Taking a Door Back To Square One
Sometimes Finish Removal and Replacement is All That is Needed.
Before
After
But Choosing Just the Right Color Is No Small Task
Finish removal is square one for door restoration. You’d be surprised how much of an improvement is made just by doing this simple procedure! But simple is not the same as easy, especially for doors with such complex structure as these doors have. After sanding these doors, we had to build up a smooth surface with two different coats of “long oil” primer (see description below). Then we needed to choose just the right shade of red for the color of the two coats of finish paint required to achieve full saturation of color. And choosing just the right shade of any color isn’t a simple task.
For instance, all primary and secondary colors have both a warm and a cool side. Red is on the cool side when it leans towards violet. It is on the warm side when it leans towards orange. In most cases, when painting doors red, one wants to lean toward the warm and welcoming side of red. Then there’s the matter of how “loud” the door should be–which is a matter of chromatic intensity. Finally, should the door be bright and cheery or dark and mysterious? Benjamin Moore “Heritage Red” proved to be an excellent choice for these church doors.
One can, however, go further than invest in a new coat. In this case, the budget didn’t allow for many extra procedures. We did, however, take the extra step of applying a special, heavy-bodied “brushing putty” as the first of two primer coats to fill the grain and at least the shallow gouges after having stripped the door to bare wood. Brushing putty is a paste-like primer that sands easily to produce something closer to a mirror finish.
Before
After
Notice, also, that we made a modest, but significant change in the color scheme. Painting the door frame black, in our estimation, had detracted from the entryway. The door feels and looks more integrated and substantial by painting the doorframe the same color as the doors. It also added to the drama of the fire-engine red color. What a cheerful, welcoming color!
And did you notice the black hinges? We refurbished the existing hinges, even though they were rusted, because they were the original hinges that had been specifically designed for this building. We, of course, cleaned off the rust and used a rust inhibitive dtm (direct-to-metal) paint that will prevent them from rusting again anytime soon. Even hardware contributes to maintaining architectural integrity!
And did you notice the black hinges? We refurbished the existing hinges, even though they were rusted, because they were the original hinges that had been specifically designed for this building. We, of course, cleaned off the rust and used a rust inhibitive dtm (direct-to-metal) paint that will prevent them from rusting again, anytime soon. Even hardware contributes to maintaining architectural integrity! We then painted them black for a classic combination that draws attention to these distinctive, jewelry-like hinges.
We would have liked to choose new door handles, handles that are more in keeping with the architectural style of the building.
We use “long oil” primer because this means the paint takes a long time to dry, thus enabling it to soak deep into the wood. The second primer coat needed to be tinted red so as to begin building up level of color saturation needed for the dramatic statement these doors needed to embody. With respect to finishes, coverage is one level of achievement. But mere
coverage pales in comparison with the more demanding (and aesthetically pleasing) level of full saturation–a rich, dense, durable patina vintage elements that have survived the years deserve!
Restore the Architectural Appeal of Your Doors
We use the highest quality materials on the market that are appropriate to the age of your building and doors. We integrate both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the door restoration process so that your doors are both welcoming and secure while simultaneously contributing to the architectural integrity of your historic building. And we offer enhancements that can turn drab doorway into grand entranceways!