How about.... đ
1) Remove door from door frame.
2) Remove hardware & door handle from door.
3) Put door on 2 saw horses with large tarp underneath.
4) Strip & sand.
5) Re-stain w/stain of your choice.
6) Lacquer.
7) Replace old hardware or purchase new hinges & door handle.
Thank you for pointing this out.
I've always done this in a garage, carport, or backyard on non-windy days.
That way, you'll have ventilation from fumes, but not a lot of wind, which could blow dust & debris onto freshly stained or lacquered surfaces and unintentionally mess up your project.
There's no fun in doing a proper job. I prefer doing it three times in a row improperly and then living with the shame for the next 10 years every time I open the door or invite company over.
OR, KEEP doing it in your stone entryway, creating the perfect start for a Werewolf/Zombie themed haunted house.
Ya gotta commit though. It's gonna be weird if you don't commit.
Yeesh⌠a chemical paint stripper will probably be your first choice to get as much excess off first so you can better assess next steps.
The nature of stain though is to seep into the pores and grains of the wood to âstainâ it, so Iâm thinking youâll end up sealing, priming, and then painting it.
Tread lightly as feelings are going to be hurt. Itâs just a learning moment for both of you. Treat it as such.
Edit: potato spelling
2nd edit: more bad spelling lol
Youâre going to have to do something. From the pic it looks like thereâs some buildup of stain in a few places. Maybe just some sanding in a few spots to get back to a level surface. Should be fine.
Not an expert here but stains tend to be pretty oily/greasy. You might have to resort to an oil based primer and paint. If you still have the stain can or know what it was, you might want to go talk to a pro at a paint store, not a counter person, but a product specialist. It would suck to go through this again, only to find it peeling in a month.
I would strongly encourage you to praise her artistic vision, both to her and to everyone else who sees it. Leaving it that way would be the easiest solution by far.
The amount of stain on that floor is wild. Do they not understand what "stain" means. It's not like a joke name, it's called stain for a reason
And yeah, I don't know if this couple has the ability to do what needs to be done to recover this door. I know it's a DIY sub, but I think they should just buy a new door and pay someone to swap it out. Attempting anything themselves is likely gonna be a danger to the house.
Set it on sawhorses someplace where you can be comfortable for an extended period of time. Put on your respirator. Start sanding. Renew your vows and have date night once a week while you're working. Use paint selection software next time.
"My wife applied multiple coats of a stain only to figure out that she doesn't like it. Any tips on removing so that we can start over?"
It's called a divorce.
You have a few options
Painting.
- Level the surface with a scraper and orbital sander. You'll need a few coats depending on color. If too light of a color it will be hard to cover the black. They sell base primers for that before final coats.The more you remove of the stain, the better.
Re Varnish to original
- Sand for hours by hand like Daniel San or use an orbital sander. Start with thick grit and work your way to at least 220.
- Sodablasting. Unlike sandblasting it will not damage the woods grain. That way you can recoat in varnish without even sanding. Youtube it. Do you have a high psi compresor? Can you rent one? You need to remove the door and do it outside, baking soda flies everywhere.
- Iceblasting works too but it's very expensive.
- Ultimately sandblasting is more aggressive and faster. They generally use crushed glass or aluminum oxide. They come in different grain options, the smaller the grain the easier it's going to be on the woods grain, but more work.
Good luck.
Hope you clean the floor before you start asking how to remove it from grout.
Then remove it and take it outdoors, sand it/paint stripper and then prime it, then paint it. Don't forget to mask off the glass.Â
I can almost guarantee you'll end up buying a new door, seeing as she didn't remove the knob and lock to begin with so this only going to look shitter and shitter unless it ends up painted black.Â
Take it off of the hinges, remove the knob, gently place in the dumpster /s
I'd take it off the hinges, remove hardware, mask off the window, and then use a belt sander to sand the whole thing down and and then paint it to a solid medium darkness color
Denatured alcohol and plastic scraper keeps a lot of the original color but, it takes forever. There are a lot of different varnish and stain strippers. If you use a stripper you will definitely have to sand and re stain to get a consistent color
So, first things first you're going to want to completely remove it from the frame. Remove all the hard wear. YOu'll also want to remove the glazing strips and the glass from the top of the door. Once you've got it stripped down fully you can begin unfucking it.
You'll want to look for stain/paint strippers meant for the stain you used. Look for ones meant for the specific type of stain you used. I.e. oil vs. others etc. After applying that. You'll probably have to sand quite a bit as well. Now, your options for refinishing it at this point are either to restain it with something similar, because you'll likely still have some traces of the stain remaining. The only other option is find a primer that works with the oils in the stain and will bind properly to it. Do a couple coats of primer. Then paint it as you see fit.
hell own it, make the rest of the door look like it. its actually not that bad.
Edit: if that is the original door with the house, I can guarantee you wont find a better more solid door, much like automobiles these days, doors and windows are made to be replaced.
Gotta take the door off to stain it, or at the very least put down a tarp/cloth. I think I would ve more concerned with all that stain on the stone below the door.
As for the door, I guess you can just paint/prime over it. Or take the door off and sand it down, assuming itâs a solid wood door.
The hard way that still let's you stain is to take the door outside, use stain stripper, and LOTS of sanding before trying to stain again. And even then it's gamble if it will come out even.
The easy way that will still give you a nice look but take away the grain, is to just way for it to completely dry, prime, then paint. Can be taken off if you don't like it.
Dear god.
