{"id":2382,"date":"2015-02-06T13:35:44","date_gmt":"2015-02-06T12:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wood-finishes-direct.com\/blog\/?p=2382"},"modified":"2024-03-14T13:12:17","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T13:12:17","slug":"getting-wood-door-renovation-restoration-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wood-finishes-direct.com\/blog\/getting-wood-door-renovation-restoration-right\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Wood Door Renovation and Restoration Right"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re lucky enough to\u00a0have a real wood, period feature front \n\ndoor<\/a>, which has perhaps fallen into a state of disrepair over the years,\u00a0you have a great opportunity to make a lasting impression on\u00a0visitors and, if you’re planning to sell, potential home buyers. After all\u00a0your front door makes a powerful first impression and\u00a0you want it to be a good one. Your back door’s aesthetics might\u00a0not matter so much but it still needs to be solid, well cared for and fully functional, all of which means maintenance<\/em>, AKA common sense wood door renovation.<\/p>\n

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Peeling paint can be unsightly but doors can be made to look like new again.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Looking at wooden front and back doors that have been used and abused over the years, with knocks, dents, scratches and shabby looking paintwork all too visible,\u00a0it can be difficult to imagine yours\u00a0looking anything but knackered.\u00a0If you think, however, of the door at Number 10 Downing Street, or for that matter any other\u00a0door with a gleaming, perfectly smooth, expensive-looking finish, just remind yourself that underneath it’s just regular wood, nothing magic.<\/p>\n

So where to start? In most cases, this is a job where it’s\u00a0easier, faster and more convenient\u00a0to remove the door and restore it under cover, perhaps in a garage or shed, although\u00a0doors\u00a0can<\/em> be restored in situ.<\/p>\n

How to beautify\u00a0wooden doors<\/h2>\n

Here’s how to make your doors look beautiful, brand new and well cared-for. Get it right, apply the correct type of \n\nexterior wood paint<\/a> and they’ll last for years longer.<\/p>\n

Step 1 –\u00a0Removing door furniture<\/h3>\n

If possible, remove any fixtures or other door furniture, including the letter box and door knocker.\u00a0If these are also period features, can they be polished and rejuvenated, restored professionally or replaced with new? If you’re looking to transform the door into something amazing it would be a shame to put\u00a0the old tarnished fixtures back onto your masterpiece.<\/p>\n

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Ornate door furniture on wooden front door<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Step 2 –\u00a0Removing exterior wood paint with\u00a0paint stripper<\/h3>\n

Removing\u00a0outdoor wood paint from doors needn’t\u00a0be the nightmare most people dread. Sanding away\u00a0thirty, fifty or more years of paint with an orbital sander is nobody’s\u00a0idea of fun and could potentially create a cloud of toxic dust, especially if the wood paint dates back to the early ’70s and earlier,\u00a0when lead-based paints were the norm.<\/p>\n

If sending\u00a0the door to be chemically stripped just isn’t an option, consider a paint remover\u00a0product\u00a0like\u00a0\n\nPeelaway 1<\/a> or \n\nPeelaway 7<\/a> for the job. You can even buy a \n\ntest pack<\/a> including both and see which works best.\u00a0These are both poultice-based paint strippers that have an almost window putty-like consistency. They’re\u00a0spread over the paintwork, covered with a special plastic blanket, left for 24 to 48 hours then peeled off, hence the name Peel Away. The beauty of this type of external wood paint stripper is that when the blanket and putty are peeled off\u00a0the surface with the special spatula, the dissolved paint comes away cleanly with the paste and blanket nicely contained. Brilliant!<\/p>\n

Peelaway paint stripper comes into its own if the door has any decorative carvings or panelling. When applied, the paint stripper is easily pushed into all the nooks and crannies that would be virtually impossible to sand, then\u00a0literally pulls<\/em> the paint out of these difficult-to-reach areas.<\/p>\n

Step 3 –\u00a0Door preparation – Using wood filler<\/h3>\n

As with any DIY Project, preparation is key. Once stripped, the door should be lightly sanded with a 120 grit sandpaper to remove any remaining traces of paint and paint stripping product. This gives you\u00a0a good key for the new coats of primer plus\u00a0your chosen\u00a0exterior paint for wood, in whatever colour you fancy. You can buy oak wood filler to match the colour of an oak door. Or you can try\u00a0wood filler wax sticks, very like wax crayons, perfect for fast, simple repairs to wood when you want to retain the natural colour.<\/p>\n

Once you’ve done your sanding\u00a0it’s time to concentrate on all\u00a0those dents, dinks and holes. Use a good quality exterior wood filling product\u00a0to repair all the imperfections. If there are any large, deep holes, don’t try to fill them in one go. Do one layer of wood filler first and\u00a0half-fill the hole, let it dry, give the surface of the wood filler a quick sand –\u00a0again with a 120 grit sandpaper to give the surface a key –\u00a0then fill the hole up to the surface.\u00a0Once the wood filler has fully dried, sand the filled areas so that they are smooth and flush with the rest of the door.\u00a0So far so good.<\/p>\n

Step 4 –\u00a0Door preservation – Making wooden doors last longer<\/h3>\n

If they’re not properly treated, wooden doors can succumb to a wide range of biological threats including mould, algae, dry rot, wet rot and insect attack. Treating the door with a quality wood preservative before\u00a0applying the undercoat, primer or base coat will help protect the wood from these biological threats. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s drying times when using a wood preservative. Although solvent-based preservatives are touch dry in just a few\u00a0hours, the recommended drying times are usually several days. This is to allow the solvents –\u00a0which could otherwise potentially affect the undercoat and paint –\u00a0to fully evaporate from the wood.<\/p>\n

Step 5 –\u00a0Undercoat and painting – Choosing the right paint products<\/h3>\n

Once the door has been stripped, filled, sanded and preserved, you’re ready to tackle the more rewarding part of the process. Choosing the right\u00a0outdoor wood paint or special weatherproof wood paint is critical. Choose a\u00a0cheap wood paint option and you could find yourself repeating the whole process again in just a couple of years, sometimes less.\u00a0Remember that wood is an organic material which changes with heat and humidity, so choosing a flexible wood finish is a must. Manufacturers like\u00a0Ronseal provide assurances on their\u00a0Ronseal 10 year Exterior Wood Paint and others, guaranteed\u00a0as long as it’s used in conjunction with the recommended\u00a0primer.<\/p>\n

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Beautifully Painted Wooden Front Doors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What about wood paint colours? You can get more or less any colour in existence, there’s a vast choice. Once the door has been primed and painted and your\u00a0door furniture has been re-fitted, its time to stand back and admire your handy work. Well done!<\/p>\n

Need help restoring\u00a0a wooden door?<\/h3>\n

If you’re about to embark on a door renovation project, front or back, we would love to see your before, during and after photos. If it’s a project that you’ve been thinking about for some time and would like some expert help and advice on which products to use, our friendly team are always on hand to help, \n\njust give us a call<\/a>.<\/p>\n