Wood doors are one of the most popular types of doors chosen for home and businesses. Wood doors provide durability and are aesthetically appealing. When it comes to finding the right wood door, you have endless options of wood grains and colors. This makes wood doors such a big seller. In order to protect your investment, you want to make sure you are able to maintain your wood door adequately. As the focal point of your entrance, you want to have a wood door that continues to look great at all times. Here are some ways to help maintain your wood door so it looks great longer.

Visual Inspection

You should be inspecting your door for cracks and chips occasionally to see if work needs to be done to it. If your door is not protected by an overhang, it is likely to need more work than one that is guarded from the outdoor elements. If you see a difference in the finish of the door than the way it used to look, you need to figure out what is causing it. It could be sunlight, moisture, or just age. Dark streaks under the finish are usually a sign that moisture has gotten into the wood. For rough portions in the wood, these areas can be sanded down to be made smooth again.

Preparing the Door

When it is time to repair a door, you may find it easier to take it off the hinge to work on it. This allows you to lay the door down so it easy to reach all of its points. Before you do anything to the door, you want to make sure you clean it very good. This can be done while the door is still hanging if needed. The hardware on the door needs to be removed before the door is prepped. You don’t want to damage the hardware or get finish on it.

Stripping and Sanding

Using a quality paint remover, you can then begin to strip the door. Make sure you get all six sides of the door in order to get it to the right condition. After that you want to sand it down so that the new finish will adhere to the door. You should use a 120 or 150 grit sandpaper to do this.

Refinishing

After sanding, you will have to clean the door of any small particles. Before adding the finish, you want to make sure the door dries completely. Now, you can start applying the finish to the door. It is best to use a light color because it won’t absorb the heat from the sun as much. If you do go with a dark color, you should be prepared to refinish it quicker than with a light color finish. Once it has dried completely, you can then begin adding the hardware back onto the door. All you have left to do is hang the door and admire your work.