MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Our Favourite Tools

Little House On The Corner

DIY & Home Improvement

MENUMENU
  • Blog
  • Projects
    • Our Favourite Projects
          • DIY Outdoor Daybed with Canopy
          • DIY Outdoor Daybed With Canopy

          • DIY Epoxy Resin Dining Table
          • DIY Epoxy Resin Dining Table

          • 5 Floor Sanding Mistakes And How To Avoid Them | Little House On The Corner
          • What No One Will Tell You About Sanding Your Floors

    • Home Improvement & DIY
          • Hallway with Paean Black Front Door After Editing With Interior Presets for Lightroom by Little House On The Corner
          • How To Create A Home Renovation Budget

          • Floorsanding In Progress
          • What No One Will Tell You About Sanding Your Floors (& How We Did It)

          • How To Plan & Install Panelling | Little House On The Corner
          • How To Plan & Install Panelling

    • Painting & Decorating
          • painted wardrobe in Soumak by paint & paper library
          • How To Paint A Wardrobe

          • Dark Blue and Grey Painted Kitchen Cabinets
          • How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets + Tips For A Professional & Long Lasting Finish

          • What To Do When You've Chosen The Wrong Paint Colour?
          • What To Do When You’ve Chosen The Wrong Paint Colour & How To Fix It!

    • Furniture Upgrades
          • DIY Slatted Radiator Cover
          • DIY Slatted Radiator Cover

          • Beat Floor Lamp and Bar Cart
          • DIY Bar Cart

          • DIY Dining Room Bench | Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Dining Room Bench

    • Outside & Garden
          • DIY Logstore
          • DIY Log Store

          • DIY Slatted Garden Fence | Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Slatted Garden Fence

          • How To Lay A Gravel Driveway
          • How To Lay A Gravel Driveway

    • Free Printables
          • Cleaning Checklist - Free Printable
          • The Best House Cleaning Checklist

          • Free Printable Paper Houses for Advent Calendar
          • DIY Printable Advent Calendar Village

          • The Easy and Free Way To Organise Screws and Nails
          • The Easiest Way To Organise Screws And Nails

    • Craft & Art
          • DIY Pegboard
          • DIY Pegboard

          • DIY Modern Geometric Serving Tray
          • DIY Modern Geometric Serving Tray

          • DIY Guess Who Game - Setting Out Board | Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Guess Who Game

    • Cleaning & Organizing
          • Cleaning Checklist - Free Printable
          • The Only Cleaning Checklist You’ll Ever Need

          • DIY Floating Spice Rack | Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Floating Spice Rack

          • 30 Day Spring Clean Checklist - Little House On The Corner
          • 30 Day Spring Clean Challenge

    • Holidays & Festivities
          • DIY Giant Star and Snowflake Light | Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Giant Star and Snowflake Light

          • Free Halloween Printable Book Covers
          • Halloween Book Covers (Free Printable!)

          • Gingerbread style paper advent calendar village - Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Printable Advent Calendar Village

  • House Tour
        • Our Edwardian House
        • Our Edwardian House (1st Home)
        • Our Berlin City Centre Apartment
        • Our Berlin City Centre Apartment (2nd Home)
        • Take The Tour | Our Art Nouveau Apartment | Little House On The Corner
        • Our Berlin Art Nouveau Apartment (3rd Home)
        • berlin riverside apartment house tour
        • Our Berlin Riverside Apartment (4th Home)
  • Shop
    • The Little Corner Shop
    • Shop Our First Home
    • Shop Our Current Home
    • Our Favourite Amazon Finds

The Doors

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Ever since having our doors dipped a few weeks ago, we’ve been trying to decide on what to do with them now.

Stripping Period Doors

We’d always planned on painting all woodwork in the house white, but after seeing the amazing transformation from yucky and chipped paint to clean and natural wood, we’ve been struggling to decide on what to do. Having already stripped, sanded and more importantly repainted our bathroom and living room doors, keeping them natural would probably mean having to strip those two doors again.

