Wax, oil or varnish for internal wooden doors?

Catbells

The internal doors are about 100 years old and the previous owners stripped them of paint.  I want to give them something to perk them up a bit as have been here 10 years and done nothing to them.  Is wax, oil or varnish the best to use?  All these products seem to harden once dried and it goes against what I would have thought was best for them -  ie allow them to breathe and preserve the natural wood. Most of them are slightly warped and don't fit the door frames perfectly.   Any suggestions please.  

Emmia

I'd have thought an oil would be best, but if you want a better fit,  that probably involves a carpenter.

Catbells

I suspect the warp would require removing them and putting them in a kind of clamp to straighten them and that is too big a job and expense.    I'm just hopeful of preserving their look by ensuring I give the most beneficial treatment to them. 

RHemmings

Can I rudely butt in on @Catbells thread and say that I have some new doors which have been oiled (I guess) badly by the previous owner. Like, whole bits missed. By the previous owner not me. Can I just add oil over the top without knowing exactly what was done to them? 

This thread is in House Buying, Selling, and Renting (or similar) title section, and might be a better fit in the In Your Home/DIY (or similar) section. I was intending to start a thread in the latter about doors, but noticed this thread. 

Catbells

Very similar to my situation RH. We weren't sure what was already on them - just a light sheen.   The guy came today to do them.  He used my iron shaped sander to lightly, and I mean lightly - sand the doors down. Two of them were dry as bones and looked as if nothing had been put on them.  He recommended teak oil so I nipped to the local B&Q to get some while he was sanding.  We looked at them afterwards and the dry-as-bones ones were really nice and looked they'd taken their first breath in 10 years.   I will add a bit more teak oil in places.  They are pine btw.  Hope this helps you and your doors. 

Catbells

PS.  Also thanks for directing me to the Your Home/DIY page.  

RHemmings

In my case, after my experience oiling my kitchen worksurfaces which were woefully inadequately oiled wooden worktops, I feel that I'll give it a go oiling one of the doors. My kitchen worktop is now much better and the oil looks as fine as I can expect given that I haven't buffed it.

I'll try the end of one door first, as it's flat and can be sanded. I'm going to try oiling over the top of the existing stain to see what happens, as the doors are not flat and sanding would be a real business.

Even if I ended up wrecking the door, doors can be replaced. So, it's not too high a risk. 

Skiddaw1

Just wanted to say I love your forum name @Catbells. It's a lovely wee fell....