How to Stain Exterior Wood Doors

Update the look of a worn exterior door by applying stain.

Wood that sits outside is subject to fading and weathering, including doors. Of the ways to improve the look of your house, staining exterior doors is often a better option than buying new ones because doors are expensive to replace. If you have a beautiful door that you want to keep, but it looks a little aged, adding stain is the kind of project that most homeowners can handle confidently and quickly. With just a little work, your door can once again be an asset to your home.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Rotary sander
• Sandpaper (80, 120, 150 and 180 grit)
• Palm sander
• Stain
• Stirring stick
• Paintbrush
• Clear wood coat (water-based polyurethane)

Instructions

1. Leave the door on its hinges. Unscrew or otherwise remove all parts such as the lock mechanism, knockers, viewing holes and weather strips. Set everything aside where it is easy to relocate.

2. Install an 80-grit disk in the rotary sander and run it over the door with steady, firm strokes in the direction of the wood grain. Stop when the scratches are no longer visible and the new pattern of the grain is smooth and even. Switch to a 120-grit disk and repeat.

3. Exchange the rotary sander with the palm sander to level areas that the rotary sander might have deepened. Start with the 150-grit sandpaper and sand until everything is evened out and smoother, and then switch to the 180-grit paper and repeat the process.

4. Hand sand the surface once to check for tricky areas that the power sanders might have missed. Use 180-grit sandpaper to hand sand the surface.

5. Stir the stain well with the stick to blend the different elements in the material.

6. Brush on stain in the direction of the grain, beginning at the top of the door, and work quickly and with even strokes. Start new sections at least 3 inches from the area you've just finished, and work the new stain toward the finished section to avoid blending marks.

7. Finish one side and repeat Step 6 on the other side. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for three coats of stain.

8. Allow the door to dry overnight before painting on two clear, protective coats of quick-drying polyurethane with a water base.

9. Leave the door to dry again overnight.

10. Return all of the accessories to the door by screwing them back into place.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your door protected by varnishing over the stain every two or three years.

• Work on a day that is warm and dry, with little sun, to get good results.

References

• Garden Structure: Exterior Stain on Wood
• House Painting Info: Refinishing a Door