The situation when interior doors become unusable and lose their appearance is not uncommon. Knowing a few basic techniques on how to update an old door will help you save a lot and not spend money ahead of time. Having learned how to restore the surface yourself, you can not only give your apartment a fresh look, but also turn interesting author’s ideas into reality.

After familiarizing yourself with a few useful secrets listed below, you will be able to do the repair work yourself. Do not forget about the importance of preparatory work, since this process also affects the beauty of the product. You can decorate the doors using paint, wallpaper, photo wallpaper, decoupage and other techniques.

Preparatory stage

Before you transform an old door, you must first prepare the surface and remove the previous coating. If you remove the product from its hinges in advance, it will be more convenient to carry out repair work. Place the door on a flat surface using a table or trestle. Remove from the canvas: handles, hinges, latches, locks. Replace parts with new ones if they become unusable. Don't forget to remove the glazing beads and remove the glass before starting repair work.

It will be much easier to act by adhering to the following points:

1. Using a heat gun, heat the surface to remove old paint much faster. When the layer begins to soften, use a putty knife to remove the coating.
2. Scratches and defects can be repaired using putty and wood putty.
3. Take sandpaper with different grits. Sand the surface and sand thoroughly.
4. You can completely renew old doors with your own hands if you apply drying oil or stain to the surface. This measure will protect the canvas from moisture and give the wood a beautiful shade.
5. Reinsert the glass into the door leaf and use new beads.

If you paint a door or glue wallpaper onto the canvas, do not forget to prime it first. Choose a special primer or thinly diluted glue.

Self-adhesive film

When ideas on how to cover an old door have reached a dead end, choose the simplest and most inexpensive option in the form of self-adhesive film. Geometric stickers can be distributed onto the canvas, even if you do not remove it from its hinges first. Choose a film of a bright shade to create a contrast with the overall tone. If you match the stickers to the color of the door, it will look tasteless.

Before gluing the film, use a pencil to mark where the patterns will be located. After this, apply the sticker to the canvas and use a rag to get rid of the air under the film, wiping it thoroughly. A canvas on which you can draw inscriptions with chalk will look very stylish and impressive. The cost of such a film is not cheap, but such an option will look very unusual.

Dye

In the process of updating an old door, as in the first case, it is important to use another inexpensive option - paint. Here you will have to remove the door from its hinges in order to paint the door as neatly as possible. You can choose absolutely any color - it all depends on your taste preferences and interior. Buy acrylic or water-based paint as it does not have an unpleasant odor. It is better to avoid alkyd paint.

Experienced “artists” will be able to paint a door using dye in cans. For beginners, it is better to abandon this idea, since it will be difficult to apply the material in one tone, since the dye will be sprayed on different sides. If you choose a standard painting option, then use matte rather than glossy paint. In the second case, the dye will only highlight all the defects and unevenness of the canvas.

Before updating the doors without changing them, take a roller to make the painting process as comfortable as possible. A wide roller is suitable for smooth and solid doors. It is best to paint the doors in 2-3 layers, applying the paint with a fairly thin ball.

How to update an old door with wallpaper: several methods

It is not difficult to paste wallpaper onto the door leaf, and all stages of the work will not take much time. You can create a beautiful contrast if you choose wallpaper in a color that differs from the color of the walls. Having previously prepared the doors and primed them, you will be able to hang wallpaper according to the following scheme:

1. Dilute the glue according to the instructions on the package.
2. Spread the adhesive backing onto the canvas.
3. Carefully start gluing the wallpaper and do not forget to remove bubbles. A plastic or rubber spatula will help with this, which needs to be moved from the center to the edges.
4. Use a metal strip and a wallpaper knife to trim the edges of the wallpaper.
5. Wait until the wallpaper is completely dry to move on to the next decorating step if necessary.

If desired, apply additional decor on top of the wallpaper.

Molding

If, before updating the interior doors with your own hands (based on the photo with instructions), you purchase foam or polyurethane moldings, as well as sockets, then the decor will turn out to be quite unusual. This option will beautifully highlight a room decorated in a classic style. Using rounded moldings and a bright background you can decorate the room in Provence style.

After you have hung the wallpaper and it has already dried, use a pencil to mark where the moldings will be located. Using a tape measure, measure out how much material you will need to complete the decor. File the edges of the molding at an angle of 45 degrees. Then take PVA or other glue, treat the back surface of each element and glue along the markings. Wait for the glue to dry completely.

Photo wallpaper

You can give the room a completely new look by sticking photo wallpaper on the doors. This finishing option will look very bright and will help transform the interior of any room. You can order photo wallpaper from any printing house. In this case, it will be possible to individually select the design and type of pattern. Before updating old wooden doors with your own hands in this way, you should follow the previously given instructions for gluing ordinary wallpaper.

Antique effect

In the process of updating the old door, paint and sandpaper will be used to create the effect of antiquity. Before moving on to the decor, cover the canvas with dark paint in several layers. After this, apply light paint on top of the previous layer. Once the paint is completely dry, take sandpaper and begin sanding the top layer until the dark paint shows through.

Using the craquelure effect you can also visually “age” the doors. To do this, use varnish or paint, which, after hardening, will visually form cracks.

Decoupage

Decoupage of an old door will look very beautiful if you use ordinary napkins for decoration. Before starting work, paint the canvas white. Then take a three-layer napkin with a beautiful design and use scissors to cut out the image. Peel off the colored layer and carefully apply it to the door.

Dilute PVA glue and water in the required ratio and take a brush. Apply glue to the back of the design and attach it to the door. You can repeat this procedure several times until the entire application is completed. Finally, open the surface with acrylic varnish.

