An array of doors during repair often needs not restoration, but restoration. This measure will save on updating the canvas and keep the quality product in place. In addition, the restoration of wooden doors helps to adapt them to different styles, which periodically change during the repair of premises.
Restore or change?
When the question arises of changing the door, few think about how it can be restored. In what cases is this really the best measure:
- Repairing doors from an array is a profitable process compared to replacing it with a new one of the same quality;
- Renewing the old door is optimal if it is supposed to change the style of the room during repair, when the panel is still in excellent condition and does not need to be replaced;
- Restoration of old wooden doors is advisable in those cases when the canvas and door frame were created manually many years ago and may have a unique ornament, texture. In this case, the door is a real antique exhibit, which is unreasonable to change;
- Do-it-yourself restoration of wooden doors allows you to create a unique product that can become the center of an interior composition;
- Repair of the interior door is also possible in cases where replacement can threaten the integrity of the opening or wall cladding;
- If the old door has non-standard sizes, it is much easier to update its appearance than to order a new one;
- Do-it-yourself restoration of interior doors is a much more interesting process than buying a new unit and installing it.
When repairing wooden doors is impractical and it is rational to choose a reinstallation unit:
- The old door leaf and the box, which became unusable: cracked, cracked, the integrity of the structure was broken;
- The door is made of cheap materials: fiberboard, MDF, etc.
The decision to update the front or interior door should not cause concern about the work, they can be done independently. Next, we provide detailed instructions on how to update doors, and consider methods for restoring paintings and door frames.
Which tool is useful for work
To update or restore an old wooden door, it is necessary to prepare the canvas for work. To do this, you will need the following tools:
Useful for the restoration process itself:
- Spatulas for leveling grooves and bumps on the surface of the canvas;
- Hard putty on wood, close to the natural color of the base;
- Stain, varnish, paint, depending on the type of restoration;
- Brushes, sponges and rollers for uniform application of coloring compounds on solid wood.
Preparing the canvas for updating
Before proceeding with the repair of old wooden doors, it is necessary to take a number of measures to prepare the canvas and the box:
- The door should be removed from the hinges and moved to an equipped workshop or a separate room. The fact is that when you try to update the surface in any way in the process, a significant amount of debris, enamel spatter is formed. In addition, working on a horizontal surface is much easier than on a vertical one. When removing the canvas, do not use a rough tool, it is better to call for help from a partner to remove the door manually and maintain its integrity
- Now you need to remove the accessories: handles, hinges, remove the glass inserts, carefully unscrewing them with a screwdriver. This is done for the convenience of updating the surface of the front door. After completion of the work, the fittings, updated old or acquired new, are installed in place;
- Next, remove the top coat. If there are many layers of paint, they should be warmed up and moistened with a solvent, making a compress for a while. Remove the coating to the maximum so that the new layers lay evenly and do not peel off the base. If there is no building hair dryer and blowtorch, use an iron. The exfoliated layer is removed with a spatula;
- When the paint is removed, it is necessary to clean its remains. To do this, use a grinding machine or a set of sandpaper. It is important to properly rub the wood over the fibers along the entire plane in order to level it.After that, the integrity of the door leaf is restored: the opened cracks and irregularities are filled with putty. It is important not to overdo it and update the structure of the canvas fragmentarily, otherwise the tree pattern will be adjacent to a perfectly smooth smoothed area.
In cases where there are significant potholes on the door, you can lay a piece of wood in them and wipe it with a spatula. The method will save on materials - the cork is securely fixed in a small amount of solution.
How to repair?
When the preparatory work is behind, the plaster has dried, you can start decorating the paintings. There are several ways to restore a wooden door:
- Sanding with painting and varnishing;
- Wallpapering;
- Stencil drawing;
- Vinyl stickers;
- Overhead facades;
- Web update.
All methods are used in modern restoration work. Each process requires an individual approach.
