How to update an old white interior door. How to restore interior doors? Restoration of solid wood doors using MDF panels

Even in those apartments where renovations have already been carried out, there are old, time-worn interior doors with minor defects or significant damage. Scuffs and scratches give a completely unaesthetic appearance to the interior of the room. There would seem to be only one way out - to update the door. However, buying a new product is often an expensive endeavor. Therefore, it is competent restoration that will help to get out of the current situation quite adequately.

Subtleties of the process

Old or damaged interior doors are subject to restoration. The cause of mechanical damage can be, for example, a fire. High humidity can also negatively affect wooden panels. Mechanical damage often occurs after opening the doors using improvised tools. When restoring a product, it may involve replacing the door leaf, updating the door jambs, painting or tinting the surface.

To restore functionality, it is often necessary to update the fittings or locks. In case of minor damage to interior doors, restoration work can be done with your own hands.

It is better to entrust the repair of original doors to a specialist in this field. The work should also be left to a professional if the restoration requires replacing the door frame or repairing the entire door frame.

For your information, some advantages and features of restoration of interior doors are presented:

• It is more profitable to repair doors made of solid wood, bringing them into proper and working condition, rather than spending your budget on a new product.
• They update an old door when changing the interior style of the house. The procedure is carried out even when the canvas is still in excellent condition and does not yet need to be replaced.
• Restoration of old wooden structures is carried out when the door leaf and door frame are handmade and have a unique ornament and texture.
• Decorating the surface of the doors with your own hands will allow you to create a unique product that will harmoniously decorate the entire interior.

• An interior door must be repaired when replacing the door may compromise the integrity of the opening or wall cladding.
• Due to the non-standard size of the old door, it is better to carry out restoration work than to carry out a labor-intensive replacement of the product.
• Restoration is convenient, since replacing a product is often accompanied by replacing the entire door frame. This procedure will definitely create the need to seal the resulting cracks, plastering and gluing wallpaper around the doorway.

To work independently you will need a lot of free time. Step-by-step implementation of all procedures will be the key to successful restoration of the door leaf.

The successful use of techniques for restoring a product, first of all, depends on the characteristics and properties of the door leaf material.

Materials

Previously, interior doors were made exclusively from solid natural wood. Currently, door panels include polymers and glass. The surface can be coated with high-quality varnish or laminated. Oak doors or beech products are premium door leaves that have an elegant natural texture and come in a variety of shades.

Increased strength and durability make such interior products desirable and practical. Only the price due to these advantages is very high. Carrying out work on restoration of products much more economical than replacing the entire canvas.

The most popular material in the manufacture of canvases is fiberboard. Methods for restoring such doors differ from restoration work on products made from solid natural wood. To remove a layer of old paint from the surface of a fiberboard product, an iron and a hair dryer are used. Considering the fine structure of the surface of the product, grinding work is carried out only using fine sandpaper.

Using finishing elements, slightly changing the surface relief, you can get an analogue of paneled fabric. Expensive models consist of dense tile material. The quality of the surface finish of the product determines the cost of the product.

Innovative veneer veneers are often used. The basis of the door will be inexpensive pine material, lumber or particle boards. Under the influence of temporary changes, veneered products may lose the integrity of the top layer. To restore such doors, special wood glue is required. When using glue You must also take into account the favorable temperature conditions and avoid humidity. Violation of this regime can negatively affect the veneer surface, which leads to swelling and peeling of the material.

The use of metal structures in the house is not for everyone. Iron doors also tend to wear out, unless, of course, they are armored products. Even on high-quality canvases, over time, the external finish deteriorates, locks break, and fittings fall apart. Long-term operation significantly affects the appearance and design mechanism of such doors. In iron interior structures, aluminum or stainless steel is mainly used. Metal parts are successfully combined with other materials.

If you purchase a new door, high-quality metal products are expensive. Therefore, it will be much more profitable to repair the old door. Based on the experience of professionals, it can be noted that any type of metal door can be restored. Professionals can replace hinges, handles and locks in accordance with the color scheme of the door leaf to be restored.