Glass inserts

Another good way to update an old door with your own hands (using the photo clearly) is to try replacing the glass. Install new glass in the door leaf or update the decor of the old one. The stained glass technique will look unusual.

Before painting the doors and creating an unusual stained glass window, prepare the following tools:

• stained glass paints;
• gloves;
• circuit;
• marker.

It is most convenient to paint glass in a horizontal position. Using a marker, draw the outlines, and then paint the middle on both sides. You can complete the picture entirely by gluing small stones or pieces of glass. These details should also be outlined with a black marker on top of the drawing.

Before you decorate an old door with your own hands, take this recommendation into account. Cut small holes in the door leaf and insert small multi-colored pieces of glass into the middle. This method will allow you to create a beautiful glass composition. This option is suitable if the door leaf is made of solid wood.

Stencil decor

A simple and at the same time beautiful option is to design the door using a stencil pattern. You can prepare the stencil yourself, or you can buy it ready-made at a hardware (stationery) store. Take thick paper and cut out a pattern that you like. You can also prepare self-adhesive film in a similar way.

First, pre-treat the door, then take a stencil and carefully go over the top with a paint roller. Spray paint is also suitable for decoration. Make sure that the template fits tightly to the surface of the door, otherwise excess smudges and stains will appear on the canvas.

Pre-paint the door white, and then use stencil patterns. Black and gold designs will look very beautiful on a light background. When updating interior doors with your own hands, also use a dark background and light stencil patterns.

Art drawing

Art lovers may want to pay attention to this unusual option for decorating doors. It is enough to first paint the doors in one tone, and then use additional paints and brushes for painting. The drawing can extend beyond the doorway by 10-20 cm and be a beautiful continuation of the composition.

If you don’t have any special talent, but want to restore an old door with your own hands, as in the photo, then first pick up a pencil. Draw a sketch with a pencil, and then start painting. Pre-cover the floor and walls with protective film to prevent splashes from damaging it. To create a memorable design, put paints in children's hands where they can express their creativity on canvas. Such art will give a sea of ​​positive memories and emotions.

Textile

When you have no idea what can be done with an old door, but you really want to decorate it in an unusual way, the option with textiles is ideal. This is a very labor-intensive process, but the door design will turn out to be truly homely and cozy. Before you move on to arranging the door leaf, first buy fabric with the patterns you like. Avoid colors that are too light, as stains and defects will appear on such a surface very quickly.

Choose a material in the store whose color will blend as organically as possible with the rest of the decor. Use double-sided masking tape to make gluing textiles as convenient as possible. Distribute the tape around the entire perimeter of the door. Make sure that there are no folds along the edges of the door and that there are no patches.

Door lamination

You can update the appearance of the room if you apply film on the doors yourself at home. To do this, buy a self-adhesive film with an adhesive backing at a hardware store. First, pre-prepare the door leaf and cover scratches and uneven surfaces. If necessary, remove the old paint layer.

When gluing the film, do not forget that it bonds to the surface very quickly, so you will have to work very carefully to prevent the appearance of bubbles and unevenness. Apply the film gradually, millimeter by millimeter, using a plastic wallpaper spatula to prevent the appearance of defects.

By choosing one of the above options, it will not be difficult to update the door yourself at home. When decorating, it is important not to forget about the rest of the apartment’s interior and first protect it with film.

Any high-quality interior door loses its original appearance over time. As a result, it may need to be replaced or restored. The first option will require large expenses, so it is best to think about a new design of the structure. So, how to update an interior door with your own hands?

Preparatory work

Buying doors every few years is very expensive, so many people decide to do everything themselves. But before you start decorating a wooden door, you should carry out careful preparation.

We carry out the work in the following order:

1. We remove the door to be renewed from its hinges. To do this, you will need to open it slightly, place a crowbar on the bottom edge and press down.
2. We lay the structure on a flat surface or lean it on something.
3. Carefully remove the wooden glazing beads and remove the decorative glass.
4. We remove all components (applies to the door with the lock, hinges, handles).
5. We heat the surface with a hair dryer and remove the old coating using a spatula. If this is not done, the new finish will not last long. Old paint can be removed using sandpaper and solvent.
6. We find all the chips, cracks, various defects and fill them with putty (or special putty).
7. We level the coating with a grinding machine or sandpaper so that it becomes even and smooth.
8. Wipe the surface to remove dust from it. Don't wet it too much.
9. We cover the structure with stain or drying oil.
10. Paint with varnish (2 layers). If the restoration of the doors will be carried out using other materials, then we cover them with a primer (2 layers).
11. We insert glass with glazing beads, fittings and return the structure to its place.

Painting or varnishing

The fastest and easiest finishing options are painting and varnishing. There are different paints, but for treating doors it is better to choose acrylic, oil, alkyd and perchlorovinyl. You should not use water-based compositions, since they are wiped off over time and hand marks remain on the surface. As for the color scheme, the finish can match the shade of the walls or create a contrast with them.

Varnish compositions create a transparent coating on the surface, under which the grain of the wood is visible. This fact should be taken into account, because all defects will be visible. The polyurethane composition is considered the best for doors, because it is durable and resistant to mechanical damage.

How to paint or varnish a door? We carry out the work as follows:

• remove the old layer of paint (varnish) using a blowtorch or an industrial hair dryer;
• clean and degrease the surface;
• we find all chips, cracks, dents and putty them;
• cover with a protective composition;
• take a brush and paint (varnish) in several layers;
• waiting for it to dry completely.

Veneer coating

Veneer is made from wood and consists of thin plates of different colors and textures. For its production, oak, walnut, linden or mahogany are used.

