Take a look around at the doors in your house. Are they old? Scratched? Beat up looking? Are you planning on replacing them? Before you run out to your local home improvement store with your checkbook and credit cards just take one more look at those doors. Perhaps they are not beyond repair. With a little effort you could refinish them yourself. Make your doors look brand new at minimal cost in practically no time at all.

Are your doors scratched? This is one of the most common flaws and one of the most unsightly. If the door is made of wood, many of these scratches can be easily removed.

Scratches:

1. Make sure the door is clean, dry and free of dust.

2. With a fine grit sandpaper, sand the door. Start at the top and work your way down. Continue sanding until you have eliminated as much of the scratched area as possible. Run your hand along the door to make sure it feels smooth. It is highly recommended that while sanding you wear some sort of face mask to cover your nose and mouth. This will help prevent you from breathing in the dust created by the sanding process.

3. Wipe the door clean with a dry rag. Try to remove as much of the dust created from sanding as possible. Once the door is clean you may have to go back to touch up areas where scratches may still be visible. These are much easier to see once the dust has been cleaned away.

4. After the door has been sanded you may apply a stain or paint of your desired color to the wood. Clear urethane also works well if you want to keep the natural color of the wood. Apply as many coats as necessary to achieve the desired color and shade. Note: Urethane also adds a protective coating to the wood and aids in preventing scratches.

Sometimes all an old door needs is a little pick-me-up. Try painting your older doors. New doorknobs and decorative hinges can also add beauty and charm to something you otherwise were planning on getting rid of. Even replacing the trim around the door frame can make a drastic difference in the appearance of the door itself.

Old Doors:

1. Make sure the door is clean, dry and free of dust. If the door has been previously painted you may want to scrape away the old paint with a paint scraper. Be careful there is no peeling paint and the door is smooth prior to painting.

2. Paint the door the desired shade. Always start at the top and work your way down. This will help you to avoid drips.

3. A coat of clear urethane applied over the dry paint also aids in protecting the door.

4. Replace the hinges and the doorknob on the door.

Are your doors beat up looking? Do you feel that they are pretty much beyond repair? Maybe they aren’t. For example, even minor holes and grooves in the wood can be repaired.

1. Make sure the door is clean, dry and free of dust. Spread wood putty over the hole or the groove making sure that it is as smooth as possible.

2. If you’re planning on painting the door, another filler that can be used is taping or joint compound. Although this may not be the conventional way of filling holes and grooves it does work and the paint glides right over it just as it does on a wall.

3. Once the holes are filled sand the door smooth. Again, wear a protective mask to cover your nose and mouth.

4. Clean any dust away from the sanding.

5. Paint the door as desired.

Why spend excess money if your don’t have to? Try refinishing and refurbishing the doors in your home. Not only will you cut down on costs but you’ll also get the satisfaction of a job well done.