Options for different models

One can confidently classify the “Stalinist” door as an antique. Indoor products from this era are usually double-leaf, often with glass inserts. In the “Stalin” style, the products are heavy and bulky, which makes restoration work a little difficult. A professional craftsman can easily select modern material for their cladding, the necessary fittings and type of decoration.

Door leaves and the surface of historical “Stalinist” doors are usually wooden. If the cause of damage is not mechanical impact, then abrasions are the influence of time. Restored wooden doors should have an aesthetic appearance. Craftsmen will help you choose the main material and finishing material, giving a laconic look to antique doors.

In an apartment with an atmosphere of Provencal or Scandinavian interior style, the restoration of doors is also decorative. Finishing with patina and painting will turn an ordinary old white door into a stylish decorative element. The presence of frames and crossbars characterize a prefabricated interior door, which is also called paneled. For example, panels can be in the form of MDF sheets or glass inserts. This way it is possible to create figured elements and make the appearance of the canvas quite interesting. Restoration of paneled doors implies preservation of existing reliefs or complete replacement of the surface of the product.

This option is suitable for offices, bathrooms and toilets, balconies and other rooms with high humidity. Economical and moisture-resistant models are indispensable for such premises.

Glass is often used as an insert; there are also options for completely transparent doors for the newfangled living room interior, for example. Only types of glass sheets with special textures are used. For safety reasons, the material must have a protective film and not form sharp fragments when broken, which is also taken into account when restoring such paintings.

How and with what you can update: ideas

Various materials are used to repair and decorate an old or damaged door. The color design of the material provided is also varied. It is better to entrust complex work on restoring the door and decorating the surface to a specialist in this field. It is possible to eliminate minor scratches and simple work on decorating an old surface yourself.

An easy way to update a door is surface painting. Anyone can paint a surface. Both for painting and for other types of restoration, you first need to prepare the surface of the product. Cleaning and freeing the surface from the old coating will be the first step in restoring the product. Fine-grained sandpaper will perfectly remove old paint. Afterwards, small cracks and scratches are covered, then the type of coating and decorative elements are selected.

Acrylic paint is recommended for painting in one color. In the case of restoration of a wooden door, paint and varnish are selected specifically for wood work.

Painting in several colors is a more complex process. To do this, using masking tapes, different shapes are created on the decorated surface. After applying paint over the created painting, an interesting geometric pattern is obtained. Different colors can be created by adding dyes to a white base. The existing method of surface tinting will help create the effect of the presence of the most expensive types of wood in the composition of the canvas.

Special tinting impregnations - stains - will give the wood any desired color. As a rule, these are the tones of elite tree species. Due to this, the pine covering can be given a visual resemblance to walnut. Of course, it will only be external. Such properties as moisture resistance and resistance to rotting are not acquired in this process.

When painting, you also take into account the fact that wood tends to absorb paint a little during processing. Therefore, it will be necessary to apply another layer.

When working with paint, you can create not only plain doors, but also entire compositions. Designers will be able to recreate any design based on an original sketch if they apply it through a stencil. It is also better to entrust the idea of ​​restoration in the form of artistic painting to professionals, since it is impossible to do without artistic skills. Additionally, you can deal with protruding parts, that is, moldings. They also dye. For an original effect, they can be decorated in a contrasting tone.

In the case where the door is smooth, without relief or moldings, you can use an ornament to imitate their presence or stick on polyurethane carved slats. The slats must first be painted in the desired color.

The next stage of finishing is decorating the doors with wallpaper and fabric. In this case, there are no special restrictions, since almost any images and materials of different textures can be glued to the door. First of all, you can pay attention to photo wallpapers, which are presented in abundance in specialized stores. Any paper materials, as well as standard wallpaper, can also be useful.

It is necessary to ensure that the material is not too transparent. Otherwise, glue or hidden reliefs will appear. At the end of the installation using wallpaper, fabric or paper, it is recommended to apply a layer of varnish. This coating will protect the door surface.