How to update an interior door with veneer? The process looks like this:

1. We remove the old door from its hinges and place it on supports (you can use ordinary stools).
2. We dismantle handles, hinges, locks, glass (if any).
3. We inspect the door for defects. They will have to be puttied.
4. Let it dry and sand it with sandpaper.
5. We dilute protein or flesh with water). Its readiness is determined with a stick: immerse it in the composition and pull it out (it should flow in a thin stream).
6. Heat the glue and apply it to the surface to be finished.
7. We wait about 5 minutes and apply the veneer.
8. We grind in with a damp cloth and then with a hot iron. Movements can only be made along the fibers, and from the center to the edges.
9. We lay the remaining plates with an overlap, since the material narrows when cooling.
10. After cooling, trim off the excess veneer and heat the surface with an iron.
11. We treat the joints with adhesive film so that the seams do not separate.
12. We wait for the material to dry and remove the film.
13. We use varnish based on rosin and shellac. It should be applied in 3 layers, each of which should dry completely.
14. We return locks, handles, and hinges to their place.

Wallpapers and photo wallpapers

A great way to update a room is to wallpaper your door. Even inexpensive material will make the design stylish and beautiful. The selection process takes into account not only your own taste, but also compatibility with the interior. This design option is very popular abroad (in the USA, Sweden and Canada). Wallpaper on doors separated by compartments looks very beautiful and unusual. If there is glass in the structure, then it is removed and plywood is inserted. Wallpaper is glued on top of it.

If there is a geometric pattern, then it is aligned vertically. On double doors the pattern should be symmetrical. It is better to paint the places where there will be no wallpaper in the color of the material. Installation is carried out in the following order: the surface is cleaned, degreased and primed. If necessary, grinding is done. PVA glue is used for gluing wallpaper.

Doors with photo wallpaper look very beautiful and unusual. Of course, they are not cheap, but the variety of patterns will allow you to get a unique finish. Landscapes, animals, views of the city at night, etc. will decorate any room well. The material is glued in the same way as ordinary wallpaper. But you will have to think about the completeness of the drawing in advance.

Self-adhesive film

This door finishing option is considered one of the most expensive, since the material is quite expensive. Its main characteristics are density, beautiful appearance and durability. In order for the film to stick well and remain smooth, you will have to properly level the surface.

Let's figure out how to update an interior door with self-adhesive film:

• we remove and prepare the structure for finishing;
• spray it with a spray bottle (this makes it easier to lay the material in the correct position);
• turn the film to the wrong side and peel off a small area;
• apply the material to the surface;
• carefully place it using a spatula or roller;
• pierce the bubbles with a needle and smooth the coating.

The dimensions of the self-adhesive film allow you to completely cover the canvas. But if you wish, you can use small stickers on the door. This option is perfect for a children's room.

Fabric finishing

Door finishing with fabric is similar to wallpapering. In this case, it is important to choose the right glue - it should not leave stains on the material. If the choice fell on loose fabric, you will have to tuck its edges. Working with it is a little more difficult than with wallpaper, but the result exceeds all expectations. This is due to the fact that the variety of colors of the material is wider than that of wallpaper.

How to update an old interior door with fabric? There are several finishing options:

1. We paste over small pieces of fabric collected into one canvas (patchwork).
2. We make the bottom of the structure (about 2/3) from fabric, and paint the top. Moldings and special overlays can be placed on the border).
3. Instead of glass, we insert a drapery made of fabric, collected on a thread or fishing line. It can also be closed completely.
4. We make several square or rectangular inserts located vertically.

Polyurethane linings (moldings)

Polyurethane moldings look very stylish and beautiful on the doors. If desired, you can purchase wooden overlays. In stores you can see them in different colors and designs. They represent various panels, borders, arches (and their halves), and platbands. As for the surface of the products, they can be: smooth, embossed, with ornaments, etc. Entire compositions are assembled from such an arsenal.

How to update an interior door with moldings? We take liquid nails or any construction adhesive and fix them on the structure. On sale you can see self-adhesive products, the installation of which is greatly simplified. To assemble complex compositions, you will have to draw a sketch on the door in advance.

Vinyl stickers

A great way to get an updated interior is to use door stickers. They can be in the form of landscapes, animals, plants, cities, children's drawings, unusual patterns, etc. As for sizes, stickers can completely or partially cover the canvas, and also consist of small elements. Their main advantage is that when they are removed, no traces remain.

There are stickers that look like a slate board. They are well suited for children's rooms, because you can draw on them with chalk. There is nothing complicated about using stickers. Small products can be glued on your own, and large ones can be glued with someone’s help. As you work, you need to carefully smooth the sticker so that its surface is even.

Updating doors with glass inserts

If you need to update doors with a mirror or glass, you can use several finishing options. Stained glass windows painted with special paints will look unusual. For work you will also need: stencils, a sketch, contours on glass (silver, white or black).

The process of decorating doors with stained glass (using the example of a glass structure) is done as follows:

• lay out the sketch on a flat surface;
• lay the canvas on top;
• we outline all the lines of the stained glass window with an artistic outline;
• wait for it to dry and fill the space between the contours with paints (colors to your liking);
• let it dry and put the canvas in place.

To prevent the decorated door from looking too pretentious, you can paint any other piece of furniture (chandelier, chest of drawers, etc.) in the same way.

Mosaic

You can also decorate the door using mosaics. It is even suitable for the bathroom, as it is moisture resistant. Ceramic or glass compositions are assembled from these small elements. Additional decorations in the form of sea or river pebbles will add uniqueness to the design.

