How to Refinish a Golden Oak Front Door

Sand the golden oak before you apply stain.

If you are planning to refinish your golden oak front door, understand a pair of important points before you begin. Like other hardwoods, golden oak has tighter grain patterns that prevent it from absorbing stain as quickly and as evenly as softwoods. If you apply the wrong type of stain, you will end up with an unattractive, splotchy finish. In addition, because front doors are finished with varnish topcoats that protect them from moisture and wear, they are unable to effectively absorb new stain. You must sand off this coating in a particular manner, or you could permanently damage the oak.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Palm sander
• Power sander
• 120-grit sandpaper
• 220-grit sandpaper
• Tack cloths
• Masking paper
• Professional painter's tape
• Drop cloths
• 2- to 4-inch oil paintbrush
• Light color of oil-based stain
• Mineral spirits
• Varnish

Instructions

1. Remove the locks and doorknob from the front door using a screwdriver.

2. Sand the golden oak front door using a power or palm sander stocked with 120-grit sandpaper. Sand along with the wood grain until the door's finish appears dull.

3. Stock the power or palm sander with 220-grit sandpaper. Sand the golden oak until it feels smooth to your fingertips.

4. Wipe sawdust from the front door, using tack cloths.

5. Slide a plastic drop cloth beneath the front door and tape it to the floor using painter's tape.

6. Coat the golden oak front door with a light color of oil-based stain using a paintbrush engineered for use with oil-based paints. Use clean, cloth rags to wipe excess stain from the door. Wait a minimum of 4 hours for the stain to dry.

7. Wash the paintbrush with mineral spirits.

8. Coat the stained golden oak with varnish using the clean brush. Wait a minimum of 4 hours for the varnish to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• You must sand existing varnish from the golden oak front door before you apply stain or you will have poor absorption.

• Always sand along with the golden oak wood grain or you will cause splintering.

• Don't use dark stain on golden oak or the finish will dry splotchy.