Restoration North County San Diego

Craftsman Front Door Refinishing

A sun-bleached craftsman entry door stripped, sanded, and refinished to a deep warm tone that holds up to a west-facing exposure.

Refinished craftsman front door in a deep warm wood tone with nine small glass lites

The project

Years of afternoon sun had turned this solid-wood door gray and chalky, with the finish failing along the panels and the lower rail. Replacing it would have cost a multiple of refinishing it and would have lost a door that suits the house.

Levi stripped the old finish back to bare wood, sanded through the grits by hand around the glass and panel profiles, conditioned the wood, and built up a penetrating stain and a marine-grade exterior clear coat in several thin coats. The hardware was removed, cleaned, and reinstalled.

Before & After

Drag to compare.

Sun-bleached craftsman front door before refinishing — Same door, same hardware. Stripped, sanded, stained, and sealed.

Refinished craftsman front door with a rich warm finish — Same door, same hardware. Stripped, sanded, stained, and sealed.

Materials and finishes

Chemical stripping and hand sanding
Penetrating oil-based stain
Marine-grade UV exterior clear coat

Highlights

Original door saved instead of replaced
Finish system chosen for west-facing sun
Glass and panel profiles sanded by hand

Challenges and solutions

West-facing doors fail fast. The answer is a finish system with real UV inhibitors and a maintenance coat about once a year on a west-facing door, less often when shaded, which Levi explains to every owner so the door stays like this.

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