Wooden interior doors add beauty and strength to a home. They are often subject to daily wear and tear. This is how we refinished an interior wood door. It took us 10 minutes to do it. Knocks, bumps, and slams can cause chipped paintwork. Wood-stained doors may look old or less trendy if they are stained.
Refinishing doors is an inexpensive, simple, cost-effective way to give your home a fresh look. You can bring out natural wood and beautiful grains by stripping off the paint and applying a new stain. Repainting your doors can make them look unique and freshen up an outdated design. The first step in restoring an interior door is removing it from its frame. You can leave exterior doors on their Door Refinishing hinges while refinishing. However, this is not the best way to do it with an interior door. You will always get a cleaner and better finish if you remove it.
The process of removing paint or wood stains can be messy. It’s best to keep your door indoors from touching any flooring or carpeting. Find a place indoors or outside to lay the Door flat. A front or back yard is a good choice since dust can build up when refinishing doors. A garage or shed with open doors is also a good option if it rains.
You can make your Door more manageable by using a workbench. Put a dustsheet or plastic cover underneath to collect dirt or paint splatters. Remove all hardware to achieve the best finish for your wood door. This includes knobs, lockset hinges, locks, decorative plates, and locksets.
Removing the faceplate (the rectangular piece that attaches to the door edge to close it entirely) is unnecessary, but you can tape it up to protect it while you refinish. They can be easily reattached if you do not want to take them off. It is essential to remove all existing finishes before refinishing your doors. It is possible to paint over existing paintwork, but it is not a good idea.
This could lead to an uneven finish, which can chip or flake down in the future. Paint can be used to make the Door thicker. This may seem insignificant, but it can cause the Door to not fit within its frame. This is true even if you are trying to stain or paint over varnish. There are many options for removing paint or staining from wooden doors. I have found that tailor-made products such as paint strippers and varnish removers are the fastest and easiest to remove staining from wooden doors.
To roughen up the surface, remove the finish. This will make it easier for the new finish. Use an electric handheld for sanding the flat areas lightly. You can smoothen any remaining stain/paint or rough edges by gently filing these areas by hand. Interior doors often have decorative grooves like lines, borders, or trim. It can be challenging to sand these with an electrical sander. It can also affect the smoothness of the edges.
Instead, sand all grooves by yourself. Use low-grit (between 100 and 120-grit) between the tracks. Use a damp, lint-free cloth for wiping off any dust or residue after the entire Door has had its surface sanded. There are many options for interior doors that can be refinished to create the look you want. A bright interior door will make a space feel larger and allow for better light reflection. The other side of the coin is to darken a door. This will highlight carved details and make the woodwork seem more elegant.
A door can be stained to preserve its natural grainy finish. You can get most wood stains in dark or light orange, but there are softer options, such as white, grey, and pastel.