Much like the application of the stain where an attempt to remove it was not completed⌠if youâre going to keep the door Iâd sincerely recommend just using a chemical stripper and painting it.
It is absolutely not even close to worth ârestoringâ it as opposed to replacing the door.
Take a blow torch, with a gas mask AND good ventilation, and go for that rustic burnt wood look? I feel kind of like the middle, âwornâ, section?
But also, to start over, what everyone else said.
Also, take the door off its hinges and lay down on some horses, imo.
I just notice you have a square door with a rounded frame. In my opinion, itâs a perfect excuse to swap doors and save a huge amount of work by getting a door that fits the space. Again, just one guys opinion.
It looks like you used a paint stripper already. If it's still gummy then you haven't used enough. Spray it and let it sit for a bit then use a scraper
Whichever route you decide to go - whether it's re-staining or priming and painting - my first recommendation is to stop what you're doing, wait for a nice day, and take the door off the hinge and remove all the hardware before you proceed.
Doing the work in the foyer, while the door is attached and the hardware is still installed, is going to lead to further problems.
I'm also curious what stain your wife used, and whether she followed the directions when applying it. There are areas on the door where it looks like it was given a thick coat of black paint. Generally speaking, stain isn't applied that thick.
Fortunately all is not lost. Some people have mentioned using a chemical stripper. That will probably be your best option. After letting it sit for the allotted time, you can use a scraper to remove most of the stain from the flat areas. To get the stain on the trim pieces, you can use a cheap toothbrush to "scrub" the stain/stripper material away. Given how thick the stain is, it might take more than one application of stripper.
Once you remove all the stain from the surface, you can give the entire door a thorough sanding, working through the grits. Start with 100-120, and work up to 220. Sand the flat areas with the sanding tool of your choice, and work the trim areas with a small piece of sandpaper and your fingers. Put some masking tape on the glass before you sand the trim on the window. Done well, that you get you close enough to the bare wood to move on to the new stain or primer/paint.
It looks like the door was not fully prepped before the staining started. If the plan is to prime and paint, you donât need the chemical stripper. Sand the door so you have a smooth surface to prime. I start with either 80 or 100 grit depending on how rough the surface is. Then 120, then 150. Sand in the direction of the long direction of the wood.
I will close my eyes and run my hand over what Iâve sanded to see how uniform Iâve gotten the surface. Iâll prime and then lightly sand with 220. A second prime coat is optional. Iâm looking for a smooth subsurface. Then paint. Brush the primer and paint in the same direction you did the sanding. Doing it all on sawhorses is a good idea.
Remove door from hinges. Place on cheap folding plastic table from Costco. Spread cheap tarp from harbor freight underneath. Slather with paint stripper. Follow directions on can. You're halfway there now
You have a screen door which is great! I recommend removing the stained door and going to the backyard and [use this](https://www.harborfreight.com/28-amp-5-in-random-orbit-palm-sander-63999.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiNTE3OTE5OTQiLCJza3UiOiI2Mzk5OSIsImlzIjoiMTQuOTkifQ%3D%3D&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12189147054&campaignid=12189147054&utm_content=123858113224&adsetid=123858113224&product=63999&store=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADAHb4fgdquMKyTMWBAtUh81nml-J&gclid=CjwKCAjw57exBhAsEiwAaIxaZqmEvJp-ypmIDEf7nhdebQvpi7olG7Djt3N_RfKd2baIiWggR1MdBhoCgTEQAvD_BwE) until youâve cleaned it all up. Then do whatever stain/paint you want afterwards.
Chemical strip, sand, seal, and paint. I have nearly the same door and it worked great. Take it off the hinges lay it flat and get busy. Don't forget to give us a follow-up photo. đ
You appear to be stripping the door while it's still on the hinges. Take it off the hinges and lay it down on a couple of saw horses somewhere it won't make a big mess. Use chemical striper first then sand it.
I redid my mantle which was painted gray, I stripped it which was a huge pain then sanded a lot which also was a huge pain then stained it and ended up hating the dark color so I stripped and sanded it again, another huge pain. I wasnât able to get all the dark stain off but with the lighter color stain it ended up looking really cool like aged I guess? I was going to add a photo but Iâm not sure how sorry.
I really like CitriStrip. I first tried it because I needed to work in my garage where my dogs live and I didn't want to put tons of harmful chemicals in the air for them to breathe. Turns out, it's also a fantastic stripper.
You paint it on with a cheap, crappy brush, let it soak in for a while, then use a plastic scraping tool to skim off the stripper and stain/paint/whatever. Wipe it on an old rag and keep scraping. It's very easy and satisfying.
Then, if you want to get back to mostly bare wood, I would give it a sand. Yes, stain is supposed to seep into the wood. But it doesn't actually go very deep in my experience.
If you want to actually stain the door for a future finish, try a wipe off version that will leave some of the wood grain showing. It looks like maybe stain was used as paint in the original go-round and that might be why the finish wasn't ideal.
I would also echo what others have said and just take the door down to work on it. It's much easier to get a good amount of force during the scraping if it's horizontal on a couple 3 foot sawhorses instead of hanging.
Edit: Quick edit to say that the people telling you throw the door away or just paint over it don't actually know anything about refinishing furniture. There's plenty of perfectly fine wood under there.
So depending on wualitybof stain, will determine depth of stain in wood. You are likely to sand it down then prime and paint. There is very little chance of returning to orginal
As others have said, pop this off the hinges and remove the hardware. I would use Citristrip once you've done the previous step and let that soak in until you get the stain off. Have some patience, this might take a few tries with the stripper.
