# victorian door renovation



## mclarenf1racer (5 Sep 2011)

our friends asked me if I could do anything with their front door one time when we were over having drinks, I was like yes no problem, never having renovated a door before but i had this vision of what I wanted it to look like or should I say what It looked like previously.
got the door to the workshop and started taking the mouldings off, the first one was breaking to pieces with rot so it was apparant that the mouldings would have to be renewed.
stripped off the many layers of paint was a task, I had went with stripper and found it to be very very very slow, whilst it was on I decided to get the orbital sander out and run it over parts of the door to give the stripper less work.
turns out the orbital was doing such a great job i decided to bin the stripper idea.
all rubbed down, mouldings were bought, I then cut them and rebated them on the router table and gave them 2 coats of the sadolin classic, the door only got one coat of sadolin classic, the match up was perfect.
mouldings attatched and all given their first coat of sadolin extra.
thats where I am just now


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## Chems (5 Sep 2011)

What a transformation, I imagine that was a really time consuming process. Hope they are well pleased with it and it earns you something!


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## billybuntus (5 Sep 2011)

Nice work

I've just bought a very similar door to replace our current front door (rubbish modern dowelled design).
Can't wait to get cracking with it but mine will be painted.


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## AndyT (6 Sep 2011)

Nice job. How long was the front door off and on the bench? Did you keep putting it back part done, or fit a temp door, or what? Is Troon the sort of place where people leave their doors open anyway?!


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## mclarenf1racer (6 Sep 2011)

Thanks for your responses, appreciated.

chems, so far it has taken me about 3 full days in the workshop, thats getting it in, stripping it fully, sanding it, repairing it and giving it 1 coat sadolin classic and 2 coats extra durable, put that 2nd coat on this morning.

billy, I think the paint would most definately have been the easiest option as wouldnt have required full strip, I have to say at the start when i got it in the workshop I was thinking this is definatley a paint job, no way is this going to get stained, but surprisingly it has turned out great. good luck with yours.

Andy, the doors from our friends in kilmarnock, not the place to leave your door open, dont think there are many places like that these days!! 
the door is the front storm door if you like and there is a double glazed internal door before you enter the hall so I havent needed to take of and put on, dont think that would have worked at all in this process.
the door has had 3 full days work on it so far, 9 till 5 ish, such a long process and I havent even got the refurbished ironwork back on it yet or painted the other side of it!!
looking to get the door back to them in next few days to get it hung and it will be glossed at that stage.

my next step is to have a look at the surrounding door frame, it is currently painted the burgundy faded red that the door was, I dont think that will be an easy strip, my options would be, I think,
do I get them to renew it?
rub it down and try and stain it the same as door?
or 
rub it down, undercoat and gloss it white? trying to think if that would work, using google streetmap I have saw doors that are say blue, green etc and they have the surround painted white and it looks good, wold this work with the natural wood?


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## billybuntus (6 Sep 2011)

I've done a lot with period doors (I make stained glass panels for old doors). I would most certainly paint the surround in an off white. It'll look very classy and be much less hassle for you. I can't find a decent picture to show you what it would look like though :roll:


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## mclarenf1racer (6 Sep 2011)

last coat and ironwork applied, hope to post one when its hung


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## Chems (6 Sep 2011)

Is the door huge or the letter box tiny or am I imagining it?


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## mclarenf1racer (7 Sep 2011)

finished and hung door today. really pleased with it and so were our friends.
decided to renew the facings so the photo I have listed the facings have not been treated yet.

chems the door is a monster over a metre wide and think the height was about 2.3metre.
the letterbox was the one that was on the door just been refurbished.

what would be the normal charge for such a bespoke job? came in at just under 5 days work.


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## hanser (9 Sep 2011)

"what would be the normal charge for such a bespoke job? came in at just under 5 days work"

Guess it depends on whether you want to stay friends!


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## petermillard (9 Sep 2011)

Nice job, and a fine looking door.



mclarenf1racer":11wp5dzi said:


> what would be the normal charge for such a bespoke job? came in at just under 5 days work.


As a paying job i.e. not for friends, then I'd want my day rate x however long it takes - I assume you stripped booth sides, yes? Round here (west London) 5 days of my time is £1475 + materials. By way of contrast, the last new front door I fitted came in at around £1600 all-in (door & door furniture s/fit, painted) so not a million miles away in terms of cost - and it certainly wasn't a metre wide, either...


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## Max Power (9 Nov 2011)

Very nice job of the refurbishment. Hope your still friends with the clients , can be very awkward when prices havnt been discussed


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## Fromey (9 Nov 2011)

Now they need some refurbishment of their front steps and hand rails! V. nice job and inspires me to get on and refurbish my doors. But I won't charge myself anything!


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