Re-staining front door

B

BA93

1,000+ Posts
I realize that the work would be much easier to take it off the hinges but I really don't want to go w/o a front door for the majority of the day and perhaps all night. Is it worth taking it off the hinge first?
 
I don't know anything about your door, but typically people have to sand front doors before restaining. Otherwise, the new stain won't penetrate the wood evenly. It would be awfully hard to sand near the edges without removing the door. Plus the staining job would be much easier with the door removed.

Sometimes, it is easier to do the job right in the first place rather than try to cut corners. Start early in the day and buy some plastic to put across the door opening. It isn't that big of a deal and you will probably be happier in the long run.
 
You could put up a sheet of OSB (beaver board) as a temporary door. You could even put hinges on it. All for less than 10 bucks.
 
For security, myself and my security team of professionals (at something, what I don't know) could sit in front of your door. Nobody would go in unless ok'd by you. The cost is beer, bbq and maybe nachos as well. A tv would be nice with past games to view. Maybe a poker table. We have cards and poker chips. We wll try not to make a spectacle.
 
I just paid a guy $269 to do this at my house in Houston. The guys came early on a Saturday morning; removed the door and all the hardware; sanded the door; put on three coats of stain then two coats of varnish; reinstalled the whole thing. I wish I had taken before and after photos. The difference was amazing.

I thought the price was extremely reasonable considering there were two guys at my house for the better part of a day. There's a lot of waiting around to let each coats dry. They usually charge $289/door, but they knocked off $20 since my neighbor had her door done at the same time.

They put a plastic sheet over the door opening while the worked on the door in my driveway.

Bernard
 
Any tips on who can do this in Austin? craigslist isn't helping. One shop keeps coming up and when I click on their link they want me to fill out a form about getting my house painted. Uh, no.
 
Yeesh . . . $1,000 + for a pair of front doors & a transom, exterior only, and $1,900 + including the interior?

I'll just buy new doors.
 
JJ, contact the local HS and see if their woodworking class wants a nice project to knock out for you know, a learning experience. Take those days off work so those punks don't steal stuff.
 
Keep shopping. Unless you have cheap, crappy doors to begin with, it's a shame to replace them. With a proper refinishing, they will look brand new.


Bernard
 
If you still want to do it yourself, you can take the door off of the garage entry, or your bedroom door, or whatever door is 3'0" and matches the swing of your entry door to put on while you do the work. It is simple to do. Take a phillips screwdriver, or a punch, and a hammer. look at the bottom of the hinges. You see the bottom of the pins holding the hinges together. Stick the phillips/punch in there, and knock it out with the hammer, it should coome out pretty easy.

Take out the middle first, for practice, then the bottom. Save the top to hold it while you do the others. Watch out when you take out the top one, because the door is coming off.

New doors are pretty cheap. If it is too beat up, just get a new one from Stock (great selection), or BMC. It is easier to work on a new one than to refinish one by far.

Bernard has a great idea, too, just pay someone. It will be worth it to avoid the hassle.....

P.S. DOn't try to refinish without taking the door off first. There are many, many reasons not to try this which you will discover very quickly if you try it....
 
Just did this over the weekend, what a pain in the butt. Removed the solid mahogany door, ruined my wife's back and mine toting it to the kitchen table. Sanded one side which took forever, applied the urethane first coat, sanded it after four hours, removed the excess urethane that got on too thick, turned it over the next day, sanded that side, urethaned it. Got a friend to come over to watch the games Monday night, he helped carry the door back to the opening.
Got the door attached, installed hinges, peephole and locks.
Now it needs one more coat on the front and two more on the back. Can probably do this with the door attached.
It does look a lot better, but man, a lengthy process.
If someone will do this for under $300, and do it right, you should consider hiring them.
 
I think I'll get mine done for about $60. I have an orbital sander which will do most of the job. The rest will have to be done by hand. It will take about 4 hrs total and I have a person who will do it for $15 an hour. I would think that you all could do the same. $300 isn't too bad, though, and the work is guaranteed. BTW, do not use a belt sander: You will probably end up needing a new door if you try it.
 
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