Please help I don't understand my Door

[doomed]

Hi,

A couple of years ago I bought two "4 panel Etched Frosted Glazed Knotty pine LH & RH Internal Doors" from B&Q. The description is as follows: "The construction of this door is engineered with a unique configuration of timber that is laminated and glued together in different directions. Lipping is then fixed to the edges and a veneer is then applied to the surface." Can anyone translate for me? The trouble is, I failed to stain it / oil it / wax it and I let it get dirty. It's a communicating door from the living room to the kitchen. Gets a lot of traffic and I have a few animals.

Frankly, it's dirty. I know one thing about wood and that it doesn't like water. Or too much of it anyway. So I thought, OK I'll sand it off, manually. I bought sandpaper and tried various strengths. It didn't help much and I think I took off some of the "veneer". I'm troubled by that word - it reminds me of laminate flooring.

Could somebody tell me how I could clean a door like this? Without removing it from its hinges? Any help would be most welcome - and thank you in advance.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Veneer is often 0.6mm thick, so very easy to sand through. If it's very dirty there's little you can do with it other than paint it, and if you've ever used a silicone wax spray on it you'll be lucky to get away with that.

 

[sawtooth-9]

A pic showing your problem would help.
If the door has been "sprayed" with furniture polish, it may be coated with silicone - thats a real problem ! Chloroform will remove the surface silicone but may help it seep into the grain You really can't put many finishes over that.
Have you tried using some "scotch brite" pads rather than sandpaper, because veneer can be thin ?
Another trick I have used, is to clean the surface as much as possible with scotch brite ( i.e remove as much of the surface silicone as possible ), and then apply a coat of low viscosity ( water thin ) 2 pack epoxy ( usually available through ship chandlers ). Once this has cured, you can apply standard coatings. The solvent in these epoxy products will be compatible with the silicone and " lock " it into the timber pores

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Probably cheaper to replace the door.

 

[Droogs]

They are telling you that you have a plywood door with a hardwood edging and a skin of veneer in the wood of choice. As you have not sealed it , get yourself a big staedler soft pencil rubber and use that to clean the surface and then wipe off with Iso and give it a light sand with 400g and then either stain and seal or paint.

 

[doomed]

Veneer is often 0.6mm thick, so very easy to sand through. If it's very dirty there's little you can do with it other than paint it, and if you've ever used a silicone wax spray on it you'll be lucky to get away with that.

Well, I chose my username wisely lol. Thanks anyway!

 

[doomed]

They are telling you that you have a plywood door with a hardwood edging and a skin of veneer in the wood of choice. As you have not sealed it , get yourself a big staedler soft pencil rubber and use that to clean the surface and then wipe off with Iso and give it a light sand with 400g and then either stain and seal or paint.

I will definitely try that - thank you!

 

[doomed]

Probably cheaper to replace the door.

Yup. We live and learn.

 

[Adam W.]

Yup. We live and learn.

Indeed, it's always best to take a pragmatic approach.

 

[doomed]

A pic showing your problem would help.
If the door has been "sprayed" with furniture polish, it may be coated with silicone - thats a real problem ! Chloroform will remove the surface silicone but may help it seep into the grain You really can't put many finishes over that.
Have you tried using some "scotch brite" pads rather than sandpaper, because veneer can be thin ?
Another trick I have used, is to clean the surface as much as possible with scotch brite ( i.e remove as much of the surface silicone as possible ), and then apply a coat of low viscosity ( water thin ) 2 pack epoxy ( usually available through ship chandlers ). Once this has cured, you can apply standard coatings. The solvent in these epoxy products will be compatible with the silicone and " lock " it into the timber pores

I might post a picture in a bit. I like the idea of scotch brite, I'll try it. Well someone else recommended a pencil eraser ( I think they were being sincere! ) and it sounds like the same thing - i.e. don't use anymore sandpaper yet. Thanks for the info I'm getting the drift now. I wish I had done what I was supposed to do shortly after it was fitted.

 

[Jacob]

Wash it down with sugar soap solution carefully, not too wet - you don't want to take off the veneer, then when dry paint it.

 

[Bingy man]

Another for sugar soap as it’s not to aggressive but I use warm water and then wipe of with clean water ( sparingly) for sanding I would try a 00 grade quality wire wool ..

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I wish I had done what I was supposed to do shortly after it was fitted.

It's best to get a coat of something on first, it helps save any marking during fitting.

 

[doomed]

They are telling you that you have a plywood door with a hardwood edging and a skin of veneer in the wood of choice. As you have not sealed it , get yourself a big staedler soft pencil rubber and use that to clean the surface and then wipe off with Iso and give it a light sand with 400g and then either stain and seal or paint.

When you say "Iso" do you mean isopropyl alcohol? Do I apply it on a cloth or a sponge? Do I dilute it? Also, do I just use a regular eraser - like the one a child might use in a classroom?

 

[Droogs]

Yes just use a cloth neat. It will not raise the grain of the veneer and is quick drying. The type of eraser is the white soft plasticy ones not the hard rubber ones, I suggest that as sugar soap has to be diluted in water which could lead to problems with the veneer. It also doesn't remove any of the veneer material. I use them all the time for cleaning of my veneers and getting rid of pencil/carbon markings etc when doing marquetry and inlay.

this is the type of eraser

 

[doomed]

Yes just use a cloth neat. It will not raise the grain of the veneer and is quick drying. The type of eraser is the white soft plasticy ones not the hard rubber ones, I suggest that as sugar soap has to be diluted in water which could lead to problems with the veneer. It also doesn't remove any of the veneer material. I use them all the time for cleaning of my veneers and getting rid of pencil/carbon markings etc when doing marquetry and inlay.

this is the type of eraser

View attachment 137696

Thank you I just ordered one from Amazon and it should arrive tomorrow. I'll give it a go.

 

[Jameshow]

Have you tried a builders wipe.

They are good at getting off all sorts of grim without getting the wood any more wet than necessary?

 

[plum60]

Use meths and finest grade wire wool grade 0000 and white lint free cloths ( any old socks will do) to clean wood, then sanding sealer then your top coat to stop ingress again. Use Morrells for supplies. Don't rub down hard else you will interfere with the wood/ veneers surface. Sanding veneer is a last resort likely to ruin the piece if not experienced. Don't smoke with meths (seriously flammable) and don't leave the top off for long else it will evaporate away. This will do it and it's not a hard job.