Average But Inspired

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How to Refinish an Exterior Door the Easy Way

You might think that a post about refinishing a door is boring.  But I promise that this is not a boring topic.  Instead, this post is super exciting and about a product that has changed my life (well, my front door’s life, at least), and made my home’s entrance look amazing!  And no, this is not a sponsored post in any way, shape or form – it is simply me sharing my enthusiasm with you because I can’t stop staring at my new, old door!

You see, my home had a very sad and neglected mahogany wood front door.  My husband and I believe that the door is original to the home (built in 1923), and that it had been unloved since that time.  It was dull, scratched, worn and looking like a piece-of-you-know-what.  Not a very welcoming entrance to the home that we’ve put so much time and effort into!  But, after a few days of refinishing it during my kids’ nap time, it is now an asset instead of an eyesore.
Awesome! You can refinish an exterior door WITHOUT removing it or stripping old stain! Learn how to refinish it the easy way with this tutorial.
Before we get to the makeover fun, let me tell you that since our door was in such bad shape, we really wanted to replace it with a new, craftsman-style wooden door with windows.  But then our roof decided to spring a massive leak and leave us with a huge repair bill.  Needless to say, a new door was no longer in the budget.

How to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But Inspired
How to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But InspiredHow to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But Inspired

Because of that, I decided to simply paint the door.  But then I started feeling guilty about that.  I was thinking that Nicole Curtis (The Rehab Addict), might come to my home and beat me down for painting over the original woodwork.

Scared of that tiny but fierce lady, I did some research on how to refinish woodwork the easiest way possible.  That’s how I found out about gel stain.  This was the KEY to reviving my door.  Unlike regular stain, gel stain did not require me to remove the door from the hinges, strip the door or do any extensive prep work at all.  The easy way is my way.  Sold.
 
MATERIALS NEEDED TO REFINISH A DOOR WITH GEL STAIN
Determined to revive my door, I got my supplies ready and got to work.  I used the below-listed items, some of which are affiliate links.  If you purchase through these links, you’ll help support Average But Inspired at no added cost to you, and you’ll receive some products that I love!  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.
– General Finishes Gel Stain in Brown Mahogany  (Other colors are available here.)  UPDATE: Since publishing this post over three years ago, I have tried other brands of gel stain.  In my opinion, none work as well as the General Finishes stain I’ve linked to.
– Spar Varathane in Satin (formulated for exterior finishes)
– Sandpaper (80 grit)
STEP ONE
I washed the door to remove the dirt and grime that had accumulated over the years.
STEP TWO
I lightly sanded some parts of the door, focusing on the areas that still appeared to have some protective finish on them.  Then I used a cloth to remove the dust that appeared during sanding.
STEP THREE
I followed the directions on the can of gel stain, and I applied stain to a small section of the door.  I had a temporary freak out when it appeared to be a really dark, solid color – almost like pudding.  I thought I’d ruined my door.
How to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But Inspired
STEP FOUR
I used my cheesecloth to wipe off the excess stain on the area to which I’d recently applied the stain.  I repeated this process until I’d finished the entire door.  Here you can see that stain had been applied to the right side of the door, but not the left.  Look at the difference already!
How to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But Inspired
How to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But Inspired

I breathed easy because I hadn’t ruined the door.  (Oh, and in case you’re wondering why I didn’t remove the door knocker and the lock and handle . . . I tried.  I just couldn’t get them off.  Ridiculous.)

I then let it dry overnight, and repeated the staining process again.

How to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But Inspired
This is the door with two coats of stain, but no protective topcoat yet.  Already beautiful, right?
STEP FIVE
After the second coat of stain had dried 24 hours, I began applying my protective topcoat, per the manufacturer’s directions.  I applied four coats throughout the course of the day, which allowed me to finish the topcoat portion without sanding in between any of the coats.  This was key to ensuring ease of application.
Can I just say that my door is now GLEAMING?  It looks totally amazing – almost like a new door.
How to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But InspiredHow to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But Inspired
How to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But InspiredHow to refinish an exterior door using gel stain. Average But Inspired
I couldn’t be happier, and I think Nicole Curtis would be proud.
Awesome! You can refinish an exterior door WITHOUT removing it or stripping old stain! Learn how to refinish it the easy way with this tutorial.
P.S. If you’re a total slob like me and get stain all over your hands during application, rub some vegetable oil on them afterwards – the stain will come off easily and almost instantaneously!

