How do I get a good clean finish on a door after stripping it? And what product shall I apply then?

Question

The door is the original front door on a 1934 house. We have added a porch.After stripping it with a combination of hot air blower and Nitromorse there are a few holes that need filling. Also some dark drip marks and dark areas. What shall I finally use as a cleaning agent and what shall I apply to give it a good natural wood finish? When it is ready I shall insert the leaded glass panel which I have comptetely re-leaded. Clever girl!

Answer 1

I was all set to answer until I read that you used Nitromorse and that you have dark drip marks, etc. I would go to HGTV.com or DIY.com or Bob Villa's website and search for help. I'd want expert advice so I didn't damage the door.

What a great idea and how fun to restore the door. Good luck.

Answer 2

Wow !!! Could you ask a more complicated question? LOL This is one of those "You have to see it done to understand" type things.
There are lots of products that you can use,but personally I like Formbys' Finish Remover. You can get it in a fume-free gel. Follow the directions on the product,and you should see some great results. You might have to re-apply the remover a few times,but it does a good job. There really is no miracle cure thats does this in one attempt.
DO NOT use a heat gun on old paint like that. It more than likely contains lead,and the fumes will kill you. Then you'll only be worried about the finish on your coffin door.
After removing the majority of the paint,the only thing left is taking lots of time,and patience,and scraping away the small stuff with small tools and brushes. I found that old gun cleaning brushes,and those metal nail files your girlfriend has in her purse are great for this kind of stuff.
After you got the door cleaned to a happy place,let it sit and dry out for about three days before you attempt to re-finish it. It needs to dry out,and the fumes need to escape. Otherwise you'll end up with bubbles in your new finish.
Sand it down with a medium grit paper (200-250),then go to a finer one (400-600). When it is baby-butt smooth,then use a tack cloth on it to pick up the micro-dust. You can buy tack-cloth at almost any wood supply center.
You can find a good stain (I like Formbys'),to match almost any wood on the planet,but personally speaking I also use a gel for this. It is more "managable" than liquids,and give you a little more room for error. Then,were I you, I'd use an outdoor "deck sealer" on the outer side of the door,and then a laquor with a semi-gloss.
On the inside,you can skip the sealer if you choose,but I'd do it anyway.......you have the door off,the tools out,and you're there....may as well do that side too.

Answer 3

First and foremost: Do Not use polyurethane; Use a high quality exterior varnish.
I don't know what Nitromorse is, but I've stripped many a door. I've also salvaged, de-nailed, stripped and reused much old lumber in new construction. I don't worry about "a few holes"; it's extremely hard to fill them aesthetically when one wants a natural wood finish [which I always do]. I figure, the wood is old, I don't try to hide that. If the door were being painted, it would be different, holes would look much better if filled. Course, it does depend on the size of the "few holes", which you didn't say. [Hot air blower/heat gun is excellent method of removing old paint!] You also didn't say what type of wood you have. For "dark areas", try lemon juice; TSP [tri-sodium-phosphate] is the BeST cleaner/prep, tho hard to find now because of the phosphate. I use combination bleach/TSP for cleaning all wood prior to refinishing. Hope this helps ~ Have FuN!

Answer 4

Stain marks can be masked by a dark stain applied before applying wood sealer prior to final finish coat. Go easy on this method; check first* with a few test spots. There are many different stains good for oak, cherry, maple, et al. Sand and scrape the affected areas to see if stains go deep, hopefully not. Check with paint dept. at any home improvement store; they may be able to reccommend a bleaching agent. *Always check first.
How natural? Stains connote an artificial finish, tho they can enhance a handsome grain pattern. Perhaps a dark stain on the trim ornamentation or edging can enhance a lighter, natural finish on panels.
Experiment on the hinge edge of the door for a proper combination of stain and varnish. "Spar varnish" or a fine urethane finish coat will top off the job.

Answer 5

A strong solution of bleach and washing up liquid. Scrub with wire wool. (Wear gloves! This is mean stuff) Rinse well when satisfied. You can get special wood filler for the holes which you can alter the colour with artists paint if needed.

Wax is a fabulous finish but if it's external, you will need to wax and oil regularly. For a long lasting finish, Yachting varnish. You can get it in matte, silk or gloss. It's expensive, but you wont have to worry about it for at least 15 years. (If you go for the gloss option, before you put the final coat on, sand with very fine sandpaper and wipe with a damp lint free cloth 10 minutes before the final coat - the result will be stunning!)

All the best

Answer 6

i suggest using white spirit to clean up all the muck etc off of the door, if there are any really stuburn marks use wet and dry paper or a cabinet scrape, then go to a B&Q or somewhere similar and buy some "Clear" or "Natural" outdoor varnish. make sure that it is frost proof as some of these varnishes are made for things like Teak patio furniture which most people over winter in a garage, shed or plastic covers to stop the varnish from cracking or "crazing".
I hope this helps, o and well done Releading the window, sounds pretty damn difficult. not a job i would want to undertake!

Answer 7

Give the door a final clean with FINE wire wool and Sugar soap.
Then buy an external varnish the shade you like and put it on in a thin coat with a natural sponge. Do at least 3 coats and it will be lovely. As regards to the holes you can fill them with wood filler. and the rub them down before you do the above.
From someone else that does her own DIY. Sheila.

Answer 8

I would use a natural wax on the door as presumable now it is classed as an internal door with the porch being the exterior. This would need doing a couple of times a year but it needs to be added smoothly.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Did you have it chemically dipped, if you did then you should be able to rub down with fine sand paper and varnish it to seal it.