# Exterior Wood Door **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218 "2013-05-24T13:59:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/1 "2013-05-24T13:59:03Z")
I have double (3 x 8 ea) Oak doors that have badly weathered. To refinish can I just sand smooth or must I sand to the bare wood (and why)? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/2 "2013-05-24T14:01:35Z")
You’d likely get a better end-product by taking off all the old finish, but it probably isn’t necessary. Sand a small area and apply your finish and see what you think. You can always sand it off again. ---
**Author:** ![sidecar\_jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@sidecar\_jon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidecar_jon)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/3 "2013-05-24T14:18:40Z")
Well if you want it perfect and ave lots of time, burn /heat gun all the paint off, sand it starting at 60 grit and working down to super smooth, then prime, sand, undercoat, sand, top coat, sand and topcoat on a still dustless day…alternatively sand it to give a key and topcoat it… looks just about e same from 30 foot away anyway! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/4 "2013-05-24T14:31:18Z")
First, bleach it. Get some oxalic acid wood bleach or just use clorox. This should remove a lot of the finish, maybe all. Then sand and scrape to get rid of the rest of the finish, then bleach again. Refinish with teak oil. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/5 "2013-05-24T14:54:55Z")
Depending on how badly it has weathered, this stuff will help a lot: [http://www.homedepot.com/p/Orange-GLO-32-oz-Wood-Furniture-Cleaner-and-Polish-121283A00/100375951#.UZ9-y4y9KSM](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Orange-GLO-32-oz-Wood-Furniture-Cleaner-and-Polish-121283A00/100375951#.UZ9-y4y9KSM) Otherwise your in for a bit of work as suggested above. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/6 "2013-05-24T15:02:01Z")
Badly weathered? We call it “distressed” today, and charge extra for it!! ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/7 "2013-05-24T15:20:02Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > First, bleach it. Get some oxalic acid wood bleach or just use clorox. This should remove a lot of the finish, maybe all. Then sand and scrape to get rid of the rest of the finish, then bleach again. Refinish with teak oil. Won’t bleach, when it hits the actual wood, just turn it black? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/8 "2013-05-24T16:25:49Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > Won’t bleach, when it hits the actual wood, just turn it black? No. Does it turn your clothes black? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/9 "2013-05-24T19:44:14Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > No. Does it turn your clothes black? No. But I thought that (chlorine) bleach would damage the wood greying or blackening it (after initially lightening it by bleach out any staining dyes). ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/10 "2013-05-24T23:56:57Z")
What finish is on it now? Solid natural wood looks much better with a shellac-type finish than obscuring the natural wood with paint (IMHO). You have a shot at having the classiest entrance on the block - consider the options! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/11 "2013-05-25T00:08:23Z")
My front door faces the Western sun. It was badly weathered when I bought the house. Mine was down to bare wood in several places. Stripped it. Palm sander. Stain, Use the highest grade Poly Spar finish. [http://static.hardwarestore.com/media/product/636445\_front200.jpg](http://static.hardwarestore.com/media/product/636445_front200.jpg) Since then I had to lightly sand and re-coat with poly every 8 years. Otherwise I would have been back to bare wood. The Western sun is brutal on doors. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-wood-door/659218/12 "2013-05-25T00:31:01Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > No. But I thought that (chlorine) bleach would damage the wood greying or blackening it (after initially lightening it by bleach out any staining dyes). Strong bases will darken wood, and acids then restore them. In this case it should lighten the wood, but I recommended teak oil because it will restore the color and provide some UV protection.