This process has stood the test of time and is one I really believe in! We have a banister where the stain has similarly worn off in a few spots, so is love to find out how you dealt with this. OH, ok that’s good! My hunch is that its the first thing happening. . General Finishes Gel Stain in Brown Mahogany, How to Refinish Your Radiator The Easy Way, http://www.rockler.com/gel-stain-general-finishes-java, https://generalfinishes.com/blog/2014/12/do-gel-stains-need-a-top-coat#.WguaaxOPLVo, How to Organize Digital Photos Using Amazon Photos, How to Fix Paint Bleed Through When Painting Cabinets, An Unbiased Review of Spray Wax for Chalky Finish Paint Projects. How cool. Much to my surprise, a lot of people liked that post (yay! I only like easy things, so trust me on this. Thank you so much for this post. I just bought a house and the door is all faded. Are you still happy with the results? LOL! Look at the difference already! Presume you used water based varnish and not oil based? How did your project turn out? This post contains affiliate links. I have purchased my gel stain, and exterior top coat. Thank you again for your time. For a while early in the process, until you start getting down to the wood underneath the mess, you may … It looks great, but kind of scary that the “easy” way involves sanding, two coats of stain and 4 coats of urethane. Story. This “test door” as I’m calling it. Spread a coat of gel-type stain on the surface of the door, using … P.S. Already beautiful, right? You did a lovely job with your door. Find a front door refinishing service near Sandy Springs, GA 2 near you. Looks great already! You are so kind to respond so promptly. However, I checked the Spar Urethane can that I used on my door, and it says it provides superior UV protection – so you probably want to use a great topcoat like that to prevent fading as much. I sanded it down (bought a simple stripper piece to connect to my regular household drill), sanded a bit more, then just this morning bought the stain and have applied the first coat. Is you suggest, I can try and find a general finishes dealer, but if you have thoughts on this, I would love to hear them. Bre, You can read more about it on General Finishes’ website, too! Before we get to the makeover fun, let me tell you that since our door was in such bad shape, we really wanted to replace it with a new, craftsman-style wooden door with windows. Thank you!!! I love the color you chose! I would appreciate a reply. We are commited to serving our customers homes. I used those disposable foam brushes to apply the gel stain. Did you sand before applying the top coat? 1. How to Refinish Rusted Patio Furniture. Instead, this post is super exciting and about a product that has changed my life (well, my front door’s life, at least), and made my home’s entrance look amazing! Once the item has thoroughly dried, … How to Refinish a Front Door Method 1 of 4: Disassembling and Sanding the Door. thanks so much for the inspiration! All I can tell you is that the door has held up perfectly – I mean no issues at all. That means a lot coming from you, lady! You wouldn’t believe some of the nasty things “keyboard warriors” leave on blogs! Factory Finishes. I am in love with gel stain! Restore concrete by resurfacing it with an overlay to bring new life to your home or yard. It could be different based upon the different topcoat brands, however. I used my cheesecloth to wipe off the excess stain on the area to which I’d recently applied the stain. All I can tell you is that my door has stood up wonderfully! Kimberly – following up on my previous reply – look at Rockler’s description of the product – they say interior and exterior use. ), so I purchased the Spar Urethane as a topcoat because I could buy it locally at the hardware store and it was cheaper. Thank you so much for sharing. We refinishes outdoor furniture in order to give our customers the benefit of quality new furniture without having to buy another expensive set. Not a very welcoming entrance to the home that we’ve put so much time and effort into! It was dull, scratched, worn and looking like a piece-of-you-know-what. My can of gel stain also says “interior use only” but I’m thinking it may be because there is some urathane in the stain, not enough finish to stand up to exterior wear but with the addition of the spar urethane I’m confident it should hold up. Prior to the job being scheduled the owner came out & assessed our door's condition & went over every aspect of the refinishing … I lightly sanded some parts of the door, focusing on the areas that still appeared to have some protective finish on them. Hi, Emily! Thanks again. Thanks so much for leaving me this note!! Such a great question! Hi, Jenny! I should add in your caution to the body of the post. Transform your space and bring the outdoors in with Andersen® patio doors from Renewal by Andersen. I honestly do not know if it will or won’t. It looks totally amazing – almost like a new door. You could email it to me at [email protected]. Concrete patio coatings come in a variety of options and should be chosen based on the type of work you need done. How is yours lasting? You are a life saver!! Leave your door open all night? With access to 1M+ customer reviews and the pros’ work history, you’ll have all the info you need to make a hire. Anyway, good luck with your project! Mary Beth @ Cupcakes and Crinoline says. Where did you buy the metal kickplate item? I have double front wood doors that are about thirty years