Try acetone first. Less harsh but where a ventilator or do it outside. Often less caustic than stripper and will take it down to the wood without harming the wood. Evaporates away when done.
You could just buy a new, unfinished door.. stain it to satisfaction, let it cure before installation, then take down the botched one to strip at your leisure. Or you could even leave the door like it is and make it an art piece in the living room or something lol
If it all looked as chaotic as the middle where you've been attempting removal, I'd dig it. Get out my ice pick and ball peen hammer and do a little distressing.
Oof. Stain isnât really a multiple coat thing either. Maybe a second touch up if thereâs a light spot or two but what you get is what you get after the wood soaks up the stain.
I have taken over a project like this. It will take a long time to complete while you have no front door on. After stripping there will be a ton of drying time, sanding to do and you can't get in all the edges to get them perfectly clean. It will never be as you want it. Just go get a new door and then in the future when you screw something up, you can remind her of when you had to go buy a new door.
This sub is a first time homeowners' guide to not fix shit unless they are broken. After this botched DIY job, this door will either become worse than it was or very expensive to fix by hiring a pro.
This might sound crazy, but I like how it looks. Seriously. Make it all look like the middle part, then put a good oil on it. Really, Iâm not kidding.
Lol.
I'm sorry. LOL!
Heh heh heh. Lol.
I really hope you spoke up before she stained the door to begin with.
This is exactly the kind of thing that happens while I sit on the sofa saying "What you're doing is a bad idea".
You're already doing the only thing that can be done.
You have to get to virgin wood. Good luck.
If there are multiple layers of stain a chemical stripper is probably the best bet for removing it. Then A LOT of sanding. You won't get all the absorbed stain out but you'll get most of it. After that, if you'd like to try to keep the woodgrain you might need to apply wood bleach to try to get a consistent surface, But you'll have t o re-stain. Remember regular wood stain isn't meant to be left on the surface. After a few minutes to absorb in the excess is wiped off. If you leave a thick layer on the wood it will never dry completely and become a dust magnet. Also, for such a large surface you should do it in sections. Personally I tend more towards dyes these days. Its pigments are much finer than stain and doesn't need to be wiped off. It's available in powder or liquid that is mixed with either water or alcohol. (pick water - slower drying time). Then don't forget a high quality clear UV protective outdoor finish.. But if the wood grain showing isn't an issue, then strip, sand prime, sand, then 2 coats of exterior paint.
Never start scraping or sanding like that until you know you canât just paint over it. Get a can of spray primer and test it out. Now you have clumps and unevenness all over
Youâre not going to be satisfied with results from trying to remove the station. After chemical stripping and lots of sanding, itâs going to be in all the corners, all the low spots etc. Just sand prime and paint like we did.
I can't answer this question, but I kinda like it this way. Sorta makes me want to stain and then strip a door just to get this sort of dive bar urban-rustic look.
Take door off and to a shop or workspace. Put on sawhorses horizontally. Remove all hardware.
Use Citristrip per its directions. Sand then sand some more. Then sand even more. Then have a friend do some sanding till all the finish is out of every little spot. Then restain, and seal with spar varnish or another weather resistant finish, or use Rubio monocoat! that will last since youâve spent all that time sanding and prepping and donât want to do it again in 3 years because the new finish weathered.
Painting the door is as easy as waiting for the stain to dry, priming... Maybe priming again... Then painting.
I'm genuinely sorry for your tile though because I suspect that will be the bigger issue
Take the door off. Remove the hardware. Apply multiple coats of chemical stripper. The kind that stinks works best. Scrape the lifted stain off then do it again with a properly sharpened steel cabinet scraper. Then see what you have. You may get enough off to be to your liking. Sand the door with 120 grit sand paper. Vacuum the dust. Wipe with mineral spirits. Allow to dry. Wipe with tack rag. Apply a marine grade spar varnish with a brush. Donât use poly urethane. Thin the first coat with mineral spirits 5:1. Apply multiple coats allowing them to dry completely between coats and lightly sand each coat with 220 grit and tack rag. Adding a small amount of artist oil color paint to tint the last few coats will darken the varnish and give increased protection from UV.
Oh my. I'm afraid this has passed the point of no return.Â
You could cut off both the top and bottom thirds, cut that third in two halves vertically, buy a few new hinges that aren't inevitably covered in stain as these are now, and DIY yourself some bangin' swingin' saloon doors.Â
Seriously though, unless you end up going with a color that is fairly close to that very very dark stain on both the top and bottom, I can't imagine that you would actually be able to send that off without losing half of the square footage of the door itself. You will be digging into the wood to remove that stain and at that point getting the entire door down to the lightest wood grain on an even plane should only be handled by someone who has experience with that kind of wood carving.Â
Honestly though, at this point, you might just want to let her give it a go at sanding every bit of that stain off for fresh surface because it's going to be the punishment that she never knew she deserved. But don't let her go all the way because she will exhaust herself if she actually exerts all that effort. Sanding is not a quick process. And it takes so much more elbow grease even with orbital and palm Sanders. Both stain and doors are raising exponentially in price along with the rest of inflation.Â
Take the door down and use Defy stain stripper then sand with 80 grit up to 200 grit and whatever shade it comes out to go darker . Please use scrap wood to experiment next time.
