Wood Door

If you have a wood door that is starting to look at a little shabby, instead of tossing it out, you might consider refinishing it to make it look brand new. In fact, a finely finished wood door looks elegant and beautiful but it has to be done correctly or you will end up with a door that cracks and peels. By using the right tools and the right products, your wood door will look amazing and last for many years.

The key to finishing a wood door is again, using the proper finishing material, the right application technique, and the appropriate surface preparation, which is the first step. If you do not take the time to prepare the wood door right, all of the imperfections will show, making the door look cheap and old. When you go to buy clear finishing material, your options will include varnish, urethane, and shellac. The difference is that varnish and urethane will harden during the curing process, which is when the chemical structure actually changes when exposed to moisture or air. For shellac, this hardens through a drying process, which means it is less durable.

As you shop around for clear finish for your wood door, try to find words on the label such as “cross linking”, which is a durable product in that the chemicals will link together when they cure. If you use urethane on your wood door, you want to spend a little more money and purchase high quality. The reason is that you will get a more durable product. The downside to urethane is that it tends to yellow over time. However, if you decide to use urethane on your wood door, always make sure you choose a product intended for doors, not floors.

Now, if you want to protect your wood door from UV rays, then you can always have the urethane tinted, which will help but make sure the tint is just slight and used in combination with UV inhibitors that block out more of the sun’s damaging rays. You will also find urethane designed for a wood door is highly flexible, meaning it is capable of handling the expansion that happens from cold and heat of the outdoor temperature.

For preparing the surface of your wood door, you want to make sure the door is 100% free from dirt, grime, dust, and wax. Since urethane sticks to literally everything, if there is any kind of dirt left on the wood door, it would show, and in a matter of months, the urethane would begin to peel. Therefore, the most important thing you can do when it comes to finishing your wood door is make sure it is prepared perfectly.

Finally, if you want your wood door to have a beautiful shine, the door should be sanded after it has been cleaned. Then, after the first coat of urethane has been applied, you want to sand the wood door again. Just make sure you avoid any type of water-based urethane, which would cause the grain to lift a little, showing particles that can actually rust from moisture. Again, with proper preparation and the right materials, your wood door will look amazing!