Old solid oak front door - what to do with it?

Thundercat_2

Hi there,

We've recently moved into a house built in 1929, which still has it's original solid oak front door.

The door has clearly been stained and varnished at various points over the years and currently has black forged iron door furniture.

I'm hoping that I can sand the whole thing back to it's beautiful original light oak colour and then change it for polished chrome door furniture, which I think would look fabulous and really set off the front of the house.

My problem is: How do I "treat" the door once it's been sanded back? Do I varnish it with clear varnish? Oil it? Wax it? It's obviously an external door, but has an overhanging porch, which means it's very rarely hit by rain, etc...

Any suggestions would be much appreciated as I want to really make the most of what we have rather then changing it for some machine-made or UPVC modern door!

Thanks!

Made_Without

Thundercat wrote: »

Hi there,

We've recently moved into a house built in 1929, which still has it's original solid oak front door.

The door has clearly been stained and varnished at various points over the years and currently has black forged iron door furniture.

I'm hoping that I can sand the whole thing back to it's beautiful original light oak colour and then change it for polished chrome door furniture, which I think would look fabulous and really set off the front of the house.

My problem is: How do I "treat" the door once it's been sanded back? Do I varnish it with clear varnish? Oil it? Wax it? It's obviously an external door, but has an overhanging porch, which means it's very rarely hit by rain, etc...

Any suggestions would be much appreciated as I want to really make the most of what we have rather then changing it for some machine-made or UPVC modern door!

Thanks!

Sounds gorgeous! Post a pic on the First impressions front door thread please

(Sorry I can't help with your actual question)

C*F

themacster

You could try Danish Oil. Also don't use steel screws or the oak will stain - use stainless steel or brass

suisidevw

Osmo polyx hardwood oil!

Thundercat_2

Ooooh - fabulous suggestions - thanks everyone!!

Chocolate*fish - I'll take a photo tomorrow in the daytime and post it - I think it will be a beautiful door when it's finished, but at the moment it just looks tired and worn :-(

Maybe when it's done I can then post an "after" photo and everyone can tell me that it either looks great or I've messed up a lovely door!!! :doh:

A.Penny.Saved

Not really the time of year to be doing that type of stuff. I hope the porch really does protect it, if not then don't risk it, get a tarpaulin to cover it if necessary rather than risk getting it wet. For the sake of £5, is it worth the risk?

I hope you have plenty of elbow grease to hand too for all that sanding

leveller2911

Any of the oils suggested will do but you won't stop the door going black again and weathering.Although Oak looks amazing when new and can last for literally centuries its downside(if you can call it that) is that it weathers, goes black and eventually a weathered Grey and you will never stop it.There isn't a product on the market that will hold back the Tanic acid in the Oak.........

Personally I would just lightly sand it and re-oil.What ever you do don't polyurethane varnish it as this will soon crack.You could try Black friers traditional woodstain which is clear and has a satin finish, but even that won't hold back the weathering process.

Norma_Desmond

Could you have it 'dipped' instead of sanding it?
We've just had a beautiful interior oak door done and it's a lovely pale colour now which we're going to wax.
The door's 200 years old and stood up to the treatment with no problems.

Thundercat_2

Thanks everyone - I must admit I'm kind of glad A.Penny.Saved said not to do this at this time of year!! I wasn't relishing the prospect of having the door open while I sanded it and re sealed it!!! Will make it a job for next Spring/Summer then! :T

I know that the door will eventually weather again, but I really dislike the colour of the stain that's been applied to it and would at least like to get rid of this. I don't mind if the wood then weathers naturally because at least it will be a natural colour, rather than the horrid orangey yellow colour that it is at the moment!

I think I'm going to go for the sanding option, mainly because then I don't have to completely remove the door! It probably weighs a ton and I don't fancy my chances at managing to undo the screws on the hinges - after all these years they've probably welded themselves into position!! Plus by dipping it we would have a hole at the front of the house for however long it took and I can't be bothered to have to set up some kind of secure temporary front door! <Lazy icon needed here> ha ha

Thanks for all your knowledge and help though - it looks like I've got a tough prospect ahead, but hopefully it'll be worth it!

Norman_Castle

Can I suggest you use paint/varnish remover instead of sanding the door. Sanding will remove the surface of the wood. Paint remover will remove just the tired and tatty varnish.

Tanzil

you can wax the door. it would be better.

Tanzil