Here’s an easy face lift for your front door! Spring-cleaning is a fabulous way to celebrate the end of winter. But no matter how clean the inside of your home is, the first thing people see is your front door. Peeling varnish, faded paint and tarnished or rusted hardware do not give the fresh and clean impression you worked so hard to achieve indoors. Fortunately, it`s not hard to give your front door a brand new look without dipping into your rainy day savings.
Cleaning is the first step in any renovation. Use a soft, lint-free cloth to dust every surface of your front door. Shop cloths work well and so do old, white T-shirts. Pay special attention to corners and crevices like those surrounding recessed windows or the areas around hinges.
Wash your door with a degreasing solution to remove any oils or airborne grease. There are several types of degreasers available. For really tough dirt, you need to dilute trisodium phosphate in water according to the proportions on the label. For milder dirt (and a greener method), stir a few squirts of liquid dish soap into a bucket of warm water. Dish soap is formulated to cut grease, so it is an excellent cleaner for anything that spends time outdoors.
It is not necessary to remove your front door from its hinges to give it a makeover, but doing so makes it easier for you to reach all of it and vastly reduces the risk of someone accidentally interfering with the process. Once the door is clean, remove it from its hinges and place it on a pair of sawhorses, or elevate it slightly above your work surface with four to six wooden blocks or large empty cans like the ones that tomatoes or coffee come in.
Remove all of the hardware so that you don`t have to work around it. Place anything you intend to reuse in labeled plastic zipper bags so that you don`t have to hunt for the items later.
Remove old paint, stain or varnish by applying a wax-based chemical stripper. Apply the stripper with a natural bristled brush and let it sit according to the manufacturer`s recommendation. Scrape away the old paint, stain or varnish with a plastic scraper when it begins to bubble up. Strip one side completely before turning the door over and stripping the other.
Sand your door with 200-grit sandpaper to remove any last traces of the old finish. Work with the grain and use a light touch. Wipe away the sanding dust with tack cloths. Flip the door and do the other side.
Fill in any chips or dings with stainable wood filler. Apply it with a craft stick and scrape horizontally across the surface to level it. Let the wood filler dry completely, sand it smooth and wipe away the dust.
Prime your front door to help your new paint or stain adhere properly. Read the label on your primer to ensure that it is compatible with your new stain or paint. Use a roller or brush to paint a thin coat of primer on your door. Let it dry completely, flip the door and do the other side.
Paint or stain your door, (see here how to paint wood) letting it dry completely before flipping it and letting it dry completely between coats. Apply a good all-weather sealer and your door will look as fresh and new as the rest of your home.
Once you have completed this OurDIYProjects.net front door facelift, pay a visit to our friends at Ironmongery Direct to check out their beautiful line of hardware to put the finishing touch on your makeover.
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Thanks. I’ve been thinking about doing something our front door for yonks. Finally, I have some impetus to do something about it.
A lot of people judge a house based on what the front door looks like. These are awesome tips to recreate a front door. This is awesome awesome awesome.
You are absolutely correct Anne, front doors need to be cleaned on regular intervals, that would help give your house that good impression. Given the impression your front makes on visitors, you must not forget to keep it tidy, if you don’t want to have a soiled image. Thanks for sharing the tips.
Hey,
Anne interesting idea that you write in your blog about our front door of house.
Front door is the first look of our house that overview a good expression to people mind about the beauty of house.
In your blog i see a awesome front door that is very attractive to people.The front door also create good expression to child that there mind be feel good to see a wonderful front door just like in your blog door image.
Haha… the door remembers me on the “red door” from the serie: One Tree Hill!
Great picture!
completely agree with your blog. It applies to personalities as well. We can give a fair idea about a person when we first see them.
Thank you very much for your valuable information.
Thanks for the advice!
I like how you write about the topic, my front door, which has a needs a retouch for more than i can imagine, is really old and the color is slowly peeling off . Will definitely do something about mine as soon as i can.
Thanks
I had a bizarre problem with my flat door at the start of last year. It expanded in the cold and the lock kept giving out; I was locked out of my flat and then in it on a number of occasions! My landlord was no help so I got some guys out to fix the thing, but I’ve been afraid of my door ever since.
Great article, though, when I eventually own a house I’m going to make my front door as excellent as possible. Without even taking it off its hinges.
I would be afraid to use my front door too. I’d be worried if I would get back in each time I left the house!
Front door of any house is first impression on mind of its visitors. the kind of facelift you have mentioned is great and gonna try on our front door too. Thanks for this 🙂
Oh Yea! I can’t agree with you more Anne! The front door is the very first eye catching facade of your whole house. We should really take good care of this particular door because it opens us and our guests to the world we live in.
I had an experience before when I was still and teenager. I visited my friend’s place 2 towns from ours. They had this twig dangling just above their front door. So, I can’t help but ask them what is that and why is it there. They said that it’s for luck and blessings to overflow in their house.
I was like, com’n. It doesn’t look pleasant at all. Everybody would not just be alarmed why is it hanging there and thought that those living in the house are witch and wizards. haha.
Yea! Keep your front door neat as always. 🙂
That’s an odd experience, Andrew. I wouldn’t want to go to that house again 🙂
Exactly my point Anne!
Thanks for sharing this article!
I really appreciate it!
Wow, that first pic looks amazing! We’ve got kids and our front of house is ALWAYS looking messy. In time, we’ll be doing something nice with our things when they won’t get destroyed anymore lol.
I understand, as I’ve got kids too. But surely, they can’t get to the outside of the front door to mess it up 🙂
I agree Anne front doors become a hell lot dirtier as compared to the in-house doors, and yes you are right it is mostly because of air borne grease. I hate the way it makes my pink front door look pale and dirty, I haven’t ever tried to clean it but I think I must give it a try, thanks for sharing.
All great tips Anne, and I agree, your front door is the first thing people notice..
Nice post yes i am totally agree with your post . i would say front door give us positive effects whenever we use it to go inside or outside .it also make good impression to others.