Refinishing Wood Entry Door -- Post Where?

5 years ago

Sorry to budge in here. What trade does this work?

Our Jen-Weld mahogany-stained alder wood entry door needs refinishing and re-staining before winter. I have a bid from a painter, but am uncomfortable. I don't think his bid sounds 'thorough' enough. The door 'makes' the house, so it needs to be well done.

This is an 8-foot paneled arch top door, 42" wide, in a (painted) arch top glass surround w/side lights.

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Comments (6)

millworkman
5 years ago
A painter in my estimation would be the place to start, preferably an older gentleman who works for himself with maybe one helper.
chispa
5 years ago
Not all painters are good with staining wood.

I have wood garage doors that need to be refinished and I recently called a large local painting company because I saw their name on a van where a guy was staining a brand new wood garage door. They said, no sorry, we don't do staining. I was confused and asked about their van and the project I saw. Turns out that lone staining guy left the company so they no longer did staining. Told me to call again in case they hired a staining specialist.

If you aren't feeling confident in his ability, trust your instincts!

Thanks for the reminder, I need to look again too, because my garage doors really need to be taken care of, sooner rather than later.
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I wonder if this was not a "dip'n strip" operation that permanently ruined the wood. Such a shame - it's a gorgeous door. You need to speak with someone who does furniture refinishing/repair. They may be able to help you.
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User
5 years ago
In order to stain, all the old finish has to be removed---stain only works on bare wood. Added to that, restaining means the applier has to have fairly extensive knowledge in staining over stain.

You might look for a custom wooden door manufacturer or someone who finishes/refinishes outdoor furniture.

It would help to know what finish is on the door now and the color or recipe of the stain used. I say recipe because most factory stains are a combination of several different colors of stains.
chisue
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
The door was new in 2001. It was stained and coated by the painters we'd employed to paint the interior of the house. It had a little work by a furniture repairman about five years ago. He was sent by the furniture company whose deliveryman had scraped the door. ('Meh' work ethic.)

At my request, Jeld-Wen (IWP Custom Wood Doors) emailed me detailed instructions that covers both new doors and refinishing old doors.

I have used the wrong term here when I said "Refinishing". The door is just starting to dry out, with little surface flaking. According to the manufacturer, this requires only "Restoring Finish", not "Removing Finish".

So...maybe the painter's bid is adequate, although I don't understand his 'shorthand' that just says, "Stain and finish entry door, two coats...$320." I'd thought the door would have to be taken off the hinges; hardware removed; steel wool, sanding, coating, etc. When I asked about this he said he would not remove the door or remove the hardware. (Mortise lock too difficult to reset.) Ours is not a 'cheap labor' area. The cost seems too little to me for the time I'm thinking this should take.

I don't think the lumber yard that ordered the door for us is still in business (Hines), but I could search for another one to ask for a recommendation.

(Maybe this post will be of some use to people just buying new wood entry doors!)
User
5 years ago
Staining will not work. Basically, the door needs sanding and new finish applied. If the finish is marine spar varnish(often used), scraping the old loose finish, followed by a light sanding and applying two coats of the chosen finish is probably the necessary repair.

Marine spar varnish (with UV inhibitors) can be purchased at hardware stores, home improvement stores, paint stores, or on line. As a rule, the more it costs equals the better performance(as long as it is applied correctly.

Some info on spar varnish
arokes726
5 years ago
I just googled “door refinish Connecticut” and quickly found quite a few businesses that do door/millwork refinishing. Just for kicks, I then did the same search for Kansas City (random, it was the first far-away place that popped into my head) and found some there too. So I’ll bet you can find some where you are.