2018 UPDATES AND FAQ’S

FAQ 1: How does your door look now?
A1: It’s now 2018 (3.5 years after I wrote this post), and I want to tell you that my door still looks FANTASTIC.  The only signs of wear are knicks that my family created; nothing to do with the finishes used or the finishing process.  This process has stood the test of time and is one I really believe in!
FAQ 2:  Are you sure it’s OK to use gel stain on an exterior door?
A2:  My can of gel stain says nothing about it being for interior use only, though others have told me their cans say that.  All I can tell you is that my door has stood up wonderfully!  Also, stores that sell the product list it as being safe for interior and exterior use (see Rockler’s page, for example).
FAQ 3:  Are you sure it’s OK to use a water-based topcoat over the gel stain?
A3:  Yes!  General Finishes says so themselves!  Check it out here.
FAQ 4:  Does gel stain have a strong odor?
A4:  There is an odor, but it’s not awful or overpowering.
– Bre
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Comments

  3. I think it looks amazing!! I can’t believe you didn’t have to sand in between the coats – that is so worth it. Just walk over every couple of hours and add another layer? It really is beautiful:)

    Reply

    • Hi, Seana – thank you!! Yes, I didn’t have to sand in between the topcoat layers, as long as I applied them within two hours of each other. It could be different based upon the different topcoat brands, however. This kind didn’t require it – LOVE!

  5. This is amazing Bre! And I would have been scared of Nicole too, she’s one feisty lady! But I love her 🙂 I’ve seen the gels around but haven’t used them before, so this was super helpful! Does it have a smell to it?

    Reply

    • Hi, Bre! Yay – I’m glad you found it helpful. No, the gel really didn’t smell too much at all. There was a slight odor, but it wasn’t overpowering. And that was great since I was working with it indoors. I seriously love the stuff. I am sure you will, too!

  7. Looks great Bre, what a difference some new stain made! I’ve been tempted to use gel stain, I even bought some for a past project and chickened out and went with normal stain, but it sounds like it’s actually very easy to use, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  9. How beautiful! (And encouraging!) do you remember how many cans of stain you needed for your door?

    Reply

    • Hi, Jessica! Thank you!!! True story – my father in law thought we got a new door when he saw it! I only used one can of stain, too! It is a miracle product! I can’t remember if I said it in the post or not, but if you’re going to do this, I think they recommend that you use either the same color or darker as what is already on your door. Lighter stain probably will not look good at all! Hope that helps! Thanks again.

  11. Hi there, how did you allow 24 hour dry time? Leave your door open all night? Been wanting to do my door but am running into this issue.

    Reply

    • Hi, Nicole! So, I have a storm door, which was very helpful in all of this. I restained very early in the day and let it dry as long as possible (though definitely less than 24 hours), before closing it again. Then, for the poly application on the subsequent days, I followed the directions and made sure to reapply within the 2-3 hour timeframe the manufacturer recommended. Again, I had the storm door closed during this. At night I did close the door because I could tell the stain and poly were dry. Although that probably is not the perfect way of doing it, it worked and nobody came into my house and robbed me that night. ;-P I hope that’s helpful to you!!

  12. I have a situation very like yours. My house was built in 1918 and I am sure it is the original door. I live alone and don’t’ feel comfortable taking the door off the hings. I saw your post and thought that looks like something I can handle. My question is this, I got Miniwax gel stain and it says you have to have all the previous stain, paint and finish off of the old door. I have sanded, scraped and scrubbed till my hands ache but there is still some spots of old finish on my old door. I will give it another try tomorrow. I worked on it for hours today. Did the product you used need to have that much prep? I would appreciate a reply. If the other brand is better I can order it instead. thanks so much for the inspiration!

