Reviving a once glorious exterior wooden door

Having a wooden door, whether on the inside or outside the house gives it a rustic feel.

However, wood, especially when used for external doors, tends to be more susceptible to adverse weather, among other natural hazards.

If you installed or inherited a wooden external door which has now been ruined by weather or other hazards and you need to restore it to its former glory, here are some tips:

Refinishing it would give the door a new shine and cost you less than a replacement.

According to Robert Kibalama, a carpenter, if the chipped or warped door was made from durable or waterproof woods, it can be revived by sanding it and applying sanding sealers fourfold before applying either a stain, if the colour of the wood is to be naturally preserved, or paint.

When only the door needs fixing

If only the door itself is in poor shape, anyone can patch it up.  One just has to be cautious.

According to Eric Rwakoma, a visual artist at RAC Studios, Kikoni, and the door will only need sanding, filling, and painting which can be a do-it-yourself (DIY) venture. However, asking for professional help is always an option.

Sanding the door helps remove all the old residue to make a seamless door for a clean outcome.

According to Rwakoma, after sanding, you also need a sanding filler to help conceal all the pores in the wood. It also helps conceal dents, chipped wood, and holes, thus levelling the door.

“It is best to use the filler after sanding. You sand and fill. That is the order for a clean piece of work,” he adds.

Once sanding is done, one can start coating. Rwakoma says at least two layers of coating are needed for the job. The first layer of the undercoat is determined by the colour of the wood.

After drying, the second coating is applied to the door as finishing.

“It should take at least eight hours before another coating is applied to provide proper drying of the first layer,” Rwakoma says.

Starting from scratch

If the door needs fixing right from its hinges, one may need to do a lot more than just painting, filling, and sanding. This may necessitate professional help in identifying the kind of screws to use and to assess if the hinges are still strong enough for the new era, among other cautions.

According to Rwakoma, if the screws are worn out, it is only wise to use bigger screws to fill the previous holes and keep the wood intact.

The hinges will also have to be replaced if they are no longer in good condition.

Food for thought

If you are considering installing a wooden door for your home, hardwood should be your go-to for a lasting door or window.

According to Kibalama, wood types such as Oakwood (mugavu) are waterproof and, therefore, doors made of Oakwood can stand all kinds of weather. 

Since most chipped doors are found outside of the house where the biggest hazard is the weather, Kibalama recommends Oakwood, which is the hardest available type of wood for external doors, followed by mahogany, Nkalati, and Muvule.

Most wood, especially the durable kind, can be salvaged after a long period of torture. But there are others that just cannot be restored and will need to be replaced. There are always red flags about different things and wood is no exception.

Such wood, according to manhattandoor.com, will have extensive mold coverage, the wood may be extremely warped, cracked, or may have extensive water or insect damage.

No matter how many repairs are made in this instance, they may always give up with time.