When choosing a material, you should take into account the fact that the mosaic increases the weight of the door. It is very important that the door frame is ready for such a load. Wood veneer or acrylic glass (instead of stones and ceramics) will help reduce the load.

Let's try to figure out how to update an interior door with your own hands. First, draw a sketch on it using a simple pencil. Then we take “liquid nails” and begin gluing large fragments. Once they are in place, you can start working on small details.

Decoupage

Door restoration can be done using decoupage. The work involves applying ready-made designs (from fabric, wallpaper, napkins, newspapers or ready-made decoupage cards) to the structure. The decoration process goes like this:

• preparing the canvas for work;
• cut out the designs you like and soak them in water;
• lightly dry them, place them on the structure and cover them with PVA glue (both the design and the doors);
• smooth the product well so that there are no bubbles or folds on it;
• apply a little putty to its edges (must be matched by color);
• sand this layer with sandpaper;
• If necessary, coat with varnish (1-2 layers).

Decoupage can be done in several ways:

• trim some areas (suitable for structures with bulges and shaped divisions);
• decorate a small part of the canvas or cover it completely;
• chaotically fill the free space or assemble a thematic panel from individual motifs (for example, a world map).

Artistic painting

Among the variety, it is worth highlighting artistic painting. If you have skills in this matter, you can get to work right away. An excellent effect can be achieved if you use the floor, walls and ceiling in painting. A great option is to draw letters, names, philosophical phrases or any wishes.

But what to do if you have no artistic experience, but want to get a masterpiece? Special stencils, which are sold in construction and stationery stores, will help here. If necessary, they can be cut out of cardboard or self-adhesive film.

Let's figure out how to decorate a door with your own hands:

• We carry out the preparation in the same way as before staining;
• apply or glue the stencil (make sure it fits snugly);
• Apply paint with a roller or spray.

It is better to complement the restored structure with a new handle, hinges and lock. Metal fittings wear out over time, so they should be replaced.

Decor with improvised materials

How to update an interior door if there are no finishing materials at hand? Any unnecessary items will be used: shells, lids, mesh bags, egg trays, etc.

Let's try to decorate the doors using egg trays (we save them in advance):

• tear or cut the paper cells into small pieces;
• moisten them with water;
• We arrange the elements in a chaotic order (or lay out them in a simple pattern) and fix them with glue. A glue gun will help speed up the work;
• we place the remaining decorative elements;
• cover the surface with spray paint.

Another way to update doors is the sandblasting technique, which is used to create glass inserts. This finishing option will require the involvement of specialists, because it will be difficult to do it yourself.

Decorating doors with various decorative elements is a real creative process that will bring pleasure. Also, the owner of the house will be pleased with the result of the work and the opportunity to save money. Thanks to the above finishing options, you can get a truly unique interior door (with a mirror, glass or solid).

A door that has lost its appearance can always be restored, saving on the purchase of a new door block. Restoration of wooden doors begins after all defects have been fully identified.

Restoration begins after determining the extent and type of damage. The defects of wooden doors of different designs may differ; to eliminate them, a suitable method is selected:

1. Deformation of a multilayer door leaf. A curved product is almost impossible to close, or large gaps remain due to a loose fit to the frame. The defect is common for products made from several layers of wood. The reason is a violation of gluing technology, poor-quality material or intense exposure to moisture. Minor curvature is compensated by adjusting the frame. In case of severe bending, replace the top layer of sheathing to relieve stress.
2. Peeling of covering sheets from the frame. The defect occurs as a result of the manufacturer using low-quality glue or when the recommended operating conditions are violated. It can be restored by re-gluing and then keeping the product under pressure. However, the solid frame and covering sheets react differently to moisture and temperature changes. When peeling, the decorative coating often cracks or breaks in pieces. Small cracks are hidden with putty. If the peeled sheet cannot be restored, it is replaced.
3. Loosening of the glued door frame. The result of the defect is loose closure, as well as the formation of cracks. It can be assumed that the product itself is bent. To make the right decision, both structural elements are inspected. If the problem is in the box, it is strengthened by removing the trim.
4. The door leaf is skewed. Diagnostics begins with inspection of the loops. If the door is too loose, it may not close. If a misalignment is detected, which is often found on a frame where the elements are connected by a notch, leveling is done using wedges. Grooves are cut out in the corners of the structure and filled with glue. Wedges sharpened at an angle of 10° are driven in with a hammer until the frame is completely level.
5. Slight increase in gaps between the leaf and the door frame similarly is a defect. Heat escapes from the house through a loosely fitting sash, reducing the quality of sound insulation. The problem with small gaps is solved by gluing seals.

How to update wooden interior doors?

The expression to repair a wooden door with your own hands does not always call for radical actions associated with complete disassembly of the product. It is enough to update an aged sash. Along with cosmetic repairs to interior wooden doors, hinges, locks and handles that have become loose over time are replaced.

You can renovate an old wooden door at home with your own hands as follows:

• Restoration begins by laying the product on a flat surface. All fittings are removed. To obtain a high-quality restoration result, the canvas is cleaned of dry layers of paint and varnish materials. Hard paint is softened by heating it with a construction hairdryer to a temperature of 600°C. After this, it can be easily cleaned off with a spatula. The second method is the use of chemical paint removers. The solution melts the dry layer, which is carefully cleaned off with a rag. The final preparation of the canvas is sanding. For work, use a grinder or rub it manually with sandpaper. Sanding will help repair minor scratches on a wood door and remove any remaining paint.

• Further actions are aimed at properly sealing cracks and crevices. Deep defects are hidden with putty. Small ones are filled with hot wax. The scratches remaining after sanding are rubbed out with a wax pencil.