    Reply

    • Hi Cindy! Oh you poor thing- it sounds like you’re working so hard! So I haven’t used the Minwax brand, but my guess is that it’s totally comparable to the General Finishes stain I used. With that in mind, if you’re using the same color stain (or darker), as what’s already on the door, I think you will be fine because you have sanded. If it’s lighter than I believe you will have to remove all of the finish. I would apply a coat and see what it’s looking like. I think it should all blend in and look good as new. Good luck and let me know how it turns out. You’ve got this! 🙂

    • Sorry you don’t like my wreath and that you felt the need to comment on it, but I hope the tutorial helped you. Have a wonderful day!

    • Hi, Peter – thanks! Yes – I did use a water based sealer. It was Spar Varathane and it’s worked wonderfully!

    • Hi, Hollie! I either got it at Home Depot or Lowe’s – I honestly cannot remember. However, I have seen them at both stores so you should be able to find one easily. Thanks and have a great day!

  16. Bre,
    You did a lovely job with your door. Thank you so much for sharing. I have some areas where the sun has caused the finish to crack on my door. Do you think I can simply sand down the affected areas, or would you recommend my sanding the entire door. I am a little scared about this project, but eager to improve the look of my door.

    Thank you.

    Reply

    • Hi, Jennifer! Thanks for your sweet note! Without seeing the cracks, it’s hard to say. Perhaps you could try and fill the cracks with stainable wood filler and then sanding down those areas and applying the gel stain. However, before you do that, you should investigate whether gel stain will adhere over stainable wood filler. I honestly do not know if it will or won’t. If the cracks are really shallow, you probably could just sand down those areas more than the others, as long as it doesn’t make the door noticeably uneven! If none of this makes sense, you could also take pictures of the door and go into a place like Rockler Woodworking and ask for help. They would definitely steer you in the right direction. GOOD luck! 🙂

  17. Bre,
    You are so kind to respond so promptly. You are an amazing, inspiring woman. The cracks are actually just in the varnish finish, not the actual wood itself. I was wondering if I could just sand down the areas where the varnish appears to have blistered and cracked. I’m sorry I wasn’t more clear.
    Is you suggest, I can try and find a general finishes dealer, but if you have thoughts on this, I would love to hear them. Thank you again for your time.

    Reply

  18. Bre,
    You are so kind to respond so promptly. You are an amazing, inspiring woman. The cracks are actually just in the varnish finish, not the actual wood itself. I was wondering if I could just sand down the areas where the varnish appears to have blistered and cracked. I’m sorry I wasn’t more clear.
    Is you suggest, I can try and find a general finishes dealer, but if you have thoughts on this, I would love to hear them.
    Thank you again for your time.

    Reply

    • Hi, Jennifer! OH, ok that’s good! Yes, I would think that you would be able to sand down that varnish and apply the gel stain over it just fine. You will probably want to sand the entire door lightly anyway, and just pay extra attention to those spots. Good luck!

  20. Your door looks beautiful!! This may be a silly question but did you do both sides or just the front?

    Reply

  21. You are a life saver!! I thought I had ruined my front door, and then I saw your post and tried the gel stain. It looks like new again! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Barb! This makes me SO happy!!!! I am so glad this post helped you and that your door is looking good as new! Isn’t gel stain the best? I was SO excited when I found out about it and was able to revive my own door. Thanks for reaching out!

  22. Bre,
    After reading your article I decided that this sounded like the best way to refinish an Antique Walnut exterior entry door on my new home , that is in desperate need of attention. I have purchased my gel stain, and exterior top coat. I have done my prep, and was about to try a test spot when I noticed that the gel stain says “interior only” on the back. I am wondering if this is the same thing you used with the exterior top coat? General Finishes does offer an exterior stain, but it is not gel stain. Has your door held up well?

    Reply

    • Hi, Kimberly! OK I went down and looked at the GF gel stain I used on my door, and I don’t see that “outside use only” warning anywhere on there! I did buy my can at the time I wrote the post though (which was two or three years ago now), so they could have changed the label. All I can tell you is that the door has held up perfectly – I mean no issues at all. I know people use gel stain on exterior things all the time – I’ve seen a million garage doors refinished with it – so I have no idea why they would say interior use only. My door looks as good as the day I refinished it – promise. Good luck with your project!