Edwardian Door Before and After

Needless to say, it’s not really something that we’d be keen on doing again! But, after a few weeks of trying to decide, we have finally made a decision!

Because we love the contrast between the white-painted frames and the wood we’re keeping the natural wood doors!

Stripping Period Doors

Were really happy to have finally made a decision, but to actually get the doors to a state that we can call finished, a bit more work is required.

At the moment, it seems like every DIY job around here that we decide to tackle involves the same first step – sanding! I can’t tell you how sick of sanding I am, but at least having the doors dipped removed most of the paint and gunk so that not too much work is involved.

If you’re thinking of refinishing or restoring your doors, this our guide on how to wax wooden doors:

How To Wax Wooden Doors
This post contains affiliate links. We only recommend products we love and think that you will, too! Read our full disclaimer here.

1. Preparation

Like any surface that you are going to treat or paint, preparation is the most important step. We took our doors to be dipped, which was amazing and saved us a load of stripping work, but there were still a few little areas of old paint that needed sanding away.

Stripping Period Doors

You can use fairly coarse sandpaper for this (we used 80 grit) as you will have to sand them again later.

2. More Preparation

Now that the surface is stripped and clean, it’s time to get out the filler.

Compi

It’s tough to find a perfect filler match, but as long as it’s close and you don’t have any major holes to fill, it won’t be too visible when you are finished. Fill all holes (we had loads because our doors had been boarded up) and then give the door another sand (it’s the last time you have to, promise) with some fine sandpaper (we used 160 grit sandpaper on a palm sander).

Sanded Door

3. Waxing

Remove all of the dust from sanding and make sure your surface is completely clean. Now you can break out the wax!

How To Wax A Door

Using a soft cloth, scoop up some of the wax and start to massage it into the wood in a circular motion. Wait a few minutes to let it dry and then, using a clean rag, start to buff the door moving along the grain of the wood. The more you buff it, the shinier it’ll be.

Although we chose a clear wax (this is the wax that we used and loved), it actually changed the colour of the wood quite a lot. At first, the waxed area seemed a lot darker, but actually, it wasn’t really darker (and it also seemed to dry a bit lighter), it was more that it brought out the colour and grain of the wood.

How To Wax A Door

That’s all there is to it. Each door probably took about 2,5 hours to sand, fill and wax which made it a really quick and easy DIY job to do. It was also so much quicker than painting them and didn’t require a load of drying time between coats of paint either.

One of the things that we love most about the doors – and you’ll just have to trust us on this – is how amazingly smooth they now feel! Of course, they were smooth after sanding, but even after applying the first coat of wax (and without much buffing) the finish is sooo amazingly smooth. It almost feels like a high gloss varnished surface.

How To Wax A Door

Is it slightly sad, but they feel so amazing that we can’t walk past them without stroking them! Yep, we get excited about stroking our doors… maybe we should get out more…

How To Wax A Door

Admittedly, the visible difference between the waxed and unwaxed door is very subtle in the photos, but in real life, the overall appearance is smoother, more polished and generally, the doors feel finished – having doorknobs again kind of helps, too!

Looking right back to the way our doors and hallway looked on the day we moved in you can definitely see a bit more of a difference.

How To Wax A Door

Considering it’s the same door, it’s really not a bad transformation!

Do you think we made the right choice in keeping doors natural looking? Or do you think we should have painted them?

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Christine 43 Comments

the PAST
the FUTURE

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Sign up with your email address for secret projects, DIY advice & lots of fun!

