ones out.
That standardisation is the practical reason to use it. If your windows or front door are already anthracite, spraying the garage door in 7016 brings the frontage into one deliberate scheme rather than three separate decisions made a decade apart. If nothing is anthracite yet, it is the safest starting point, because it works against red brick, buff brick, render and timber cladding alike.
It is also a genuinely dark grey rather than a mid grey, with a slight blue-green undertone. That undertone is why it reads as architectural rather than as battleship grey, and it is why it does not clash with the warm tones in red brick the way a neutral mid grey often does.
At a glance
RAL 7016 on a garage door
| RAL reference | RAL 7016, Anthracite Grey. Part of the RAL Classic range, in the 7000 grey series. |
|---|---|
| Approximate hex | #373F43. Treat this as indicative only, since no screen reproduces a coating accurately. |
| Recommended sheen | Satin. Sheds dirt, cleans easily, and does not spotlight surface imperfections the way gloss does on a large flat panel. |
| Coating system | Two coats over appropriate preparation and rust treatment. Exterior surfaces get a weather-resistant system matched to the substrate, confirmed in your quote. |
| Suits | Steel and aluminium up-and-over, sectional and roller doors. GRP and composite doors use a different adhesion system for the same colour. |
| Typical cost | Singles from £395, doubles from £575. Doors needing full strip-back surveyed and priced separately. All prices final, as ProFinish is not VAT registered. |
| Time on site | Normally one day for a single door. Doubles and heavy rust treatment take longer, confirmed at survey rather than on the day. |
| Guarantee | Written three-year exterior finish guarantee, issued by the person who sprayed the door. |
In context
How 7016 reads against different frontages
The same colour behaves differently depending on what surrounds it. This is the part no colour chart tells you.
Buff and yellow brick
Strong contrast and a crisp, contemporary result. The door becomes a deliberate dark element rather than disappearing, so it works well when you want the frontage to look designed.
White or pale render
High contrast and very architectural. This is the pairing that looks most like a new build, and it is worth considering matt here if the render is smooth and modern.
Pebbledash and textured render
Softer contrast because the texture breaks up the light. 7016 still lifts the frontage considerably, and it reads less stark than jet black would against the same wall.
Alongside anthracite frames
The reason most people ask for it. Garage door, front door and window frames all in 7016 is the most cohesive frontage available, which is precisely what the Full Front Refresh is designed to deliver in one visit.
Small house, double garage
The one case for caution. A large expanse of dark grey on a modest frontage can visually dominate. A lighter grey such as RAL 7035 is sometimes the better call, and you will be told if that applies to your house.
Reference imagery
Anthracite grey on a garage door
A colour and finish reference showing how the shade reads across a large panel. Completed ProFinish garage door work is published in Our Work.
The images above are colour and finish references used to show how a shade reads on a surface. They are not photographs of ProFinish customer projects. Genuine ProFinish work is published in Our Work as each job is completed and the customer is happy for it to be shown.
Getting it right
Four things worth deciding before you book
Satin or matt
Satin for practicality on a street-facing door. Matt for a more architectural look on smooth render, accepting that it holds dust more and shows marks more readily. Gloss is not generally recommended on large flat panels.
Match the standard, or match your frames
If your existing anthracite frames have faded, matching the RAL standard will not match them. Decide which matters more and say so, because the colour can be matched from the frames instead.
Include the frame and surround
A new-looking door in a weathered frame draws attention straight to the frame. Doing both while set up on site is far cheaper than coming back for it later.
Confirm it with a sprayed sample
Once your booking deposit is received you can ask for one sprayed sample panel in 7016 in your chosen sheen, where practical for the job. Worth doing here, because dark grey shifts noticeably between overcast and bright conditions and a garage door is a large area to get wrong.
Ask About a Sample
Straight answer on whether a sample makes sense for your job.
Questions
Straight answers
Thinking about transforming yours?
Send a straight-on photo of the door, a close-up of the bottom edge where rust starts, and a wider shot of the frontage so the colour can be judged in context. Mention single or double. Jay reviews your photos and confirms a guide price and availability.