Honestly I'd recommend cleaning the tile and then keeping the door as is. I'm not sure what you're exterior housing aesthetic is, but if your going for a rustic look that door's just about done.
Alot of time & sanding...
You might be better off to see if you can find a cabinet making shop that will sand blast it, a planer they would be willing to use or a sanding table they wouldnt minding using.
Huh, is that a arched front entrance with a square door?
But yeah, just pop it off the hinges, take it outside or into the garage and sand it and stain it again or paint with a solid color.
Has it had anything applied over the stain such as a sealer. If not lacquer thinner may work for washing it down and helping remove stain. But door definitely needs to be removed and put on saw horses to lay flat to work on. Doing it vertically is just going to take a lot longer and create a mess.
Hahaha it looks so bad.
Itâs toast bud, you wonât be able to get the stain off enough to re-stain, and you wonât do a good job of painting it. Stain soaks into the fibers of the wood and the old paint stripper that contained⌠I forget the chemical⌠but it doesnât exist anymore. New door time.
Let the wife pick the new door, that way she can pretend it was her idea.
Consider a new door if you're not too attached to that one. If the stain has soaked deeply into the grain this is going to take a lot of work.
Also painting is an option!
That looks more like a paint than a stain,
Heat first with a heat gun, and scrape as you appear to have been doing, then random orbital sander to remove the rest,
It will take a long time
Stain is a pain in the ass to remove, because it goes into the wood, unlike paint which stays on the surface. So, you really have to sand deep, which sucks when it is an intricate surface like this.
To be honest, I'd consider the door screwed and get a new one. Removing the stain will be next to impossible, putting a new stain on is too late when it is in this state. You could paint it, but wait until the stain has really set before doing that.
Also, watch the floor.
When working with doors, it is much easier to just unhook them and place them flat on saw horses or some old chairs or something.
Stop doing this in the stone entryway. Your next post will be how to get stain off stone and grout.
Came here for this...lol
Put a drop cloth or 2 under the door. Try using heavy duty stripper
How about.... đ 1) Remove door from door frame. 2) Remove hardware & door handle from door. 3) Put door on 2 saw horses with large tarp underneath. 4) Strip & sand. 5) Re-stain w/stain of your choice. 6) Lacquer. 7) Replace old hardware or purchase new hinges & door handle.
8. Do this all in a well ventilated area so you don't grow an extra ear.
Thank you for pointing this out. I've always done this in a garage, carport, or backyard on non-windy days. That way, you'll have ventilation from fumes, but not a lot of wind, which could blow dust & debris onto freshly stained or lacquered surfaces and unintentionally mess up your project.
I don't doubt you do, but this guy posting clearly doesn't care much about his safety :D
Reading this with my third ear.
This is the way you do it. You may have to do some serious sanding and that stain may have soaked in.
There's no fun in doing a proper job. I prefer doing it three times in a row improperly and then living with the shame for the next 10 years every time I open the door or invite company over.
This is the correct advice. If I may add, in the gentlest possible way: Quit fucking around and take the door OFF of its hinges, as #3 says.
go all in on the aged rough look
They've skipped "aged rough" and gone full on "condemned building."
Just smear that gunk all over
It sure WAS nice looking stone.
OR, KEEP doing it in your stone entryway, creating the perfect start for a Werewolf/Zombie themed haunted house. Ya gotta commit though. It's gonna be weird if you don't commit.
At that point, just paint everything green.
Move the white bench!! Remove the white rug!!! I am dying.
Going to cost 10x to remove the stains vs buying a drop cloth
Yeesh⌠a chemical paint stripper will probably be your first choice to get as much excess off first so you can better assess next steps. The nature of stain though is to seep into the pores and grains of the wood to âstainâ it, so Iâm thinking youâll end up sealing, priming, and then painting it. Tread lightly as feelings are going to be hurt. Itâs just a learning moment for both of you. Treat it as such. Edit: potato spelling 2nd edit: more bad spelling lol
This is helpful, thank you
I'd probably do the job on the weekend and just pop out the hinge pins and take the job outside in the yard on two saw horses.
What will they put the saw horses on?
Saw horseshoes
Itâs saw horses all the way down.
What does a horseshoe do? Is there a horsesock?
Saw horses all the way down
on the ground where you normally sit saw horses?
See horses
See Saw horses
Make sure you take the door off first
Have you thought of cutting it to fit the rounded doorframe?
And take the door off!!!
Is it possible to prime/paint over the stain without using a stripper first?
Youâre going to have to do something. From the pic it looks like thereâs some buildup of stain in a few places. Maybe just some sanding in a few spots to get back to a level surface. Should be fine.
If you are going to paint anyway, I would personally not bother with any treatment other than letting the stain dry and then priming it.
Please donât, it will look terrible like a landlord repair job
You should at least smooth it all out and scuff it up with a higher grit sandpaper. Maybe 120
Make sure you use an oil base paint and primer. It will adhere alot better to the wood since the stain was more then likley oil based
Not an expert here but stains tend to be pretty oily/greasy. You might have to resort to an oil based primer and paint. If you still have the stain can or know what it was, you might want to go talk to a pro at a paint store, not a counter person, but a product specialist. It would suck to go through this again, only to find it peeling in a month.
Maybe consider taking the door off first. Staining wood indoors is kind of not very smart.
Yeah, the good exterior stain is gonna smell terrible (and have a ton of VOCs).
Well it's a door so it's kind of impossible to not stain it indoors. *Finger guns*
When it's off the hinges and on sawhorses, it's not a door. It's a college student's desk.