• To seal a hole in a solid wood door, prepare putty. The components are wood dust and varnish. A hole sealed with putty will be hidden from view forever. The filler will stick firmly to the wood and will not crack.
• After puttying work, the surface of the entire sash is sanded with fine sandpaper. Remaining dust is removed with a clean rag.

• To refresh old interior wooden doors, choose drying oil, varnish, stain or. The paint and varnish material is applied with a brush, roller or spray. the product only in a horizontal position to avoid the formation of drips.

After the paint has dried, the fittings are installed on the updated sash and secured to the door frame with new hinges.

How to restore a wooden door leaf?

Carrying out the restoration of wooden doors with your own hands consists of three stages:

• Preparation. The sash is removed from its hinges, all fittings are dismantled, and the soft upholstery or paint layer is removed.
• Restoration. The product is puttied in places where the gaps form. The holes are sealed with putty. After hardening, the putty is sanded through. Remaining dust is wiped off with a rag. The prepared surface is painted.
• The final. The sash is hung with hinges on the door frame. Install the handle, lock, latch. If the boat is loose, strengthen it with anchor bolts. The gaps between the wall and the frame are filled with foam.

There are several options for restoring a wooden door:

The most common recovery method is simple.

Removing paintwork

Restoration of the door leaf cannot begin until the old paint is completely removed. There are three ways:

• Warm up To work you will need a heat gun. Another name for the device is a hair dryer. The surface is heated evenly. You cannot heat in one place for a long time, so as not to spoil the wood. The appearance of burning already indicates a violation of technology. The softened paint is cleaned off with a spatula.

• Mechanical removal. The method involves erasing the paint with a grinder, grinder or drill with special grinding attachments.

• Chemical cleaning. Removal of old paint with reagents is carried out in a well-ventilated room or outside. Use goggles and gloves while working. Chemical solutions soften the paint, which is then scraped off with a spatula and wiped off with a rag.

Of all the methods, mechanical removal is most often practiced. A chemical solution and a hair dryer will ruin the wood if the cleaning technology is violated.

Sanding, putty and primer

After getting rid of the dried paint layer, the surface is sanded. First, I use coarse sandpaper to remove paint residues, burrs, and bulges. The door is wiped with a rag to remove dust. The second pass of sanding is done with fine sandpaper. Dust is wiped off the treated canvas, and the surface is degreased with a solvent. White spirit will do.

If sanding does not get rid of the cracks, putty made from a mixture of sawdust and PVA glue is stuffed into the deep holes of the door leaf. You can use store-bought formulations. The dried putty is rubbed with sandpaper.

Before painting, the surface of the sash is primed. The process cannot be neglected, otherwise the coating will be unevenly absorbed into the wood. When using stains, no primer is used.

Coloring

There is a large variety that allows you to get a glossy, matte or semi-gloss surface. Water-based varnishes and paints are used for interior door blocks. The front door is painted with alkyd enamel or nitro paint. Stain allows you to preserve the naturalness of wood.

The paint is applied in two layers to a horizontally laid canvas. It is easier to roll a flat surface with a roller. The sash with convex patterns is painted with a brush.

Restoring a cracked door

If the product has dried out due to exposure to high temperatures, restoration involves disassembling the canvas. The purpose of the repair is to eliminate the gaps between the planks, as well as to prevent the panels from hanging inside the grooves.

The frame elements of the paneled door leaf are connected with a tongue-and-groove lock lubricated with glue. Additionally, long self-tapping screws - dowels - can be used for screeding. The caps are closed on top with decorative plugs.

When repairing an old wooden door, the leaf is removed from its hinges, placed vertically on one of the sides, the plugs are removed and the pins are unscrewed. The glue on the lock joint has long dried out. The frame element can be easily removed. The locking joint is cleaned of the remnants of old glue and the panels are repaired.

All inserts are removed from the frame. The grooves and edges of the panels are cleaned of glue. The door is carefully blown out with a vacuum cleaner so that dust does not interfere with gluing. A thin layer of silicone-based sealant is driven inside the grooves. After inserting the panel into place, wipe off the squeezed-out excess sealant with a rag.

The locking joint of the frame is generously lubricated with wood glue. You can use PVA. The frame element is put in place, the door leaf is clamped with clamps, the dowels are screwed into the old holes and the plugs are closed. The canvas remains in a clamped state until the glue completely hardens. You cannot drill new holes for the dowels, since using a hand drill will result in them being at a slight angle. After uneven screwing of the dowel, the frame will become skewed.

Decoration options

Restoration work is aimed at restoring the wooden door, but then it needs to be decorated to match the interior of the room. There are several popular methods:

• Canvas paint paint material matching the color of the interior. You can choose a shade by adding color to white paint.

• Help to make the entrance invisible wallpaper. Before gluing, the surface of the sash is primed. The same wallpaper is used for the room and the door leaf. If you want to highlight the entrance, select trellises of a different color.
• Decoration stencil allows you to create an exclusive product. Images of flowers, animals, or simply geometric shapes are cut out on hard cardboard. The stencil is glued to the surface of the canvas. Paint is applied with a foam swab. After drying, the stencil is removed, and blemishes of leaked paint are erased with a solvent.

• The simplest way to decorate is to decorate vinyl stickers. The stores offer a large selection. Bored stickers are easily removed and new ones are glued in their place.

• Overlay facades made of MDF- a complex but effective way to decorate a door block. Fixation occurs with glue or self-tapping screws. The overlay facade allows you to completely hide all defects.