Many models of interior doors have inserted glass, which is why stained glass design is very popular. Special stained glass paint is used to apply patterns and ornaments to the glass surface. For independent work, materials for painting and stained glass work can be purchased at any specialty store. Drawings can be transferred to glass by sandblasting the surface. A specialized workshop will be able to simply perform such work.

Pasting vinyl stickers as a way to decorate and restore a product is one of the simplest procedures. Vinyl door decals are sold almost everywhere. The protective coating can be easily removed. Without preliminary preparation, the film is glued to the door leaf. After finishing the work, the protective film on the outside is also removed. It is worth considering that vinyl stickers can even be painted.

The decoupage technique is also easy to perform and makes it possible to hide minor defects. In the process of this finishing, pieces of material, paper, napkins are collected into a single semantic picture, glued to the surface and covered with varnish.

The finishing option by building a picture from a mosaic is original and inexpensive; in the process, fragments of ceramics, glass, wood, and veneer are used. In addition to standard methods of restoring interior doors, you can use an extraordinary design method. Doors are renewed using various bulk materials. When pasting the surface with cereals, such as rice or buckwheat, you will get an exclusive and original work.

To secure the grains, you can purchase PVA glue. After complete drying, it is recommended to varnish the surface several times to protect it from moisture. Considering that the consistency of the cereal is dry, does not rot or deteriorate, and the varnish coating preserves the composition from moisture, there is no doubt about the durability of this design.

Restoration workshops

Minor damage can be repaired on your own and at home. To do this, it is necessary to properly prepare tools and materials for restoration. The stages of work are as follows:

• At the initial stage the door must be carefully prepared. To do this, the characteristics of the manufacturing material are taken into account. Basically, wooden products are subject to wear and tear. If the interior doors are covered with veneer, to work with the surface of the door leaf, you need to purchase wax that is soft in consistency, as well as a special varnish and a tool in the form of a spatula. For wooden products it is necessary to use hard wax and rough sandpaper.

• Before starting work it is necessary Carefully remove the door from its hinges, fittings and locking device. If there are glass inserts, then they must also be removed, since all fasteners will be dismantled. It is better to carry out restoration work on the door indoors with sufficient lighting. Before placing the product in the workplace, it is necessary to protect the floor covering, as there is a risk of its damage, since the paint from the damaged product will be removed under the hot air flow from the hair dryer.

• From the surface of the door it is necessary remove dirt by washing it with soapy water. Afterwards the door is inspected for the presence of significant defects. Small scratches can be filled with putty. Next, the wooden canvas is wrapped in a flannel rag. The process begins by grinding the surface and removing excess wax using solvents. Next, it is recommended to varnish the surface.

• In any case, when working on the restoration of a door with a painted surface the old coating must be thoroughly cleaned. Doing this with your own hands is much easier than it might seem, since the only necessary tools for the job are a spatula and a hair dryer. The latter does not have to be purchased; currently it can be purchased for rent. If doors are decorated in the future, you should remember the trim and door frame. They also need to be finished to match the color of the door itself.

• After paint removal the surface is examined for scratches and other damage, they can be sealed with both putty and specialized wood putties. The final stage of preliminary preparation is sanding and sanding the surface with sandpaper. In order to protect the door from moisture, the sealed surface is treated with drying oil. Ordinary stain also has this property, which, in addition to protection, will give the surface a natural color.

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 pins, 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.

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There are probably still samples left in apartments and country houses. Their appearance leaves much to be desired, but the owner of the home may simply not have the money to replace the old structure with a new one. In this case, you should not refuse repairs, because it is always possible to update old doors. From our article, readers will be able to learn how to update an old one, giving it a beautiful and modern look, and without spending a lot of money.

Preparing the door surface for renovation

Anyone can make an old door beautiful. This procedure requires only a little patience and labor. The first stage of work consists of preliminary preparations for restoration.

