How to Care for Your Exterior Wood Doors?

It’s no secret that wood is the material of choice when it comes to exterior doors. And why not? Wooden doors look beautiful and last longer than other types of doors. That being said, much the same as every other material out there, wood is susceptible to everyday wear. Therefore, you must properly maintain your exterior wood doors if you want them to stand the test of time.

Polishing

The first thing you can do in order to maintain the aesthetic of your wood door is polishing. Over a course of time, exterior wood finish is most likely to get dull, what with the direct sunlight and being exposed to the elements. Polishing your wood doors is not an arduous task also. All you need are some good quality exterior stains. Simply wipe off any dirt or marks on the surface with a wood cleaner and then gently apply the polish.

Maintaining finish

You must remember that even polishing is not guaranteed to prevent your wood door finish from fading over time. To restore a dull or cracking finish to its former shine, you are going to need to sand off the outside layer and then wipe away all the dust with a clean damp cloth. You can then simply apply a polyurethane coating to protect the finish from fading in the sun.

Maintaining paint

Some colors and types of paint wash out quicker than others, but you should be able to get a few extra years with the right coat of paint. Painting a door is easy. You just have to choose the shade you want. Remember to only get an exterior paint with decent ultraviolet protection – such as General Finishes paint.

Trimming swollen wood

This maintenance approach is at the bottom of your maintenance checklist because it will most likely be many years before you have to get in a panic about trimming down swollen wood on a new door. On the other hand, if you have an older door, you might notice that the wood has expanded. Perhaps there was water damage or maybe it soaked up excess humidity in the air, but your door is no longer closing as it should. You'll need some woodworking tools to pull this one off, so if you aren't comfortable trimming the swollen wood off of your exterior door, hire a professional to do it for you.

Wooden doors are truly built to last. They are designed to withstand the elements for years with very little care and maintenance required. Nevertheless, if you've had your exterior wood doors for a few years already, you should at the very least consider polishing them. A little maintenance will go a long way.

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Created on Jun 13th 2018 00:26. Viewed 429 times.

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