When repairing wooden doors with your own hands, the fittings are replaced. However, old door blocks are often equipped with rare hinges and handles. If the canvas is decorated in an antique style, it is better to restore all the fittings. Traces of corrosion are removed with fine sandpaper. If desired, the fittings are painted with primer-enamel.

Restoration work takes a lot of time and requires investment of labor and finances. However, restoring the product is cheaper than buying a new unit. And you won’t have to change the size of the opening.

Replacing old doors with new ones is quite expensive, since interior doors to the toilet and bathroom are mostly made in the same style, that is, if they are replaced, then all at once.

Therefore, we offer 4 master classes on how to update wooden doors with your own hands, with photos and detailed instructions. And not just paint, but implement interesting design solutions!

The simplest and easiest method of updating is to make beautiful geometric door stickers. To do this, you will need a self-adhesive film, preferably contrasting with the color of the door.

1. Make a preliminary marking of the pattern on the surface with a pencil.
2. Apply the film and press and rub the air under the film with a rag.
3. This method does not require removing the door leaf from its hinges; it can also be done in a vertical position.

ATTENTION: Just please do not completely cover the doors with wood-grain film! It looks terrible and old fashioned! It’s better to take a plain film and geometry.

You can cover the doors with a one-color film for chalk drawing; it is not cheap, but it looks impressive. And change the inscriptions every day!

Painting wooden doors

Also, this method is not labor-intensive and requires minimal costs! You can paint your interior doors in absolutely any color! Here we will discuss in detail how to do this. But Painting requires removal of the doors with hinges.

What kind of paint do we use:

• Any for interior and interior woodwork, water and acrylic based— it is absolutely odorless! Alkyd paint is of no use to you!
• Take matte, not glossy. Glyantseva will highlight all the irregularities on your surface.
• Paint in a can is dangerous because if you are painting for the first time, you are unlikely to paint it evenly!! Also, if you are planning to paint directly in the apartment, keep in mind that it “flies” in all directions. Therefore, it is better for beginners to start with regular paint and a roller.

What we paint and the technique for painting a door:

• Solid and smooth doors - only wide roller! We paint in 2-3 layers with a very thin coating.
• If the doors have panels, then first we paint all the recesses with a thin brush, and then we do a full coating with a roller.

Door with overlay strips

A door with embossed overlays looks much more original and interesting than a regular flat one. Making such changes is quite simple and does not take much time. In terms of money, the cost will be only a little more than just painting, and much cheaper than buying a new door.

Necessary materials:

• Door
  Overlay wooden planks
  Roulette
  Long ruler and construction angle
  Pencil
  Saw
• Miter box
  Liquid nails or other wood glue
  Scotch
• Paint (white here)
  Building level (not necessary, but very helpful for checking how level you are installing the trim strips)

Step-by-step instruction:

Step 1: Paint the door. First you need to repaint the old wooden door in the chosen color, in this case white. Leave to dry.

On top of the dried paint you need to mark the fastening of the overhead wooden planks. To do this, draw lines with a pencil (without pressing it too hard) and a ruler, to get perpendicular lines, use a construction corner.

In this case, the drawing consists of two rectangles located one above the other.

• In the photo below you can see all the calculations that show how much to retreat: 5" (about 13 cm) everywhere except the bottom of the door, where the distance from the edge to the line is 6" (about 15 cm).
• You can make other indentations, depending on the size of the door (for example, if you decide to update the cabinet doors in the same way, you need to indent clearly less).

Step 3: Cut out the strips

Now you need to cut the strips of the appropriate size (measure the length of the outlined lines). If you don't have the necessary tools at home, this can be done directly at a hardware store for a small additional fee. If you do it yourself, you will need not only a saw, but also a miter box to cut out the ends of the planks are at an angle of 45 degrees.

Step 4: Attach the planks

Place all the planks on the marked lines. Make sure they are all the right length and meet evenly at the corners.

1. Now lift each plank in turn, apply glue to it and put it back in place. If excess glue suddenly leaks out from under the plank, you can remove it with a damp paper towel.
2. Glue must dry for about 24 hours. To ensure that the planks stick evenly and reliably, attach them with tape while drying, fixing the position and pressing down.
3. A larger amount of tape ensures secure fastening.

Note: you can glue already painted planks, or glue and then paint; You can also not paint the door at first (skip step 1), but do it together with the glued strips.

Step 5: Install the door

After the glue has dried, you need to carefully peel the tape off the door; it is better to use masking tape that does not leave marks.

Now all that remains is to put the remodeled door in place and attach the handle. And everything is ready!

Door with overlay panels

This master class differs from the previous one in that here we will not only attach the planks, but also fill the inside of the doors has overlay panels.

Necessary materials:

• Plastic panels (we make these here, but wooden panels can also be used)
• Roulette
• Pencil
• Building level
• Construction adhesive
• Latex paint
• Screwdriver
• Masking tape
• Hand saw
• Screws
• Safety glasses and earmuffs
• Putty for plastic
• Putty knife
• Sander (or sandpaper)

Step-by-step instruction:

Step 1: Correct the door defects. If the door is very old and has some defects that cannot be hidden by painting (for example, the top coating has chipped off in places, or there are deep scratches), then initially you need to remove them and make the surface smooth.

• To do this, apply wood putty and let it dry,
• then level it surface with a grinding machine or sandpaper.

Step 2: Outlining the location of the planks

We will do the marking here the same as in the previous case, that is, we will retreat 5" (about 13 cm) everywhere except the bottom of the door, where we leave 6" (about 15 cm).

ADVICE: If there is no long ruler, lines can be drawn using a building level.