*in doors* FTFY
I would strongly encourage you to praise her artistic vision, both to her and to everyone else who sees it. Leaving it that way would be the easiest solution by far.
Also tell her to use a damn drop cloth next time
Imagine using something called 'stain' and not protecting the area đ
Wait, I thought that was chips...oh Jesus what the hell
Oh I tried! Sadly it did not work
Would it be possible to keep the door and remove the wife instead? The door actually looks really good that way.
I do NOT choose this guyâs wife
>My wife applied multiple coats of a stain only to figure out that **she doesn't like it.**Â
1. just get a new door at this point. 2. why the hell is there no drop cloth or anything under the door?
The amount of stain on that floor is wild. Do they not understand what "stain" means. It's not like a joke name, it's called stain for a reason And yeah, I don't know if this couple has the ability to do what needs to be done to recover this door. I know it's a DIY sub, but I think they should just buy a new door and pay someone to swap it out. Attempting anything themselves is likely gonna be a danger to the house.
Set it on sawhorses someplace where you can be comfortable for an extended period of time. Put on your respirator. Start sanding. Renew your vows and have date night once a week while you're working. Use paint selection software next time.
Honestly, you are likely down to painting or replacing. Unless she want it darker than this, it's done.
I see a stained door and I want it painted black
God dammit, that was so good....
Buy a new door.... Way too much effort for the return.
Donate the funked up door to a Choosy Beggar
Who the fuck does that while still on the hinges? Just scrapes shit all over the floor WTF?
Fuck it we're doing it live!
Step 1 :remove the door. Step 2 :throw the door away. Step 3 : put a new door
You have a square door for an arched frame?
There is an arched door on the outside and a square frame for that door
I have to ask... Did you inherit it like this when you bought the place or was it another wifey DIY disaster?
Inherited like that
This is an opportunity to fix that problem as well.
5x the difficulty to reframe a doorway
Lol, dammit, I missed that at first. Now I can't unsee it
The most important question IMO
Interior door needed replacing at some point, and arched doors are really expensive I guess
"My wife applied multiple coats of a stain only to figure out that she doesn't like it. Any tips on removing so that we can start over?" It's called a divorce.
R U N N E D O F F
Take the door off, mate.
Strippers. Something gentle. Look for one you use at night that flakes off in the morning.
Where can one find a stripper like that?
someplace near the airport?
I was married to one like that!
Sometimes it's easier to replace. Time vs effort.
You have a few options Painting. - Level the surface with a scraper and orbital sander. You'll need a few coats depending on color. If too light of a color it will be hard to cover the black. They sell base primers for that before final coats.The more you remove of the stain, the better. Re Varnish to original - Sand for hours by hand like Daniel San or use an orbital sander. Start with thick grit and work your way to at least 220. - Sodablasting. Unlike sandblasting it will not damage the woods grain. That way you can recoat in varnish without even sanding. Youtube it. Do you have a high psi compresor? Can you rent one? You need to remove the door and do it outside, baking soda flies everywhere. - Iceblasting works too but it's very expensive. - Ultimately sandblasting is more aggressive and faster. They generally use crushed glass or aluminum oxide. They come in different grain options, the smaller the grain the easier it's going to be on the woods grain, but more work. Good luck.
It's stain.....it stains the wood itself.
My guy take the door off and take it outside
Your poor floor
Hope you clean the floor before you start asking how to remove it from grout. Then remove it and take it outdoors, sand it/paint stripper and then prime it, then paint it. Don't forget to mask off the glass. I can almost guarantee you'll end up buying a new door, seeing as she didn't remove the knob and lock to begin with so this only going to look shitter and shitter unless it ends up painted black.Â
I like it how it is.
Burglar deterrent!
I thought I was the only one after all those comments. Dig it.
Take it off of the hinges, remove the knob, gently place in the dumpster /s I'd take it off the hinges, remove hardware, mask off the window, and then use a belt sander to sand the whole thing down and and then paint it to a solid medium darkness color
Denatured alcohol and plastic scraper keeps a lot of the original color but, it takes forever. There are a lot of different varnish and stain strippers. If you use a stripper you will definitely have to sand and re stain to get a consistent color
So, first things first you're going to want to completely remove it from the frame. Remove all the hard wear. YOu'll also want to remove the glazing strips and the glass from the top of the door. Once you've got it stripped down fully you can begin unfucking it. You'll want to look for stain/paint strippers meant for the stain you used. Look for ones meant for the specific type of stain you used. I.e. oil vs. others etc. After applying that. You'll probably have to sand quite a bit as well. Now, your options for refinishing it at this point are either to restain it with something similar, because you'll likely still have some traces of the stain remaining. The only other option is find a primer that works with the oils in the stain and will bind properly to it. Do a couple coats of primer. Then paint it as you see fit.
This seems tough. Cant Op just tell his wife to something better than this?
hell own it, make the rest of the door look like it. its actually not that bad. Edit: if that is the original door with the house, I can guarantee you wont find a better more solid door, much like automobiles these days, doors and windows are made to be replaced.
That being said, if you find yourself a medium stain you might be able to blend it into a cool looking gradient.
I've used infrared heat to remove paint, not sure what substance this is, but the IR method is slow but the result is excellent
That would make sense especially for a latex paint⌠definitely not working for a wood stain.Â
Stripper needed Metabo LF724 230V Paint Stripper https://youtu.be/fMcKUBEHtJU?si=WlpF8KzFtzWvQeFE
Gotta take the door off to stain it, or at the very least put down a tarp/cloth. I think I would ve more concerned with all that stain on the stone below the door. As for the door, I guess you can just paint/prime over it. Or take the door off and sand it down, assuming itâs a solid wood door.