Privacy Policy

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Norma says

    11/07/2022 at 14:22

    We have mostly new pine doors from Home Depot and hope to achieve a natural waxed pine look. Your tutorial is most helpful. Now we just need to get going on the project. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Christine says

      12/07/2022 at 19:30

      So glad you found the post helpful, Norma! Have fun waxing your new doors.
      Cx

      Reply
  2. Kate says

    11/02/2022 at 09:15

    Hiya! Just one quick question. How far did one of jar of wax go? How many coats did it do? I am imagining one jar per door, to do two coast- am I wildly wrong on this?? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Christine says

      11/02/2022 at 14:05

      I can’t remember exactly but you’ll definitely be able to do more than a door per jar, Kate. I’d guess you should be roughly able to do 3 doors per jar with about 2-3 coats of wax. You’ll find that you use quite a lot of wax on the first coat but a lot less for the next ones.
      Cx

      Reply
      • Kate says

        11/02/2022 at 16:57

        Thank you so much- so helpful!

        Reply
  3. Amt Mason says

    21/04/2021 at 20:58

    Your door looks beautiful. I’ve moved into a house where all the internal doors have been dipped and stripped. Unfortunately virtually every door has a panel that has split from drying out. Gutted. I don’t think they were treated with anything after stripping, Do you think I should bother waxing them?

    Reply
    • Christine says

      22/04/2021 at 05:09

      Thank you, Amt! That’s such a shame about your doors! What you do with them really depends on how much the split bothers you. If you are planning on keeping them, I would definitely recommend treating them, though. Waxing them doesn’t take long and a pot of wax doesn’t cost much. It’ll probably make the doors look better as it’ll bring out the colour and grain of the wood but more importantly, it’ll make it much easier to keep the doors clean.
      Hope that helps and good luck with your doors!
      Cx

      Reply
  4. Dan says

    02/03/2020 at 22:53

    Hi there, love the doors and have bought the same wax for my 100 year old stripped doors. Out of interest, how many coats of wax did you use on each door?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Christine says

      03/03/2020 at 08:58

      I applied two to three coats of wax on each door. You’ll find that the first coat uses a lot of wax as the timber seems to soak it up but the second coat will use a lot less.
      Happy waxing, Dan! :)
      Cx

      Reply
  5. Tim Royle says

    14/10/2019 at 12:47

    Hi,
    Look ace-why would anyone cover up or get rid of doors like these. Taken us a while to find reclaimed doors, but found two so far, sanded and looking good. The person we bought them from recommended Bri-wax, but he said clear wax can leave white marks on the grain and door, did you have such problems with the wax you used? Love the site by the way.

    Reply
    • Christine says

      14/10/2019 at 21:55

      It’s so weird what people used to do (and still do!) for trends. I can’t tell you how pleased we were to at least find the original doors under the boards! We didn’t have any problems with the wax we used. I waxed almost all of our doors with the same wax and none of them had any white marks.
      Hope that helps and good luck finding and restoring your doors, Tim!
      Cx

      Reply
  6. Joseph says

    20/09/2018 at 14:52

    I don’t suppose you have any advice on removing the nails?

    We have 15 doors the same as yours and really hoping you have a tip on removing the nails. Some of them dont even have heads and snap off.

    Thanks and your doors look amazing

    Reply
    • Christine says

      20/09/2018 at 16:32

      Thank you, Joseph! I’m afraid I don’t have any time-saving tips – just pull them out with some pliers (it doesn’t matter if they have a head or not). I know it’s a pain but it’s really the only way to do it.
      Good luck!
      Cx

      Reply
  7. keith thompson says

    04/04/2018 at 04:51

    Hi LHOTC,
    really love your blog as a now single guy trying to get his 1896 flat in Edinburgh updated. I have been following your stpping the skirting boards blog post which is great btw, and getting some equipment as per your own.