  23. I just bought a house and the door is all faded. You can see the wreath imprint from the sun bearing down on the door all day. Would Gel Stain be an ok product to hold up in intense sunshine? My porch is not covered and I don’t have a storm door. How is yours lasting? I wonder if I need a different GF product.

    Reply

    • Hi, Emily! I think that anything would probably fade due to the intense sunlight it sounds like your door gets. However, I checked the Spar Urethane can that I used on my door, and it says it provides superior UV protection – so you probably want to use a great topcoat like that to prevent fading as much. Good luck!

  24. Bre, thank you so much for this tutorial!! I’ve got my door prepped and am nearly ready to stain. My can of gel stain also says “interior use only” but I’m thinking it may be because there is some urathane in the stain, not enough finish to stand up to exterior wear but with the addition of the spar urethane I’m confident it should hold up. Perhaps the company added the qualifier for that reason?
    One thought, we don’t have a storm door so I’m removing our weather stripping before I stain and finish (it needs to be replaced anyway). That way when I close the door I can lock it without the front surface contacting the door jamb. It’s held proud by the lock, deadbolt and hinges. Once my finish has cured 24 hours I’ll install new weather stripping and I won’t have to remove the door at all 🙂 hope that helps someone and thanks again Bre, I’ll be thrilled if my door comes close to looking as great as yours 🙂

    Ps. I think your wreath is lovely and you responded to that stinky comment with such grace!!

    Reply

    • Hi Julia! Aaaaah I hope your door turned out perfectly!!! If you have a chance, please let me know! I am hoping it looks just how you imagined. 🙂 And thank you re: the wreath. You wouldn’t believe some of the nasty things “keyboard warriors” leave on blogs! 🙂

    • Thank you for the information! I have double front wood doors that are about thirty years old. You can imagine how faded and bad they look. This is my spring project over objection of a husband who would never notice if we had a door or not. You have inspired me and I am going to do it. Thank you, thank you!? I like the wreath!

    • YAY! Debbie that’s awesome! You just have to go for it! My husband was the same way . . . until I did the door and then he couldn’t believe the difference it made! You’ve got this – let me know how it goes!

    • Hi! Yes, I didn’t even go through an entire pint can for the front side of my front door (I didn’t do the inside). Hope that helps and good luck with your project!

  26. I’m dying at the Nicole Curtis comment. I thought I was the only one who played that scenario in my head when considering painting over anything original lol.

    Reply

  27. How has your door finish spans the test of time? It’s been about 3 years since you finished the door. Are you still happy with the results?

    Reply

    • Hi, Sue! I know I emailed you back, but I’m commenting here, too, so others can see it! YES – the door still looks fantastic and I will be updating the post to show what it looks like now! Thanks for asking such a good question!

  28. Thank you for your tutorial, Bre. My door has been bothering me for years, when the house was new the front door was in direct central Virginia sunlight every day (now it’s shaded by trees, yay!), and within three years it looked pretty bad. It’s been nine years now and finally I decided to do something about it. Like you I considered painting it, but then looked at a bunch of YouTube tutorials from guys all over the country (they are funny, as each one has a regional accent from a different area of the country but it’s kinda like they are all the same guy… ; )) By after that I was wondering if I wanted to go through all the steps that many of them were going through, and I knew I didn’t want to take the door off… Voila! Your blog, thank goodness from a woman. I wasn’t sure if the gel stain would be as good as the stain/varnish process but when I saw your photos I was convinced. I sanded it down (bought a simple stripper piece to connect to my regular household drill), sanded a bit more, then just this morning bought the stain and have applied the first coat. Looks great already! Thanks so much! I bought a polyurethane to use as the top coat but could not find a matte finish, just satin. I’m hoping that won’t be too shiny…. Thanks again. Michelle

    Reply

    • Note: I recommend against using the Minwax brand as it is too dark (in mahogany color anyway).