So that in the process of repairing an old door structure you do not have to scatter your efforts over trifles, think about preparing the surface in advance. To update you will need the following materials:

• Acrylic paint;
• Sandpaper (for sanding wooden surfaces);
• Putty;
• Acrylic varnish;
• The film is self-adhesive.

So, new finishing of old doors begins with preparing the wooden surface. The main advantage of the work being performed is that all the actions are done with your own hands, which means that you do not need to pay for the services of craftsmen, who are not cheap. The preparatory stage before starting the restoration of the old door structure is carried out sequentially:

• First, remove it and place it on a clean and level surface. Immediately try to remove all fittings and glazing beads so that nothing interferes with you during preparation.
• Before installing new ones, remove the old coating first. For these purposes, the thermal method is best suited, which involves heating the painted surface with hot air produced by a hair dryer. When exposed to dry and hot air, the paint on a wooden surface begins to bubble and peel. Now it can be easily removed with a spatula.

Advice. If the paint is old or applied in several layers, then it is unlikely to be removed in one go. After removing the base paint with a spatula, reheat the surface of the door leaf in those places where peeling of the paint and varnish composition has not occurred. After this, take the spatula again and remove the remaining paint. If the composition remains in the recesses and grooves of the door, remove it from there with a triangular spatula or the sharp corner of a regular spatula.

• The paint is completely cleaned, and now, armed with sandpaper, sand the old wooden door thoroughly. To make the plane smooth and make it more convenient to work, first secure the sandpaper on a flat rectangular block of wood.
• To improve the quality of sanding, use coarse-grit sandpaper at the very beginning, then medium-grit material, and finally fine-grain paper (to polish the sanded surface).

It should be remembered that the polished and sanded surface of the door leaf cannot be immediately coated with a new layer of paint. The fact is that there may be cracks and small scratches on it, which should first be removed with putty.

• It is not difficult to purchase wood putty in a retail network. By the way, you can make it yourself. For this purpose, simply mix small sawdust with PVA glue.
• Fill all the unevenness on the old door with the prepared putty composition using a spatula.
• After puttying, let the compound dry, and then sand the door leaf with sandpaper in accordance with the scheme described above. As a result, you should have a perfectly flat and smooth surface.
• The last stage of preparatory work is applying a layer of drying oil. Its shade may be slightly darker than the color of the wood. Drying oil will become a reliable basis for further application of paints and varnishes.

Options for restoring old doors

Having decided to update the appearance of an old door, be prepared to choose the optimal restoration method. This procedure can be performed in several ways, using various materials.

Coloring

You can turn an old door into a new one by painting it. This option is used most often, and its essence is to apply a paint and varnish composition to the door leaf. Usually, to do this kind of work with your own hands, you use a roller or a spray gun. The brush is used only for good painting of hard-to-reach places. When choosing a roller, we recommend giving preference to pile models, since foam rollers wear out very quickly.

Veneer finishing

Finishing old doors with veneer is a longer and more labor-intensive process compared to the technology of wallpapering or painting. Finishing work using veneer is carried out in the following sequence:

• Prepare the canvas in accordance with the technology described above;
• Now prepare mock-ups of the veneer parts using tracing paper or old newspapers for this purpose;
• Carefully try on all prepared elements, applying them to the surface of the door;
• transfer paper models onto veneer, and then cut out parts from it to decorate old wooden doors;
• Try the veneer elements on a wooden plane, then apply a thin layer of glue to the surface of the door and the veneer part;
• Attach the cut out part to the canvas, aligning the glue-coated surfaces, and press firmly. Smooth the plane starting from the middle of the part, moving towards the edges. We recommend using a slightly heated iron for this purpose;
• To extend the life of such a decorative coating, coat the top of the veneer with wax.

Pasting with wallpaper or vinyl

If the old door has glass elements, they can be replaced with plywood inserts, making the entire structure solid and opaque.

