Part 1
Refinishing a Custom Wood Door

A custom wood door is defined by its uniqueness and these doors are certainly that. When I originally looked at these custom entry doors I envisioned a lot of work in order for a new finish to be applied. After talking with the homeowner, I came to an understanding that they needed a very good finish at the best possible price.

The pictures are a good representation of the overall condition of these custom entry doors. Many layers of different finishes had turned a grayish black color over time. The homeowner said they were beautiful 30 years ago. Unfortunately these custom entry doors have not been properly maintained since.

A plan was needed. Refinishing any custom entry doors can be time consuming and expensive. The expense was a problem for the homeowner and the time was a problem for me.

The plan for refinishing these unique wood doors,

• Aggressively sand off the finish. This needed to be as fast as possible.
• Stain each custom wood door to add color and hide a few imperfections.
• Apply a tough UV resistant finish to protect all of this hard work.

For the Do It Yourself home owner, try to have a complete plan before starting. This includes the stripping process and the needed tools, color and type of stain plus the type of clear finish. Having all items on site will make this process more efficient.