Option 1: sanding and painting
This is an ideal way to restore veneered surfaces. Correctly selected composition of the coloring matter may not hide, but emphasize the woody pattern on the door. After all the preparatory work, the canvas is evenly painted in the desired color. For deep color saturation, put the enamel in 2 - 3 rows. It is difficult to veneer the coating without special equipment, and updating the pattern and color is easier to emphasize than ever. By staining, you can keep the old door decor.
Before varnishing, you should walk along the surface with a stain to prevent the development of fungi and mold.
Option 2: wallpapering
To repair the door block with wallpaper is another interesting idea that fully combines all the objects and designs in the interior. This method can be updated at least every year during repairs and outside this event: it is easily implemented and the price of coverage is very small.
How to update wooden doors with wallpaper:
- On the prepared canvas, it is necessary to apply a primer in 1 layer and wait for its complete drying;
- Pre-sized door cut wallpaper. This must be done carefully so that then the cut out contour coincides with the door. Ideally, make a paper overlay with bending allowance.
- Now apply glue to the tree and attach the paper web. If the wallpaper is non-woven - apply glue to the roll and stick it to the base. Smooth and remove excess glue well. After drying, attach the hardware and hang the canvas.
Option 3: Stencil Drawing
Do-it-yourself wooden door restoration can be done using stencils. They are sold ready-made or made independently on a large sheet of paper or on wallpaper.
To apply the finished drawing, follow the instructions:
- The prepared base is coated with paint or varnish, waiting to dry;
- A stencil is glued onto a dry surface;
- Cover the free space inside or outside;
- Tear off the template and wait for the paint to dry.
Method 4: vinyl stickers
A modern version of interior decoration. Vinyl stickers are not afraid of moisture and water, the sun, they are easy to wash and clean if necessary. Pasting the door with them is very simple: apply a sticker and smooth it. The advantage of modern interior stickers is their reusability and versatility. They are easily removed from the surface without leaving a trace, if desired, the location of the stickers can be changed. Suitable for decorating a plastic balcony door.
Method 5: overhead facades
Repair of interior wooden doors by conventional methods can sometimes not give the expected effect and the process will require drastic measures. When it is necessary not to restore, but to completely renew the door facade, false facades will come to the rescue. They are made of different materials, it is advisable to purchase an overlay made of MDF:
- It does not absorb moisture;
- Keeps shape for a long time;
- Easy to attach;
- It has sufficient rigidity and strength;
- Inexpensively worth;
- Fastens on PVA, self-tapping screws.
The door restored in this way radically changes its appearance.
- Get a canvas of the right size;
- On the prepared base, attach the overhead facade;
- Attach it with self-tapping screws or on PVA glue.
Method 6: update the canvas
How to update an old interior door if you want to add or change the arrangement of glass in the paintings? To do this, you have to work:
- After removing the paint, remove the glass inserts, cover the hole for them with plywood or the same material.
- We cut holes of any shape in the desired place. Only the supposed glazing bead-holder will help limit the bending of the line.
- Paint the canvas in any color or varnish, wait until it dries.
- Now fasten the glass of the new form in the hole made onto the glazing beads. Instead of glass, there may be decorated panels.
Fittings Decor
If the door is old, it is probably equipped with accessories made in ancient times, which to throw out is a real crime. When the handles and hinges are worn, it is better to restore, rather than discard.
To breathe life into accessories, treat the product with sandpaper from possible corrosion, cover with a layer of soil-enamel. She does not hide the ornament applied to the handles, but only emphasizes it favorably. After drying, the handles and loops can be attached back to the canvas and suspended in an opening.
Repair is easy
We told how to make a new door out of an old one without replacing its main parts. These processes may seem difficult, but in fact, even an inexperienced master handles them. The main thing is to start. You can change the appearance of any door:
- Input;
- Interior;
- Leading to the balcony.
You can come up with your own way of restoration: acrylic coating, painting, etc. The main thing is to properly organize the preparatory stage for creating a working foundation, and then it will go like clockwork. The main thing is not to be afraid and start.