Our new front door started to fade less than 2 years after installation due to the direct sunlight it receives. In an attempt to avoid further damage, we applied Helmsman Spar Urethane to the entire door. While this appeared to help in the short-term, our door now has considerable damage, including cracks, urethane stains and general fading. Any suggestions for repairing our door, or is there little that can be done at this point? I've included a picture below. Not what you were looking for ? Welcome to our on-line community. I can truly relate to your dilemma, as I had exactly the same problem in my last house. The front door received direct afternoon sunlight and after filling sanding and prepping every other year I finally gave in and painted the door and sidelights with Behr Pure Premium Ultra paint. This may be your best option depending on the severity of the cracking of the veneer on the door. If the cracks need to be filled, the new stain and top coat may actually accent the repair.
Based on the photo, the cracking appears to be in the early stages and may be salvageable. Most people are shying away from real wood doors and choosing fiberglass doors for this and several other reasons. They are available from several manufacturers in popular wood looking finishes including Cherry Mahogany, Light and Medium Oak. Many we carry qualify for the Energy Tax Credit of 30% of the cost up to $1500.00 If you do want to attempt to renew the wood finish I suggest the following; 1) Take the door off of the frame, remove all hardware and place on padded sawhorses . Remove existing finish using 100 and then 120 grit sand paper with a random orbital sander, hand sander, and scrapers for detailed areas until existing finish has been removed consistently. (Use of any finer grit than 120 may close the pores of the wood and not allowing the finish to penetrate) 2) Vacuum and dust the door insuring all particles have been removed from the surface.
Seal the bottom and edges of the door prior to rehanging. Rehang the door and choose the stain desired. Start with the panels, then the horizontal stiles, finally the vertical stiles. 3) Now it is time for the topcoat. Spar has been the product of choice for years, but new products have appeared recently that are loaded with uv protection and also have elasticity and other good traits. Sikkens, and Cabot all have good products worth researching. I have used Sikkens personally and was pleased with the results. Whatever product you choose I suggest 3 coats. After the first coat has dried overnight lightly hand sand with 220 grit paper and recoat allowing to dry overnight again. Finally hand sand with 280 grit paper and apply final coat. Please let me know how it turns out and would love to see before and after pictures if possible. Can you patch the cracks with some type of spacking and then give the door a good coat of primer (I use Zinsser) and several coats of Oil based enamal paint (oil based holds up better especially in high traffic areas) and then a sealant?
You may be able to strip the door, patch the cracks and then add a new coat of stain if you want the stained wood look instead of painted. But don't forget to add a sealant top coat! Personally, I love the look of painted doors. HD 116, Thank you for your helpful and thorough response. I had thought that we had little chance of salvaging this door, but your response gives me some hope. I'm planning to follow your suggestions and attempt to renew the finish. I may not be able to get around to this for a few weeks, but I will give you an update and send some pictures once I have finished the project. I really appreciate it. houseofheps, Thanks for the suggestions! Based on the responses that I've received thus far, I finally have some hope that we might be able to salvage this door, which was not the case this time yesterday. If you are willing to consider things not from THD, there is another option that wouldn't be generally thought of in your case.
Strip the door down to bare wood. Stain the color you prefer. Stay away from Minwax Wood Finish products, as they are interior only use. If you want to use a Minwax product, use their Gel Stains. After getting the stain to the color you want, find a deep or neutral base oil-based paint. Deep or neutral base has no pigment in it. It will go on clear. The problem you will have is finding the paint. THD used to sell the Glidden Ultra-Hide line of oil-based paints, so you might check with your local ICI dealer. The painting method will give you about a 4 year life span. Anything with urethane in it, no matter how much UV protectant in it, will not last more than a year. Urethanes require, at minimum, yearly maintenance. Varnishes are about the same, only less drastic of a noticeable problem. If you are willing to spend north of $70 a gallon, Epifanes makes a line of marine, 2 part finishes that will stand up to any environment you want to put them in.If you love the character and charm of the traditional country cottage but want to build a home on a more substantial scale, then Arts & Crafts could be just the architectural style you are looking for.
Michael Holmes shares his tips for successfully achieving the look. The Arts & Crafts movement spanned over a period of around 30 years and spread across much of the UK, reaching its height in the early 20th century. The look is all about simple, traditional building forms, the use of natural materials and the celebration of craftsmanship and individuality. Consequently the style could suit almost any location — as an infill development within an existing streetscape, or standing alone as a farmhouse or country home. Providing attention is paid to the use of vernacular materials, Arts & Crafts style is an option for most self-builders considering a traditional-style home. The self-built Arts &?Crafts house above, in Cambridgeshire, was designed by James Snell. With a floorplan of over 450m², it manages to feel cosy rather than grand, thanks to its robust, ‘chunky’ design and mix of regional materials. Asymmetry, dominant chimneys and low roof pitches are key. The proportions, massing and form all need careful attention, but providing this is well understood and the building or group of buildings are well sited and suitably broken up, there is almost no limit on scale when working in Arts & Crafts style — from small family home up to grand country house.
Regardless of overall scale, the form of an Arts & Crafts-style home must be made up of elements, or bays, with traditional proportions if it is to look right. Pitched roof spans of each bay should be no greater than 4.5-6m, and roof pitches should be of 47.5-55°. The eaves should be low, typically reaching down to first floor level in many parts, often using a catslide roof to at least one elevation, adding to the asymmetry that is so characteristic of the style. The first floor is likely to be at least partially within the roof space, often with dormer windows to some elevations, and there may well be a further attic storey, with another row of dormer windows. This means Arts & Crafts houses typically appear to be one and a half storeys. Larger footprints need to be achieved by grouping together a series of two or three pitched roofed bays, often with gables facing both front, back and side elevations. Large chimneys are a very important part of the building form, and are often tall, wide and the stacks ornately decorated with traditional brickwork or stonework.
