Don's

Fine Woodworking 

      Refinishing Hardwood Doors 

         - Checklist with Details of the Actual Process -
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Call me:

727/459-1015

or e-mail

don@artallabout.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call me:

727/459-1015

or e-mail

don@artallabout.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call me:

727/459-1015

or e-mail

don@artallabout.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take a closer look at YOUR doors ... especially the lower third on the outside!

  •   Is the varnish getting dull, faded or gray?  

  •   Does the wood feel dry or rough?

  •   Any stains, cracks or bare wood?

  •   Any white areas showing?

  •   Any signs of mold or mildew?

  •   Is the glass "foggy"?

  •   Do they close properly?

"Greying" varnish

Serious cracks starting

Water penetrating the

unprotected wood

Swollen joint

If any of these signs are visible your doors need urgent attention!

OUTLINE OF the actual process involved ...

When a FULL refinishing is required

I first remove the doors then install

a temporary plywood covering to ensure both your security

and comfort.

 

Then I take them to my workshop where the real work begins:

To obtain a beautiful finish a lot of rather dusty preparatory work is of course required (scraping, sanding and staining) and the varnish should be sprayed on in a 'dust-free' climate controlled environment to avoid any foreign bodies, or moisture, in the finish!

  Temporary Covering

 

Step 1:

Remove all the hardware and

scrape off all the old varnish

Step 2:

Sand everything back

to completely bare wood

Step 3:

Mask off the glass and edges

Step 4:

Wipe on the stain - evenly

(Not as easy as it sounds!)

 

Step 5:

Spray on the sealer

(Varnish applied with a brush

can not give a smooth

'glass-like' finish!)

Step 6:

Sand all surfaces again, till they are totally smooth

Step 7:

Spray on the varnish

Step 8:

Sand again (very lightly)

Step 9:

More coats of varnish ...

 

The only effective way to remove the old damaged varnish is by hand,

using specialized scrapers, especially in the case of ornate doors

with raised panels and complex moldings. Paint stripper can help

soften the varnish, but it still has to scraped off, very carefully.

Then of course everything needs to be well sanded

using successive grits of abrasive paper

before they can even be stained.

 

Obviously such a FULL refinishing is a very time consuming process ...

which can be avoided by having your doors correctly refinished

 before the varnish gets too dull or faded, or worse ...

 

 and please, never let anyone varnish your doors with a brush!

 

The good news is that it is actually quite affordable

to have your doors lightly sanded and re-varnished

so long as this is done before they are "too far gone".

If done every few years this will of course protect them

... and make them last indefinitely!  

 

I specialize in refinishing hardwood entry doors,

using ONLY the best quality EXTERIOR GRADE varnish,

("Catalyzed Urethane") that truly stands up to the harsh Florida elements!

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me:

don@artallabout.com

or call      727/459-1015

Proudly servicing the greater Tampa Bay area:

Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Tampa and St Petersburg.

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This site was last updated 02/07/10