Step 3: Attach the panel

Apply construction adhesive to the back of the plastic panels.

Place the panels on the door and check that they are positioned correctly using a level. The sides of the panels should be clearly parallel to the edges of the door.

Press down on the panel until it presses firmly against the door and sticks securely. Secure this entire structure around the perimeter with small screws using a screwdriver.

Step 4: Attach the planks

Again, you can either cut the planks to size at a shop, or do it yourself using a saw and miter box. The strips should surround the panels around the perimeter, fitting tightly to them.

Note: The planks can initially be glued with construction adhesive and then secured with screws.

This is what should happen at this stage:

Step 5: Paint the door. Now all that remains is to paint the door and leave it until completely dry.

Now compare the door before and after repair:

The applied relief makes the door more stylish and affects the appearance of the entire room as a whole:

Don't be afraid to change up old items and give them a different look. Give them the opportunity to serve you again, but in a new guise!

No matter how beautiful artificial materials may seem, natural solids are always valued higher. For this reason, restoration of wooden doors has become especially in demand recently. Next we will talk about how to restore an old wooden door with your own hands in three different ways.

Restoring a wooden door with your own hands makes sense only if there is no serious damage to it.

It should be noted right away that we will talk specifically about how to renew solid wooden doors. There are also veneered doors - this is when the base is made of wood or MDF and covered with thin wood veneer. The principle of operation there is different, and if you have a veneered canvas, then you can read about its restoration.

It would seem, why bother with an old wooden panel if now you can easily buy a new door? However, if you dig deeper, there are several reasons:

• The first, and perhaps the main reason, is the price. For reasonable money, you can only buy a hollow box, decorated to look like wood, which will last a maximum of 5–7 years, after which it will “fall apart” irrevocably.
• Restoring a wooden door with your own hands makes sense if you decide to change the overall style of the room, and the wooden panel simply does not fit into the color scheme.
• Restoring old doors is justified when the design is of real artistic or even historical value. Simply put, when your door is an antique.

• It’s also worth tinkering if you know for sure that the canvas you restored will become the pearl of the interior, an exclusive thing made with your own hands.
• Many doorways and door panels do not meet modern standards, and updating old wooden doors will cost several times less than manufacturing the same structures to order.
• Lastly, many people get into this hobby simply because it is a great and very rewarding hobby.

As for prohibitions, they practically do not exist. The only thing that even professionals don’t take on are doors that are seriously damaged, have large holes on the surface or parts that are completely rotten. In this case, it is very difficult to renew a wooden door; it is cheaper to buy a new one.

Options for restoration of doors made of natural wood

In this case, we will talk about solid wood restoration. In other words, you and I will make a classic wooden door from beaten, scratched, and sometimes even cracked canvas.

For those who are interested in non-standard artistic approaches, such as decoupage techniques or wallpapering a door leaf, there is interesting information.

General principles of restoration

Wood can be painted, varnished, impregnated with wax, made new or, conversely, aged, but we will do all this already at the second stage of work. Initially, there are several actions that are performed when restoring any door leaf.

Remember: hanging doors are never restored; to repair and update them, you first need to remove them from their hinges, and then lay them horizontally on some large table or trestle.

At home, a pry bar or crowbar is usually used to remove doors. Professionals often work alone, so they use a special jack, which can not only quickly remove, but also carefully hang the door leaf.

Loops are different. It’s good if you have standard hinges (male and female), then the canvas can be removed and laid in a couple of minutes. But there are special canopies with anti-vandal protection. They will need to be disassembled, and if this does not work, then you will just have to unscrew the screws and remove the canvas.

Universal hinges with anti-removal protection.

In most cases, when we restore a canvas, we first need to get rid of the old paintwork. There are four common ways to do this, each of which has its own pros and cons:

1. The simplest and most painless method is grinding. You take sandpaper, or better yet, a sander, and slowly but surely, layer by layer, remove the old paint or varnish. The likelihood of damaging the wood here is minimal, but the labor costs are enormous, plus there will be a lot of dust.

Sanding is the most painless way to remove old coating from wood.

1. The second method is similar to the first, only instead of a grinder, a drill or grinder attachment with a metal brush is used. The work goes faster, but there is also a lot of dust. The main disadvantage is that the cord brush, together with the paint, selects the soft wood tissue between the fibers, and this method is only suitable for aging.

1. The next contender is a hair dryer. This device heats the paint to a temperature of about 500º, as a result it is easily scraped off with an iron spatula. There are practically no downsides here.

Using a hair dryer, paint can be removed easily and quickly.

We do not recommend burning doors with a gas torch or blowtorch. Firstly, this can cause a fire, and secondly, old burnt wood is less processed and quickly becomes unusable.

It is not advisable to remove paint by firing.

1. Paint can be relatively easily removed from wood using chemically active removers. The instructions are simple: apply the solution to the door and after a certain time scrape off the paint with a brush or spatula. But such removers are very harmful, plus they stink very much.

Method No. 1. The simplest restoration with varnishing

Suppose we got a smooth door leaf, made of planed boards and coated with some kind of varnish. For the sake of beauty, it was also burned at one time. Initially, we remove all the fittings and lay it on a flat surface.

We will remove the varnish and also smooth out all defects and scratches using a belt sander. We use medium or coarse sandpaper, approximately No. 80. In this case, our machine is equipped with a vacuum cleaner, so it will be more or less comfortable to work with.

We clean everything completely to a smooth and clean surface. It will not be possible to achieve perfect processing with coarse sandpaper, but we don’t need that yet. The main thing is to smooth out defects, remove scratches and remove the former “beauty”.