    • Michelle – YOU MADE MY DAY!!! I love love love this comment! Thank you so much! I am so glad this tutorial was helpful to you; and yes – much easier than taking the door off and stripping it! I am sure the satin topcoat will be just fine; anything will be better than the before, right? Anyway, thank you so much and send me a pic of your before and afters! [email protected]

  29. Hi Bre,

    Thank you for taking the time to share with the rest of us. Your article has given me the inspiration I needed to attempt to refinish my own front door. I have a question, is there a reason why you chose to use Rust-Oleum Varathane Clear Water Based Outdoor Spar Urethane over the General Finishes Water Based Exterior 450 Clear Satin as your top coat? I rather use the top coat from the same manufacturer insuring compatability with the Gel stain and hopefully better protection.

    Thanks Bre

    Reply

    • Hi, Ed! Such a great question! When I took on this project, I wasn’t actually sure it was going to work (ha!), so I purchased the Spar Urethane as a topcoat because I could buy it locally at the hardware store and it was cheaper. It has held up marvelously for me, but I think your reasoning behind using General Finishes’ topcoat makes absolute sense! I have heard wonderful things about General Finishes’ topcoats though I haven’t used them myself. Anyway, I think you can’t go wrong either way and I wish you the best of luck with your project. I hope it turns out fantastic!

  30. All I can say is THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! My door was in way worse shape than yours – it gets direct sun most of the day, and we have no storm door. I paid to have it restained a few years ago and it lasted less than a year (and cost me hundreds). I’m not completely done with my door yet and already the difference is astounding. Even if I had to do this each year, it’s worth the cost savings to do it myself and the gel stain is easy to use!! Thanks again for such a clear tutorial.

    Reply

    • Hi, Bliss! YOU MADE MY DAY! Thanks so much for leaving me this note!! I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that you’re happy. I am really glad this tutorial helped you with your door, and I hope the rest of the project turned out great! Thanks again. 🙂

  31. Love how your door turned out! Did you do anything to even out the worn areas of the door before applying the gel stain? Or put an extra coat of gel stain in those areas? I would think that the color difference would show through if you didn’t. We have a banister where the stain has similarly worn off in a few spots, so is love to find out how you dealt with this. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi, Nancy! Thank you!! So aside from the light staining I gave the door, I did not do anything extra for those worn areas. I think that because the gel stain sort of sits on top of the existing finish (instead of being a penetrating stain), it all kind of evens out. However, if your door presents an issue, I’m sure you could add a little extra gel stain to the worn areas if you’re seeing a difference. Good luck with your project! P.S. my door still looks awesome as the day I refinished it!

  32. You used oil base gel stain and then water based spar urethane? Weren’t you worried abt mixing the two? How long did you wait before too coating?

    Reply

  33. Thanks for sharing this! We desperately need to refinish our front door to get our house ready to sell. Did you have to leave the door open while it was drying? We need to do this really soon, but… it’s February (brr!). When you closed the door to dry overnight, did it take off the finish where it touched the door frame / weather stripping?

    Reply

    • Hi, Jenny! You’re so welcome!! I did leave the door open while it was drying, but I had my screen door closed. As for shutting it at night, it was not a problem at all! I think it had enough time during the day to dry that it wasn’t an issue. One thing I’d recommend is for you to check the suggested temperature range for the gel stain and topcoats, just to make sure it isn’t too cold where you live to refinish now. GOOD LUCK! 🙂

  34. Thank you on you door refinish guide. I too have several doors to refinish, these are on the inside. they are solid pine wood interior doors. The staining on these doors is going to be hard to match. It’s more about the technique used rather than just matching a stain. If it where only the color of stain match I would have hit the nail on the head by now. This is my 3rd weekend on this single “test door”. I’m thinking about lightly sanding over my new dark stain now with a 150 grit sandpaper and apply a lighter stain. This “test door” as I’m calling it. I’m going to re-applying a 2nd coat in a lighter color of stain on a finer sanding. Yes, there is some bit of insanity going on here. And I’m not a expert but I’m pretty sure this is close to the original technique that was used back in 1985 on it. I hope it matches.

    Reply

    • Hi, Don! Oh my goodness! Yes, it sounds like you have quite a project happening there! Best of luck getting that perfect finish that you’re in search of!

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