    I love also your switch covers, the silver ones with the white insets could you please let me know what they are / where you got them from ?

    all the best in Berlin,
    Danke,
    Best, Keith

    Reply
    • Christine says

      04/04/2018 at 08:19

      How exciting, Keith, I love the architecture in Edinburgh!
      I hate seeing screws and other fixings which is part of the reason I loved our switches and sockets. These are the ones we used throughout the house: http://www.gil-lec.co.uk/switches-sockets/screwless-flatplates/hamilton-sheer-cfx/. Ours are stainless steel with white inserts.
      Good luck with your renovation!
      Cx

      Reply
  8. Audrey McDonald says

    30/08/2017 at 09:33

    Love this! I’m stripping old dark varnish off doors but had to use paint stripper as couldn’t get them dipped anywhere as they have glass panes. This gives me hope it will be worth it. They look amazing. I have doors upstairs that a friend thinks have been boarded up like yours but I don’t know how to check. What did you do?

    Reply
    • Christine says

      30/08/2017 at 10:01

      It’ll definitely be worth it, Audrey! I’d double check about having them stripped though. You may be able to remove the glass and then take them to be dipped.
      Ours were very clearly boarded up (it had been badly done) so easy to see. Here are some tips to see if yours have been.
      1. If you knock on the door are there sections that sound hollow?
      2. Is there a central, raised part of the door with a slightly lower edge around (sometimes they boarded up doors but didn’t use a board the exact size of the door)?
      3. If you look at the edge of the door can you see a groove in the paint? Or see that the door is thicker than the other doors? This could be the board layer.
      4. If you’re stripping them anyway, why not just have a test strip on one of the doors you think are boarded up? Maybe you’ll be able to see more!
      Hope that makes sense!
      Cx
      PS. Don’t forget to check for lead paint!

      Reply
  9. Ameer says

    11/11/2016 at 00:03

    What did you use to fill the holes? I have been using the sanding dust from the pine doors and mixed with Wood glue and water. I found the colour of course is the closest you can get. I have around 10 doors to sand and then i am oiling with Osmo Raw oil, as that does not darken the wood too much.

    Reply
    • Christine says

      11/11/2016 at 08:52

      We used a wood filler that we colour matched as closely as possible. The best way to fill holes is your method, though! It’s the only way you’ll get the colour to match (almost) perfectly and if you’re planning on staining the door (or whatever it is your filling) the sawdust/glue mixture is more likely to take on the same colour as the rest of the wood, too.
      Good luck with all of your doors – I’m sure all of your hard work will pay off!
      Cx

      Reply
  10. Gerry says

    28/10/2016 at 11:15

    Nice to see you fitted the knobs in the right place. What was wrong with the 1960s?!?

    Reply
    • Christine says

      28/10/2016 at 11:21

      We were really lucky to still have the original doors so of course, we’d put back the knobs where they belong! We also would have been left with a huge hole where the knob should be if we hadn’t so it really was an easy decision! :)
      Cx

      Reply
  11. Jan says

    05/11/2014 at 05:42

    Thank you Pete. Your advice has certainly helped prior to starting to wax my doors. I have an original door which was dipped by the previous owners while the others are new and need some protection. A friend recommended applying a wax treatment. I’m going to see how much the clear wax changes the colour by applying to the top of the door, where it doesn’t show , first. Do you know if you can get paint on wax?
    J x

    Reply
    • Christine says

      05/11/2014 at 22:03

      I’ve never heard of paint on wax, but the normal stuff works fine and is so easy and quick to apply! The wax definitely changes the colour of the wood and it’ll look a bit darker than before, but it will also accentuate the texture and grain of the wood.
      Good luck with your doors!
      Cx

      Reply
  12. Pete says

    02/05/2014 at 08:37

    Hi,

    Love your blog as you’ve done some very similar work to what I am undertaking

    We have 5 Douglass Fir doors which were also over boarded and have now been dipped.

