Wooden exterior doors are made with solid wood and this make it last longer than others that are made with other materials. They add beauty to your apartment and they help to keep you and your family safe. However, they require much care so that they will last long.
If you take good care of your wooden exterior door they will appear new as each day passes. Regular maintenance should be done on your wooden exterior door so as to prevent severe damages that will be hard to handle. Caring for your wooden exterior door means that you should give attention to small issues and ensure that it is well taken care of so that it will not escalate to bigger problems.
To be able to properly care for wooden exterior door you need to avoid some certain things that cause damages to it.
Causes of damage to exterior doors
Wooden exterior door are naturally exposed to some natural elements that causes damages to it. Some of these natural elements are direct sunlight, heavy rain, snow and ice, and dust and debris blown by the wind. All of these causes the finish of the door to wear away and the finish is what actually protects the door. However, protecting it is possible.
To prevent such damages from occurring, ensure that your roof structure extends beyond the exterior walls of the building. There are also other ways to deal with minor and major wooden exterior door damages.
Dealing with less serious damages on your exterior doors
If there is a minor damage on your wooden exterior door, you can either handle it by yourself or hire a professional to help you with it.
For doors with a varnish finish, below is the procedure for replacing the finish.
- Remove the door and lightly sand the finish off with a fine-grit sandpaper. If there is any chips on the surface, use a paint scraper to carefully get rid of it.
- Damp a rag with mineral spirit to wipe away the dust.
- Reapply several coats of varnish to the door and a coat of polyurethane afterward to give an extra layer of protection.
For doors that are painted, all you have to do is to apply light soap to wash the door, lightly sand or scrape away any chipped paint and apply at least two coats of paint until you get the desired result.
Dealing with serious exterior door damage
For major damages like deep scratches, dents, or gouges, you’ll need some epoxy wood filler or paste and some exterior vinyl sparkling compound. Below is the procedure;
- Use a wood chisel to scrape the area to make it clean.
- Mix the epoxy on a disposable surface.
- Fill the hole with the epoxy until it gets to the level of the door and allow it to dry.
- Apply the sparkling compound so that it is perfectly smooth with the door’s surface.
- Use some fine-grit sandpaper to gently sand the area until it is smooth.
- Use exterior paint primer to prepare the area and finish with the colour of paint that matches your door.
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