Case Study: Making a Damaged Front Door Look Like New

Even under a covered area, wood can become damaged by the elements. The Smith and Company Painting team ran into this very problem recently when we were called to repaint a damaged front door. The call came from a single family residence in the Cottonwood subdivision here in McMinnville, Oregon.

The front door was in poor condition when we arrived. Some areas were extremely rough, though the front patio was covered. It turned out the front yard’s sprinkler system often sprayed excess water onto the patio and the front door. Similarly, at certain times of the year, the sun would creep in and shine right on the lower half of the door. Though it was originally stained and had a clear coat applied, the elements had worn it down, causing damage to the wood itself. The surface was significantly warped and there were substantial water stains.

Originally, the homeowner wanted a new clear coat applied to the door. However, we explained to him this finish would be more expensive than a new coat of paint, with only a 50/50 chance of the door looking good as new. Instead of a clear coat, which had already failed once, priming and painting would be more effective at only half the cost. He was extremely grateful we talked him through his options.

In just two days, the Smith and Company team sanded down all the rough and damaged surfaces. We then primed the surface with an XIM oil-based primer. This particular primer worked really well because it adhered to the pre-existing clear coat. We followed that with two coats of Sherwin Williams Pro Industrial Acrylic paint in Roycroft Copper Red.

This was a fun and challenging project for our team and the finished product turned out great! Since a picture is worth a thousand words, check out the before and after below pictures images below.

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damaged front door damaged front door