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Good evening Workshop Community Friends. I would love to get your friendly advice please. The house 1994. The front door frame is fading and weathered, quite badly in some areas. We don’t know what type of timber the door frame is sorry. It looks like the varnish is wearing off.
I would like to have a go at trying to revive it. Would I sandpaper it first and then add a varnish for outdoors ? Willing to learn from everyone’s experiences.
Also , hubby found at the back of the shed, this can of varnish, he thinks it may have been left from the previous owners 20 years ago. I opened it up to have a look, doesn’t look good and dreadful smell.
I hope these photos will be helpful.
Kind Regards Michelle 😊
Hi @mich1972
Thanks for sharing that question about renewing your external front door frame. My first suggestion is not to use the old can of Cabot's that's been sitting in the back of the shed. Ideally you don't want to store paint that long and it's best to use it while it is still fresh.
If you're planning on re-staining and varnishing your front door frame, it's necessary to sand off all the old stain. I suggest using Flexovit 115mm x 1m 180 Grit Painted Surface Sandpaper Roll to remove all the old stain and varnish. Once you've sanded it down to timber, I recommend doing a fine sanding of the surface using Flexovit 115mm x 1m 240 Grit Painted Surface Sandpaper Roll.
If you're not keen on doing it by hand, I propose looking into the possibility of using an electric sander to shorten the sanding time. Mak sure to wipe off all the sanding dust on the door frame with a clean rag. Once the frame is ready for painting, I recommend masking the surrounding area with painter's tape and drop sheets. This will protect the area from errant paint splashes and accidental over painting.
Before you begin, I suggest visiting your local store and having a look at the stain and varnish sample board in the paint department so that you'll get a good idea of what they look like when applied to timber. My number one tip is to invest in a good brush if you decide to use one.
Just in case you are curious the Cabot's 1L Teak Exterior Varnish Stain is still available at the store.
Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to restore wooden furniture (the techniques used are applicable to your timber door frame)
Here are some discussions regarding re-staining and varnishing front doors and frames:
- What do I use to stain new window trims? by @Woody1
- How to protect front door? Need advice choosing water-based stain varnish by @terrywang
Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a paint mask when working on your project.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Many thanks to Eric, Mitchell and Dave for your kind support and advice you all gave me to refresh our exterior front door timber frame.
I hand sanded it as best as I could. Wiped the dust off with a slightly damp cloth.
I gave it three coats of the Cabot’s Exterior Varnish Stain. Really happy with it. The door frame gets the really hot afternoon sun so hopefully it will last for quite a few years.
Lovely work, @mich1972 that came up a treat! Job well done!
Many thanks for sharing your results with us.
Mitchell
After finishing the door frame, this ceiling panel was driving me nuts, it was a water stain that occurred from a cracked roof tile ( that was replaced ) so I prepped the ceiling, cleaning the dust and cobwebs away and gave it two coats of Zinsser paint.
I was going to ask if I could use my interior kitchen bathroom Ceiling paint to paint this panel ? Or will I need to buy an exterior ceiling paint ? It is just for this one panel.