Chimney stacks are often offset at 45° from the main chimney structure. Some Arts & Crafts buildings make use of a green oak frame structure either for the roof, part of the building, or the whole. Rendered or infilled with brick, the oak frame will sit on a brick or stone plinth. This traditional feature is replicated in many Arts & Crafts homes, even when built using masonry and other forms of construction. Another common feature associated with oak frame construction is the projecting or jettied first floor, supported by corbelled brackets in timber or stone. The overhanging storey will often provide protection for a bay or oriel window at ground floor level. Opt for small-paned casement windows. Windows are typically cottage style, with multiple small panes of glazing set in side-hung casements. The casements are usually timber or metal, set in a timber, metal or occasionally a stone frame. Leaded lights are also an option, as these were widely used. For small-paned windows, each individual ‘light’ or pane of glass should always be taller than wide.
Casements are typically arranged within larger frames in groups of two, three, four or five units, and sometimes more, separated by mullions. The window grouping will be designed to suit the size of the room served. The emphasis of these groups of windows tends to be horizontal and to maintain this, taller windows may be divided vertically with a transom. Windows are often centred in each bay, but the whole arrangement is unlikely to be symmetrical, adding to the informal feel. Projecting bay windows can add space and light to a room, and can create the space to form a window seat. They can be on the ground floor only, or extend over two storeys. Typically they are square sided but they may also have splayed sides, and may have either a pitched or flat lead roof, or be tucked beneath the jettied floor above. The oriel window is similar to a bay, but rather than being supported on foundations at ground level, projects from the building supported by corbel brackets. This feature is often found at first floor level, protected by overhanging eaves or a jettied gable.
Dormer windows may be pitch roofed (gabled), catslide roof (mono pitched) or flat roofed in lead. Unusual-shaped windows, or a series of small windows, may be used to add interest to an elevation. Ideas include circular windows, trefoil or quatrefoil windows, heart-shaped windows, or a series of three small square windows. Windows are typically set back deep within their reveals, often by 100mm, creating depth and shadow to elevations. On a rendered building, windows are often set within simple rendered openings, with soft rather than sharp reveals, and a timber or tiled cill. Often no lintel is visible, as the structure is covered in render. To throw water away from the window there may be a rendered hood mould formed or hood detail of clay creasing tiles. Another option is to use stone window surrounds and a stone label moulding above, with metal casement window inserts. In brick-built houses, the openings are formed in brick, and it is important to feature a traditional arched brick lintel, either curved or flat gauged.
Opt for a wide front door. Plank doors are typical of Arts & Crafts houses. They could be in painted softwood, or quality timber such as oak, left natural or stained and oiled. A wide front door with solid proportions suits the style well. Black hand-forged ironmongery is an ideal choice. Other options include traditional panelled doors, perhaps with some of the upper panels glazed. Glazed French doors are a typical feature at the rear or sides, providing access onto a terrace or the garden. The entrance to an Arts & Crafts house is an important feature and a traditional lych-gate-style porch is a feature that works well, made from green oak or painted softwood. A recessed porch area or niche with an arched opening is another common feature. Research how materials are used on homes in the local area. Materials should reflect local vernacular traditions of the immediate area. Typical walling materials include brick, stone (limestone, sandstone, granite, slate and flint), painted render (including decorative pargeting), pebbledash, hung clay tiles at first floor level, timber shiplap and oak half timbering infilled with render, and occasionally brick or flint.
Roofing options include plain and profiled clay tiles, stone tiles, small-format local slates and thatch. Sometimes more than one roofing material is employed. If brick is to be used, a traditional bond combining headers and stretchers is essential. On a rendered house, avoid the use of modern metal angle beads as they will create too uniform a finish, and go for a hand-trowelled finish that is not too square, avoiding ‘fake’ rough trowel marks. Self-coloured render using local coarse sand and white Portland cement can prove a good option, giving a good texture and through colour. Render looks good when painted using traditional paints. Whichever materials are chosen, it is vital to get the detailing right for eaves, window and door openings, chimneys etc. Loggia: An outdoor living space at ground or first floor level, with a roof open to at least one side. Shutters: Wooden shutters fitted to window openings to the exterior. They may include decorative cut-outs of hearts or other motifs.
Stained glass: A common feature in a single window or doorway. It is ideal where obscured glass is required. Diaper work: Patterns are formed in the brickwork using different contrasting coloured bricks, or panels of stone or flint to provide interest and variety. Polychromatic roofing: Different-coloured clay roof tiles are combined to form decorative patterns, a tradition that continued from the Victorian era. Curved bays: An expensive feature to recreate but a curved bay window can look very attractive. Buttresses: Some architects like to include buttresses in brickwork or stone, usually to serve a structural purpose such as supporting the arch of a porch. Decorative chimney stacks: Decorative brickwork was often incorporated into the chimney stack in Arts &?Crafts houses, sometimes using special bricks to form patterns such as barley twist. The entrance hall is a central feature in arts &?crafts houses. The internal layout will be influenced by the external building form, but bays can be arranged together to form rooms of almost any size, so there is the flexibility to create a floorplan that is either semi open plan, or heavily compartmentalised.