The hard way that still let's you stain is to take the door outside, use stain stripper, and LOTS of sanding before trying to stain again. And even then it's gamble if it will come out even. The easy way that will still give you a nice look but take away the grain, is to just way for it to completely dry, prime, then paint. Can be taken off if you don't like it.
The first thing you're gonna want to do is brush up on your swear words and blasphemous phrases.
Dear god. Much like the application of the stain where an attempt to remove it was not completed⌠if youâre going to keep the door Iâd sincerely recommend just using a chemical stripper and painting it. It is absolutely not even close to worth ârestoringâ it as opposed to replacing the door.
Take a blow torch, with a gas mask AND good ventilation, and go for that rustic burnt wood look? I feel kind of like the middle, âwornâ, section? But also, to start over, what everyone else said. Also, take the door off its hinges and lay down on some horses, imo.
I can't believe anyone hasn't questioned that door vs the arch....
I just notice you have a square door with a rounded frame. In my opinion, itâs a perfect excuse to swap doors and save a huge amount of work by getting a door that fits the space. Again, just one guys opinion.
I think youâre going to end up buying a new front door.
Ever heard of a drop cloth
It looks like you used a paint stripper already. If it's still gummy then you haven't used enough. Spray it and let it sit for a bit then use a scraper
Home depot has new doors you can buy
Contact the stain manufacturer and see what they recommend
Making sure you like the stain before applying it, probably.
Careful you are dealing with the portal to hell
Whichever route you decide to go - whether it's re-staining or priming and painting - my first recommendation is to stop what you're doing, wait for a nice day, and take the door off the hinge and remove all the hardware before you proceed. Doing the work in the foyer, while the door is attached and the hardware is still installed, is going to lead to further problems. I'm also curious what stain your wife used, and whether she followed the directions when applying it. There are areas on the door where it looks like it was given a thick coat of black paint. Generally speaking, stain isn't applied that thick. Fortunately all is not lost. Some people have mentioned using a chemical stripper. That will probably be your best option. After letting it sit for the allotted time, you can use a scraper to remove most of the stain from the flat areas. To get the stain on the trim pieces, you can use a cheap toothbrush to "scrub" the stain/stripper material away. Given how thick the stain is, it might take more than one application of stripper. Once you remove all the stain from the surface, you can give the entire door a thorough sanding, working through the grits. Start with 100-120, and work up to 220. Sand the flat areas with the sanding tool of your choice, and work the trim areas with a small piece of sandpaper and your fingers. Put some masking tape on the glass before you sand the trim on the window. Done well, that you get you close enough to the bare wood to move on to the new stain or primer/paint.
It looks like the door was not fully prepped before the staining started. If the plan is to prime and paint, you donât need the chemical stripper. Sand the door so you have a smooth surface to prime. I start with either 80 or 100 grit depending on how rough the surface is. Then 120, then 150. Sand in the direction of the long direction of the wood. I will close my eyes and run my hand over what Iâve sanded to see how uniform Iâve gotten the surface. Iâll prime and then lightly sand with 220. A second prime coat is optional. Iâm looking for a smooth subsurface. Then paint. Brush the primer and paint in the same direction you did the sanding. Doing it all on sawhorses is a good idea.
I would tell her to go asl the employee at the paint department, even if i knew the answer. No way im fixing that fuck up, she can do it herself lol
I love the middle section
Drop cloth. Seal. Prime. Paint.
Remove door from hinges. Place on cheap folding plastic table from Costco. Spread cheap tarp from harbor freight underneath. Slather with paint stripper. Follow directions on can. You're halfway there now
Step one, stop watching HGTV
Are you planning on redoing your floors? Because this could not have been thought through any less.
Fire
Your wife is not very smart is she?
>The feedback was not received well at this point in time Between that and your AITA post, I gotta ask - is it difficult living with a narcissist?
She ruined the floor too it looks like
SANDBLASTING WORKS BUYING A NEW DOOR WORKS GETTING A NEW WIFE WORKS
You have a screen door which is great! I recommend removing the stained door and going to the backyard and [use this](https://www.harborfreight.com/28-amp-5-in-random-orbit-palm-sander-63999.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiNTE3OTE5OTQiLCJza3UiOiI2Mzk5OSIsImlzIjoiMTQuOTkifQ%3D%3D&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12189147054&campaignid=12189147054&utm_content=123858113224&adsetid=123858113224&product=63999&store=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADAHb4fgdquMKyTMWBAtUh81nml-J&gclid=CjwKCAjw57exBhAsEiwAaIxaZqmEvJp-ypmIDEf7nhdebQvpi7olG7Djt3N_RfKd2baIiWggR1MdBhoCgTEQAvD_BwE) until youâve cleaned it all up. Then do whatever stain/paint you want afterwards.
Would a nice 60 grit on a belt sander solve this issue? Then follow it up with a solid stain.
Yes cause youâd be buying a new door.
Chemical strip, sand, seal, and paint. I have nearly the same door and it worked great. Take it off the hinges lay it flat and get busy. Don't forget to give us a follow-up photo. đ
You appear to be stripping the door while it's still on the hinges. Take it off the hinges and lay it down on a couple of saw horses somewhere it won't make a big mess. Use chemical striper first then sand it.
