Restoring Beauty to Exterior Doors

05 Nov Restoring Beauty to Exterior Doors

A home’s exterior can say a lot about who lives in the house. For example, a well-kept front door can say the homeowner cares about their home and its maintenance. This was the case recently on a Vienna, Virginia project.

The homeowner hired us to restain five exterior double doors and repaint iron railings. While it sounds like a quick and easy job, it’s critical to take our time with meticulous preparation before starting, particularly on a home’s exterior. So, it takes a bit longer than one might think! Below are the details of this project.

Project Profile

Exterior Doors:

Although the double doors were beautiful, they were ready to be restained. Time and weather had worn down the finish. We had to clean, strip, carefully restain, and, lastly, clear coat the front door (two panels) and four back doors (eight total panels). The doors’ interiors did not need any restaining since they weren’t exposed to weather elements.

Products:

The product quality when painting or staining any exterior is very important. Typically, the cheaper the product, the lower the quality. As a professional painter, I can tell you that it’s not worth using inferior quality products. It only means you will have to reapply the paint or stain sooner rather than later.

Keep in mind that, with exterior materials, the weather (rain, cold, heat, humidity, sun, snow, etc. ) and amount of use can decrease the integrity of the surface. Ultimately, you might pay more upfront, but a high-quality product will last longer and better protect the underlying material and surface.

When it comes to exterior painting or staining, something else to note is that it’s really not a DIY job. This is one for professional painting contractors who have the experience, skill, and equipment.

Products used included:

Stain: We used Minwax Wood Finish.
Clearcoat: We applied a clear coat of Minwax Helmsman Spare Urethane to further protect the stain and surface.

Iron railings:

In addition to the exterior doors, we also repainted the home’s exterior iron railings. We cleaned and prepared them by scraping and wire brushing off all rust where needed. We then applied a rust-inhibiting oil-based primer to any rust spots. Lastly, we used a coat of paint to match the existing color.

Products used included:

Paint: Sherwin Williams Pro Industrial Urethane Alkyd Enamel.

If you believe that your home’s exterior is ready to be repainted or restained, give our offices a call. We’re happy to provide a free full assessment and estimate. It’s better to not wait so long that the underlying surface becomes exposed.

Mike Katounas

Mike Katounas is the owner of Home Works Painting, a painting business in Northern Virginia. He has over 15 years of experience in residential interior and exterior painting, drywall installation/repair, carpentry, wallpaper removal, power washing, commercial painting, color consultation, and staining/sealing. Their service areas include Chantilly, Fairfax, Herndon, Oakton, Reston. Mike takes pride in his work, and he always follows a strict code of conduct that includes the use of quality paint, a clean workspace, and an honest, respectful approach to his customers.