HOW TO REFINISH A WOOD ENTRY DOOR

HOW TO REFINISH A WOOD ENTRY DOOR

Climate – like exposure to sunlight and rain – and age can make an attractive wood door look worn out. Refinishing it is necessary for practical and aesthetic reasons. Being the access point to your home, care should be taken into making it look its best. If your door is starting to look a little shabby, try to refinish it with these steps.

Step one: remove the door from frame

Get a helper, if possible. Open the door wide and have one person keep the door leveled with hinges by pulling up lightly on the handle. The other person removes the screws from the hinges. Together, bring the door off frame. Set it flat. The outdoor side needs to be facing up.

Step two: strip finish

Pour a medium-sized puddle of paint remover on the door and spread it around with a bristle brush. Add more if not if it does not cover the wood. Repeat this process once the first layer is done and apply continuously for half an hour straight. By then, you should begin to see wood. Free any stubborn finish with a scrub brush.

Step three: clear wood of remover

Once the wood shows through, spread newspaper around the edge of the door on the floor. Use a scraper to scrape off all of the finish. Wipe down the entire door with paper towels. Use the cleaned scrub brush to any deep grooves in the door. Wipe off any remover.

Step four: clean & sand the door

Soak a scrub pad in water and squeeze excess. Clean the entire door down and dry it with clean paper towels. Once done, let the door dry naturally for at least an hour. Once completely dry, take the sandpaper and sand the door lightly along the grain. This will help to clean up any rough spots.

Step five: apply stain

Dip a foam brush into the can of stain and begin to apply it evenly. Have either a paper towel in your hand to rub it in. Always rub the stain in with the grain. Do one segment of the door at a time.

Step six: urethane Finish

Apply spare urethane over the stain to seal and protect the door. Once the first layer of urethane begins to set up, you can sand it lightly before applying a second coat. Apply a third coat and let dry fully. Once the door is almost completely dry, hang the door on the hinges.

What you need

Paint thinner, scraper, clean cloth, sand paper, paint brush, varnish, paint thinner