old. I only used one can of stain, too! For years, we've refinished doors to restore them for homeowners across Brick, New Jersey. Painting the Door Use a combination of enamel paint and primer for full coverage. I hope that helps! Professional Wrought Iron Furniture Refinishing The Southern Company can … I received a quote for $325 & thought no way I can do this myself, now I feel even more confident after seeing your post. I breathed easy because I hadn’t ruined the door. Refinish the Wood Door If you find any divots or scratches that the sanding couldn’t erase, you can fill these in with wood filler. Plan to sand it down and do a second coat and see if it gets any better. You are so kind to respond so promptly. Thanks again for such a clear tutorial. . Tip. 1. Courtenay says. Hi, Vivian! It has held up marvelously for me, but I think your reasoning behind using General Finishes’ topcoat makes absolute sense! Thanks for letting me know about the Varathane gel stain. Hi, Don! My Experience with Bernardo has been excellent. Refinishing is an easy, low-cost way to bring out natural beauty in wood furniture and make fine details shine. My porch is not covered and I don’t have a storm door. Good luck and I hope your door turns out amazing! If you leave it too long in one spot, you'll damage the wood. Guide to Brass Refinishing Remove the hardware from the door so the finish of the door will not be affected. Houston's Affordable On-Site Door Refinishing and Repair Specialist. Super weathered and worn. Welcome! These beautiful exterior doors come in several styles, including traditional French doors and sliding patio doors, and can be customized with a variety of hardware styles and finishes, grille patterns, and interior stains.. Are you against using Minwa gel stain? Complete Package Special Door Refinishing Plus Free Hardware Polishing. If it where only the color of stain match I would have hit the nail on the head by now. When I took on this project, I wasn’t actually sure it was going to work (ha! You don't have to live with worn down doors. As for shutting it at night, it was not a problem at all! September 8, 2013 at 2:01 pm. I know – I can’t believe the transformation. We specialize in refinishing wooden front doors and entry ways. After reading your article I decided that this sounded like the best way to refinish an Antique Walnut exterior entry door on my new home , that is in desperate need of attention. I’ve been needing to do our front door for about 2 years, but keep putting it off because I don’t want to take the whole door off the hinges! Once it has completely dried, sand the entire door lightly with 120-grit sandpaper. If yours is looking a bit shabby, perhaps it’s time to dress it up by refinishing and replacing the hardware. What did you use to apply the stain and the sealer – a brush? This is my 3rd weekend on this single “test door”. A2: My can of gel stain says nothing about it being for interior use only, though others have told me their cans say that. I couldn’t be happier, and I think Nicole Curtis would be proud. I used General Finishes Gel Stain in Brown Mahogany to refinish it. Make your patio furniture look better than brand new. I’m sorry you’re experiencing that. Your article has given me the inspiration I needed to attempt to refinish my own front door. Can’t believe someone would find the need to say something insulting about your wreath when you were so nice to go thru the trouble of posting this. Good luck! Thanks Bernardo! Thanks! Removing the old finish can be a cumbersome and messy task. . Although that probably is not the perfect way of doing it, it worked and nobody came into my house and robbed me that night. Was the 1 pint of gel stain enough to do the whole door? I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that you’re happy. gel stain did not require me to remove the door from the hinges, strip the door or do any extensive prep work at all. Hey there friends! I am wondering if this is the same thing you used with the exterior top coat? Thanks again. Throw in a modern paint color like Green Apple or Sweet Tomato, both from Rustoleum, and you will be adding a conversation piece to your garden. Thank you, thank you!? Would Gel Stain be an ok product to hold up in intense sunshine? They would definitely steer you in the right direction. ... wood, Rustic Modern Bed Frame and Headboard , Loft Style, Whitewash Finish. Hope that helps and good luck with your project! You can see the wreath imprint from the sun bearing down on the door all day. I was SO excited when I found out about it and was able to revive my own door. I went from a sad, tired door to one that looks almost new. Your options for staining are limitless. GOOD LUCK! It’s been nine years now and finally I decided to do something about it. OK I went down and looked at the GF gel stain I used on my door, and I don’t see that “outside use only” warning anywhere on there! This was the KEY to reviving my door. I’m sorry I wasn’t more clear. You’d think that I […], This post contains affiliate links. http://www.rockler.com/gel-stain-general-finishes-java Also, I ran a quick search on Google and did not see anything that said you can only use gel stain inside. . Is your door still look good? General Finishes does offer an exterior stain, but it is not gel stain. We intended to use BIN shellac primer on the interior and BM Stix on the exterior. Is you suggest, I can try and find a general finishes dealer, but if you have thoughts on this, I would love to hear them.