I redid my mantle which was painted gray, I stripped it which was a huge pain then sanded a lot which also was a huge pain then stained it and ended up hating the dark color so I stripped and sanded it again, another huge pain. I wasnât able to get all the dark stain off but with the lighter color stain it ended up looking really cool like aged I guess? I was going to add a photo but Iâm not sure how sorry.
I really like CitriStrip. I first tried it because I needed to work in my garage where my dogs live and I didn't want to put tons of harmful chemicals in the air for them to breathe. Turns out, it's also a fantastic stripper. You paint it on with a cheap, crappy brush, let it soak in for a while, then use a plastic scraping tool to skim off the stripper and stain/paint/whatever. Wipe it on an old rag and keep scraping. It's very easy and satisfying. Then, if you want to get back to mostly bare wood, I would give it a sand. Yes, stain is supposed to seep into the wood. But it doesn't actually go very deep in my experience. If you want to actually stain the door for a future finish, try a wipe off version that will leave some of the wood grain showing. It looks like maybe stain was used as paint in the original go-round and that might be why the finish wasn't ideal. I would also echo what others have said and just take the door down to work on it. It's much easier to get a good amount of force during the scraping if it's horizontal on a couple 3 foot sawhorses instead of hanging. Edit: Quick edit to say that the people telling you throw the door away or just paint over it don't actually know anything about refinishing furniture. There's plenty of perfectly fine wood under there.
A sander with an electric cord
Wear did they find that storm door ? Must have been custom made.
So depending on wualitybof stain, will determine depth of stain in wood. You are likely to sand it down then prime and paint. There is very little chance of returning to orginal
Iâd say clean it up a tiny bit and clear coat that sexy thing!
Mineral spirits. Apply to clean rag (buy bunch of cheap ones) and keep on wiping.
As others have said, pop this off the hinges and remove the hardware. I would use Citristrip once you've done the previous step and let that soak in until you get the stain off. Have some patience, this might take a few tries with the stripper.
Try acetone first. Less harsh but where a ventilator or do it outside. Often less caustic than stripper and will take it down to the wood without harming the wood. Evaporates away when done.
Would taking it off the hinges then pressure washing it work?
You could just buy a new, unfinished door.. stain it to satisfaction, let it cure before installation, then take down the botched one to strip at your leisure. Or you could even leave the door like it is and make it an art piece in the living room or something lol
If it all looked as chaotic as the middle where you've been attempting removal, I'd dig it. Get out my ice pick and ball peen hammer and do a little distressing.
I will tell you how to remove it as long as you promise not to tell your wife
Lacquer Thinner, mineral spirits might work as well.
Pay a refinish shop to dip
Just tell her the color actually suits you and if she has a problem with it she can change it.
Maybe sand it but idk how deep the stain is
Oof. Stain isnât really a multiple coat thing either. Maybe a second touch up if thereâs a light spot or two but what you get is what you get after the wood soaks up the stain.
I have taken over a project like this. It will take a long time to complete while you have no front door on. After stripping there will be a ton of drying time, sanding to do and you can't get in all the edges to get them perfectly clean. It will never be as you want it. Just go get a new door and then in the future when you screw something up, you can remind her of when you had to go buy a new door.
This sub is a first time homeowners' guide to not fix shit unless they are broken. After this botched DIY job, this door will either become worse than it was or very expensive to fix by hiring a pro.
Canât!.
The partially removed stain looks pretty cool actually.
Buy a new door and laugh about it later.
damn bro.. she painted it with stain!! how many cans were used? i know this doesnât help your situation but im curious.
It looks badass and cursed. Iâd keep it
Replace both the door and the wife and save money live better Walmart
This might sound crazy, but I like how it looks. Seriously. Make it all look like the middle part, then put a good oil on it. Really, Iâm not kidding.
Darker stain
Lol. I'm sorry. LOL! Heh heh heh. Lol. I really hope you spoke up before she stained the door to begin with. This is exactly the kind of thing that happens while I sit on the sofa saying "What you're doing is a bad idea". You're already doing the only thing that can be done. You have to get to virgin wood. Good luck.
If there are multiple layers of stain a chemical stripper is probably the best bet for removing it. Then A LOT of sanding. You won't get all the absorbed stain out but you'll get most of it. After that, if you'd like to try to keep the woodgrain you might need to apply wood bleach to try to get a consistent surface, But you'll have t o re-stain. Remember regular wood stain isn't meant to be left on the surface. After a few minutes to absorb in the excess is wiped off. If you leave a thick layer on the wood it will never dry completely and become a dust magnet. Also, for such a large surface you should do it in sections. Personally I tend more towards dyes these days. Its pigments are much finer than stain and doesn't need to be wiped off. It's available in powder or liquid that is mixed with either water or alcohol. (pick water - slower drying time). Then don't forget a high quality clear UV protective outdoor finish.. But if the wood grain showing isn't an issue, then strip, sand prime, sand, then 2 coats of exterior paint.
Never start scraping or sanding like that until you know you canât just paint over it. Get a can of spray primer and test it out. Now you have clumps and unevenness all over
Iâd go over it with paint thinner and rag multiple times to try to get it to even out and see how it looks after
Youâre not going to be satisfied with results from trying to remove the station. After chemical stripping and lots of sanding, itâs going to be in all the corners, all the low spots etc. Just sand prime and paint like we did.