After processing the planes on both sides, we clean the ends of the door leaf around the entire perimeter in the same way. At the ends, the main thing is to keep the machine strictly at right angles to the planes, otherwise later the bevels will have to be leveled with a plane, and this will lead to a decrease in width.

If you used the sander correctly, the corners will be sharp, so next we take sandpaper No. 320 and carefully smooth out all the corners by hand. Don't forget to wear gloves: it's very easy to get a splinter while sanding like this.

To achieve a perfect glossy surface, we will use an oscillating sander. For this machine we use the same sandpaper No. 320.

Secondary sanding is done with a vibrating sander.

The sanded cloth must be thoroughly cleaned of dust. You can use a vacuum cleaner for this, but it’s better to use a solvent, it’s more reliable.

Now the doors need to be given color. There are stains for this. The color range of stains is quite large; we will use the “Stained Oak” composition. In order for the stain to adhere better and be less saturated, you need to add about 30% solvent to it.

It is advisable to apply the stain using a spray gun. After the door leaf has dried, it should be varnished once. For interior doors, water-based acrylic varnishes are usually used, but if the door is to be installed at the entrance, you should use a varnish for exterior use, for example, yacht varnish.

Before applying the varnish, the canvas is sanded with fine sandpaper and then wiped dry. In order for the varnish to lie smoothly and efficiently, it must be applied with a spray gun. You cannot achieve a high quality surface with a brush or roller.

After the second varnishing, you need to sand the canvas again with fine sandpaper. The last stage of door processing is polishing the door leaf. To do this, apply an oil-wax polishing gel to the canvas and polish the doors using a grinder with a special soft nozzle.

Now all that remains is to insert the lock, tighten the hinges and secure the handle. The technique of inserting a lock into a wooden door is described, and you can learn about the selection rules and types of door handles.

Method No. 2. Restoration of doors with an aging effect

Many design trends use artificially aged wood, this technique is especially popular in the Provence style. There is also a place for antique doors in almost all ethnic styles.

In this case, we got a pine door painted with oil paint. We will not remove the paint everywhere; in particular, it will remain along the perimeter of the panels - this will allow us to focus attention on the artificially aged fragments.

The paint is removed using a round attachment with a cord brush clamped into the chuck of an electric drill. You need to work very carefully: the cord brush should be pressed evenly, and under no circumstances should it linger in one place. As soon as you stop, a groove will appear on the door, which will no longer be able to be repaired.

Stripping is carried out only in the direction of fiber growth. Don’t worry if some fragments are not completely cleaned, because the top of the door will be painted, which means all these defects will be hidden.

Now you need to take an emery briquette and thoroughly clean the entire canvas. This procedure will remove all loose and raised fibers. The painted door fragments are also sanded, after which the dust will need to be wiped off.

We do the background painting with a spray gun, while setting the minimum torch and pressure on the gun. We focus on painting the uncleaned areas around the panels. The paint is applied in two layers with a break for drying.

To achieve the aging effect, the cleaned areas of the canvas must be painted over with a hard-bristled brush.

The rest is up to your discretion: you can coat the doors with water-based acrylic varnish, but, according to many experts, it is better to coat wooden doors at the finishing stage with a special oil with the addition of hard wax. The photo below shows one of the options for this composition. Apply the oil in the same way, with a hard brush.

After such complex processing, the door leaf can be installed both indoors and outdoors. The main thing is that the aged doors match the interior.

Method No. 3. Restoring a dry door

Although wooden doors are more expensive than any interior doors, there are still careless manufacturers who do not follow the technology, as a result of which the canvas dries out. The most common defects include the appearance of gaps between the slats of the supporting frame, and rattling of the panels (the panels dangle in the grooves).

As a rule, the load-bearing sections of the door leaf are fastened together with wooden tenons set with glue, plus some models are additionally tightened with end dowels (long self-tapping screws). To prevent the pins from being visible, these places are covered with plastic or wooden plugs.

First we need to remove the door from its hinges and place it vertically on its side. In this case, it is more convenient to work with the canvas standing vertically, so you will have a stop. First of all, the plugs are removed and the dowels are unscrewed.

When you unscrew the dowels, the bar will only be held on by the inner tenons, so then you will need to pry it up with something and carefully remove it.

If a gap has formed between the door sections, it means that the spikes no longer hold, so they need to be pulled out and the holes cleared of glue. The holes are cleaned with a long wood drill with a diameter of 6 mm to the full depth.

After cleaning, you will need to go everywhere with a vacuum cleaner and remove all the debris. Next, pour PVA glue into the holes and coat the space around the holes with the same glue, after which the spikes are inserted back and lightly tapped with a mallet.

To strengthen the panels in the grooves, we will use clear silicone sealant. It is applied to problem areas, plus at several points along the edges of the panels. You can pump the sealant directly into the groove, but then during installation it will almost certainly come out and stain the canvas.

Now you need to add PVA glue to all problem points and install the vertical support bar in its place. The plank is put on the tenons, pressed tightly and tapped with a mallet.

The last step will be to tie the canvas with dowels, but in order to ensure a really high-quality tie, before screwing in the dowel, the canvas must be secured with clamps.

Sometimes it is tempting to drill new holes in the end of the blade and drive additional dowels into them, but this should not be done. The fact is that it is impossible to drill a straight hole manually: this requires a machine, and a crooked dowel will inevitably lead to a skewed post.

Conclusion

Restoring a wooden door with your own hands is a troublesome task, but the result is worth it, because for such work the craftsmen charge at least half the cost of a new door. The video in this article contains examples of various restoration works. Together with the instructions described above, you can update your wooden doors yourself.