    It’s there any particular wax you used? Haven’t been to buy this yet and wondered if you had any decisions to make on this front…

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Christine says

      02/05/2014 at 11:07

      Thanks, Pete! We already had some wax lying around from previous projects and were happy with it. It was easy to use and apply. This is the wax we use.
      Good luck with your doors.
      Cx

      Reply
  13. Lindy says

    13/03/2014 at 22:20

    doors are looking amazing- we had our doors stripped too. Just need to sand and wax now…

    Reply
    • Christine says

      13/03/2014 at 23:03

      Thanks, Lindy! Sanding and waxing was much less work than expected. Good luck!
      Cx

      Reply
  14. Owen says

    11/03/2014 at 15:21

    Looks good.
    Where are your door knobs from? I like them.
    O

    Reply
    • Christine says

      11/03/2014 at 15:27

      Thanks Owen! The door knobs are Delamain plain mortice knobs in satin.
      Cx

      Reply
  15. KarenAnita says

    10/03/2014 at 21:55

    You’ve done such a good job! ~They look like brand new doors. Ours are really similar to your “Before” pictures which makes me wonder what could be underneath ours :) x

    Reply
    • Christine says

      10/03/2014 at 22:00

      Thanks Karen! Up close you can tell that they are still the originals because of all of the dents and filled holes, but they are over 100 years old and it kind of adds character.
      I’d be so tempted to see what’s under your doors. Are they boarded up? Thinking you should remove any covers…now! ;-)
      Cx

      Reply
  16. Laura says

    10/03/2014 at 20:02

    I got my doors backed from being dipped a few hours ago and I’ve spent quite a bit of time since then stroking and admiring them so I don’t think it’s strange! I can’t decide what to do either but yours look fantastic waxed.

    Reply
    • Christine says

      10/03/2014 at 20:44

      Glad to hear it, Laura! If you like the natural look, we’d definitely recommend waxing the doors. It was so easy to doo and it was much cheaper and quicker than painting them
      Cx

      Reply
  17. mary says

    10/03/2014 at 18:21

    You made the right choice, they look perfect!

    Reply
    • Christine says

      10/03/2014 at 19:00

      Aww, thanks Mary!
      Cx

      Reply
  18. Darrell says

    10/03/2014 at 15:06

    I think you definitely made the right call. So what did you do with the inside of the bathroom door? Did you leave that painted or did you use something to seal it?

    Reply
    • Christine says

      10/03/2014 at 18:58

      Thanks, Darrell! At the moment the bathroom door is painted inside and out. Having decided to keep the doors natural, we will eventually take it to be stripped, too. We didn’t bother using a particular paint or seal and up till now the door has been holding up great. As the doors are the original 100 year old doors, we figured that if the bathroom door held up till now, it’ll be fine with just a coat of paint or wax in the future, too.
      Cx

      Reply
  19. Jessica@CapeofDreams says

    10/03/2014 at 13:39

    They look great! I would be petting them too. In fact, I have been petting my cabinets! You made a great decision since it was so much less work. You can always paint them later if you change your mind.

    Reply
    • Christine says

      10/03/2014 at 18:55

      Thanks, Jessica! Glad I’m not the only one who finds stroking furniture and doors completely normal!
      Cx

      Reply
  20. Julia says

    10/03/2014 at 13:32

    your doors are fantastic, well done to you both.

    Reply
    • Christine says

      10/03/2014 at 18:54

      Thanks, Julia – it was really easy to do, but very effective.
      Cx

      Reply
  21. Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse says

    10/03/2014 at 12:15

    It was a excellent idea, they look so perfect, I’d stroke them to if I were there!

    Reply
    • Christine says

      10/03/2014 at 18:52

      Thanks Magali! Glad you like them!
      Cx

      Reply
Painting Checklist

Our Favourite Tools

*Contains Affiliate Links*

Things To Know

ABOUT US

CONTACT US

DISCLAIMER

Privacy Policy

Shop Our Home!

OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS

SHOP OUR HOME

Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Please read our full disclaimer here!

Let’s Be Friends!

Keep Up To Date!

Subscribe for exclusive content and tutorials!

Thank you!

Copyright © 2023 · Little House On The Corner · This Website is powered by Cloudways and the Genesis Framework