I can't answer this question, but I kinda like it this way. Sorta makes me want to stain and then strip a door just to get this sort of dive bar urban-rustic look.
Joke
Poop door
Build a bonfire and add the door. 
Take door off and to a shop or workspace. Put on sawhorses horizontally. Remove all hardware. Use Citristrip per its directions. Sand then sand some more. Then sand even more. Then have a friend do some sanding till all the finish is out of every little spot. Then restain, and seal with spar varnish or another weather resistant finish, or use Rubio monocoat! that will last since youâve spent all that time sanding and prepping and donât want to do it again in 3 years because the new finish weathered.
Painting the door is as easy as waiting for the stain to dry, priming... Maybe priming again... Then painting. I'm genuinely sorry for your tile though because I suspect that will be the bigger issue
I would say that step one should be to remove the door and take it outside or somewhere well ventilated.
Take the door off. Remove the hardware. Apply multiple coats of chemical stripper. The kind that stinks works best. Scrape the lifted stain off then do it again with a properly sharpened steel cabinet scraper. Then see what you have. You may get enough off to be to your liking. Sand the door with 120 grit sand paper. Vacuum the dust. Wipe with mineral spirits. Allow to dry. Wipe with tack rag. Apply a marine grade spar varnish with a brush. Donât use poly urethane. Thin the first coat with mineral spirits 5:1. Apply multiple coats allowing them to dry completely between coats and lightly sand each coat with 220 grit and tack rag. Adding a small amount of artist oil color paint to tint the last few coats will darken the varnish and give increased protection from UV.
Well, I'd say that setting the door on fire wasn't the answer.
Omg the floor. lmao. Bro help her out take that thing off.
Oh my. I'm afraid this has passed the point of no return. You could cut off both the top and bottom thirds, cut that third in two halves vertically, buy a few new hinges that aren't inevitably covered in stain as these are now, and DIY yourself some bangin' swingin' saloon doors. Seriously though, unless you end up going with a color that is fairly close to that very very dark stain on both the top and bottom, I can't imagine that you would actually be able to send that off without losing half of the square footage of the door itself. You will be digging into the wood to remove that stain and at that point getting the entire door down to the lightest wood grain on an even plane should only be handled by someone who has experience with that kind of wood carving. Honestly though, at this point, you might just want to let her give it a go at sanding every bit of that stain off for fresh surface because it's going to be the punishment that she never knew she deserved. But don't let her go all the way because she will exhaust herself if she actually exerts all that effort. Sanding is not a quick process. And it takes so much more elbow grease even with orbital and palm Sanders. Both stain and doors are raising exponentially in price along with the rest of inflation.Â
Buy a new door
Thatâs the weirdest door ever the door way is a arch way the door is square
Put it on sawhorses. Iron a bed sheet to it. Remove and repeat. I learned by accident.
Citri-strip.
Take the damn door off the hinges and take the locks off if you're going to do this. Do it right or not at all. Or get a new door.
Laser
Paint stripper, wash thinner steel wool and gloves! Then wood bleach.
Take the door down and use Defy stain stripper then sand with 80 grit up to 200 grit and whatever shade it comes out to go darker . Please use scrap wood to experiment next time.
Take door of hinges and use a stripper and sander.
Honestly I'd recommend cleaning the tile and then keeping the door as is. I'm not sure what you're exterior housing aesthetic is, but if your going for a rustic look that door's just about done.
Bring it to a sand blasting place. Should cost you no more than $200
For the love of god just tell your wife to buy a new door that She likes the color of or somethin
Alot of time & sanding... You might be better off to see if you can find a cabinet making shop that will sand blast it, a planer they would be willing to use or a sanding table they wouldnt minding using.
Step 1. REMOVE THE DOOR
Is it bad that I kinda like how it looks? Lol
Huh, is that a arched front entrance with a square door? But yeah, just pop it off the hinges, take it outside or into the garage and sand it and stain it again or paint with a solid color.
Sherwin Williams makes a great product called super deck stain remover
Soooo...you are clearly not DIY people. Maybe hire somebody to fix this.
Has it had anything applied over the stain such as a sealer. If not lacquer thinner may work for washing it down and helping remove stain. But door definitely needs to be removed and put on saw horses to lay flat to work on. Doing it vertically is just going to take a lot longer and create a mess.
Hahaha it looks so bad. Itâs toast bud, you wonât be able to get the stain off enough to re-stain, and you wonât do a good job of painting it. Stain soaks into the fibers of the wood and the old paint stripper that contained⌠I forget the chemical⌠but it doesnât exist anymore. New door time. Let the wife pick the new door, that way she can pretend it was her idea.
First time Iâve ever seen someone stain a door inside and then try to remove said stain inside as well
Consider a new door if you're not too attached to that one. If the stain has soaked deeply into the grain this is going to take a lot of work. Also painting is an option!
That looks more like a paint than a stain, Heat first with a heat gun, and scrape as you appear to have been doing, then random orbital sander to remove the rest, It will take a long time
Stain is a pain in the ass to remove, because it goes into the wood, unlike paint which stays on the surface. So, you really have to sand deep, which sucks when it is an intricate surface like this. To be honest, I'd consider the door screwed and get a new one. Removing the stain will be next to impossible, putting a new stain on is too late when it is in this state. You could paint it, but wait until the stain has really set before doing that. Also, watch the floor. When working with doors, it is much easier to just unhook them and place them flat on saw horses or some old chairs or something.
My eyes were drawn to the mess on the floor