How to Redo an Old Wooden Front Door

Exterior doors can suffer from their exposure to the elements; they will begin to look weathered and worn. Refinishing an older wood front door will add new life to it. Older doors were often built of quality wood products and components, which makes it desirable to refinish rather than simply discard them. Redoing the door can add substantially to the overall look of your home and the cost for refinishing it will be much less than the purchase price of a new door.

Things You'll Need

• Philips screwdriver
• Padded sawhorses (optional)
• Bucket
• Detergent
• Rag
• Sandpaper, 80-, 100- and 120-grit
• Tack cloth
• Scraper with a tear-drop and trapezoid-shaped blade
• Wood stain
• Paintbrush
• Metal polish

Instructions

1. Unscrew the door from its hinges with a Philips screwdriver. Set it on a flat surface or padded sawhorses.

2. Remove the hardware from the door using a Philips screwdriver.

3. Fill a bucket with warm water and detergent. Dip a clean rag in the solution and remove any dirt and dust from the door.

4. Allow the door to dry completely.

5. Remove any varnish from both sides of the door with 80-grit sandpaper. Brush off the sawdust with a tack cloth.

6. Sand the door with 100-grit sandpaper. Remove the dust with a tack cloth and sand with 120-grit paper to smooth the surface of the door. Use a tack cloth to remove the dust.

7. Scrape any door moldings with a razor-sharp scraper to get rid of varnish and debris in any hard-to-reach places. Use a trapezoid-shaped blade for the flat surfaces of the moldings, and a teardrop-shaped blade for the crevices. Make sure to pull the scraper along the grain of the wood.

8. Wipe away any grit left from scraping or sandpaper using a damp rag. Allow the door to dry thoroughly.

9. Open the paint stain and stir it with a stick. Apply the stain to one side of the door with a paintbrush. Allow the stain to dry for at least 30 minutes before applying a second coat of stain, if needed. Turn the door over to stain the other side and apply your desired number of coats.

10. Use a soft cloth to rub the door handles and locks with metal polish. Reinstall all hardware.

References

• This Old House; How to Refinish a Door; Thomas Baker
• Painting and Decorating Concourse: How to Refinish Stained Wood Doors