Refinishing and old stained door can restore it to brand new. It doesn’t take a lot of know how. Basically, it is simply involves sanding off the old finish and restraining with a wiping stain, and “presto” you have a new door.
Remove the door from the door frame or casing by remove the hinge pins or unscrewing the hinge itself.
Sanding off the finish.
The easiest way to refinish a door is to sand off the old finish. You can sand off the finish in about 30 minutes or so. Stripping is messy and there are strong chemicals to deal with and dispose of , therefore I prefer to sand off the finish. You won’t find floor refinishers stripping off the finish on a wood floor, they sand the finish off prior to re-staining. Stripping is smelly and messy.
Use a random orbital sander that has a dust extraction port to which you can attach a vacuum hose. Most good sanders have a dust extraction system which uses perforated sand paper discs and draws the sanding dust through the holes and out a portal which is “bagged” and /or can be attached to a vacuum hose (much preferred). The vacuum should be fitted with a high efficiency filter (HEPA).
Working off saw horses
Place a drop cloth on the floor with two saw horses on top. Use this set up for both the sanding and the refinishing of the doors.
Start with 60 grit sandpaper, this will remove the finish quickly. Next, sand the door with 100 grit, then follow that up with 150 grit, then a final sanding with 220 grit paper. Do a good thorough job with the final 220 paper. The purpose of the progressively finer grades of sandpaper is to gradually remove the scratches that the course 60 grit puts into the wood..
Flush doors are a breeze to strip with a random orbital sander. Just sand them from top to bottom. Six panel or raised panel doors can be sanded clean for the most part with the random orbital sander. You will need to use a special “mouse:” sander or hand sand some part that the orbital sander can’t access.
Re-finishing
Vacuum any residual dust off the door and follow that up with a micro fiber (oil-less) tack rag.
Wiping stains
I like to use wiping stains on the refinish. Old Masters makes my favorite wiping stain, others may work as well, but Old Masters is a good one. You will see that the stripped door will not “take” stain quite as well as a new door. A wiping stain is easier to control the amount of stain you can apply to the door.
Application of the wiping stain should be with a brush (use a white china bristle brush). Apply the stain in the direction of the wood grain and allow it to sit for a bit before softening and blending with a “dry” brush (white china bristle).
You can do one side and all edges on the saw horses. After the stain is dry (24-48 hours), you can flip the door over and do the other side
Multiple doors
If you are doing multiple doors, you can lean them against a wall to allow for drying. Put a strip of blue long mask/easy mask tape on the wall where the door hit’s the wall to prevent marking the wall with wet stain. Put a plastic backed drop cloth on the floor to protect it.
Varnishing
Be sure the stain is dry (48 hour will usually be enough time), if it is not, the varnish will dissolve the stain and remove it as you apply your varnish. Two coats of varnish , sanding between coats will give you a fine finish. Use 220 grit paper to sand between coats. Sand with the grain. Remove the dust with a vacuum and micro fiber tack rag (oil less). You can apply the varnish with a foam roller, then lay it off with the tips of a clean china bristle brush. (in the direction of the wood grain).
Buffing out
You can do a final buff out with steel wool and paste wax for a smooth satin finish. See Finishing with Paste Wax and Hand Rubbed Satin.
Please read lead paint warning if your house was built before 1978
Don''t sand off the finish of pre-1978 doors. Have them professionally stripped and finished - by a certified and trained contractor.
Understanding Wood Finishing
A thorough treatment of almost any topic relating to wood staining and wood finishing. A must have for any wood finisher from professional to DIY'er
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How to Refinish Stained Wood Doors
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