To use wallpaper or vinyl, follow this sequential pattern:

1. To secure decorative elements, use PVA glue. It is better to prepare the adhesive composition in advance. If you choose wallpaper to decorate an old door leaf, then it is better to give preference to washable models. They are easy to care for and get dirty less often. Such material will significantly extend the service life of the door plane.
2. Cover the surface of the canvas with a layer of glue prepared in advance, and then press the decorative element onto it with force. Just try the wallpaper dry first to accurately measure some of the material.
3. When pressing the wallpaper onto the glue-treated surface, try to smooth the material thoroughly, removing all the air from underneath it. This approach will eliminate the possibility of bubbles forming on the decorative surface.

Features of restoring modern hardboard doors

The repair of doors made from modern hardboard material is done somewhat differently. For this procedure you will need to purchase self-adhesive film. The doors themselves are also removed from their hinges and carefully inspected before the restoration begins. Before filling cracks, be sure to degrease the surface. Only after completing this procedure can you apply varnish or coloring composition to the hardboard canvas.

I would like to pay special attention to the self-adhesive film. It comes in different qualities, with varying degrees of transparency. Naturally, more expensive material will be better.

Cut the purchased film to the size of the door leaf, and then carefully stick the material along the entire perimeter of the restored door structure. It is recommended to smooth the already pasted material with a towel to prevent the appearance of bubbles and ensure uniform fixation over the entire surface. Smooth the self-adhesive film from the middle to the edges. If it happens that bubbles still appear on the surface of the pasted film, they can be easily removed with a needle. A door leaf covered with such a film material will have an impeccable and beautiful appearance. After securing it, the door can be installed and the fittings can be secured to it.

Now you know that a new door leaf can be made from old ones. This will make it possible to modernize the interior of the house, but also save on repairs, purchase and installation of a new door.

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 finish

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 begin to work 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).

Do-it-yourself door restoration allows you to update your interior without investment. Doors made from solid wood are especially easy to restore. In fact, there are many ways to update a door, returning it to its attractive appearance. Restoration of doors can be carried out efficiently with your own hands, but for this you need to properly carry out the preparatory work.

DIY restoration of old interior doors

With prolonged use, many defects appear on interior doors. The most common breakdowns include:

• damage and falling off of platbands;
• cracks;
• fractures;
• detachment;
• mashing;
• breakdown of fittings;
• peeling off the panel;
• broken glass;
• creak.

The most difficult to correct is the curvature of the multilayer fabric. Such a defect often appears due to the material being saturated with water. In addition, a similar problem may arise as a result of technical irregularities during production. Doors made of fiberboard and MDF often suffer from such a defect. It is not always possible to restore a door made of these materials in the presence of severe deformation and delamination.

In some cases, it is much easier to make an effort and update interior doors than to change them. Restoration should be carried out if:

• non-standard sizes;
• there is a risk of damage to the wall cladding and the integrity of the opening;
• there is an ornament and texture of the canvas;
• there are no fatal defects.

You should not try to refresh the appearance of interior doors if their leaf or frame is severely cracked, dry, or the integrity of the structure has been compromised. If there are severe deformations and distortions of the elements, restoration is impossible. Doors made from such cheap materials as MFD, chipboard, etc. are difficult to restore. If delamination or swelling of the canvas occurs due to the influence of moisture, it will not be possible to eliminate such defects. Restoring veneer doors is especially problematic.

Preparing for recovery

Before proceeding directly to restoration, you should prepare the tools and materials that may be required during the work. These include:

• set of spatulas;
• screwdrivers;
• electric drill;
• pliers;
• sandpaper;
• construction hair dryer;
• gas-burner;
• chemical solvents;
• electric grinder;
• carpenter's knife;
• chisel;
• varnish or stain;
• hammer and nails;
• flute brush;
• roller;
• glazing beads;
• primer;
• wood paint;
• putty;
• antiseptic impregnation.

The set of necessary tools depends on the nature of the existing defects. To renew a wooden door, it is often necessary to carry out more work than planned because many defects cannot be hidden with paint. To improve the decorative characteristics, you can use vinyl stickers, photo wallpapers, stencils, overhead facades and other materials.

We remove the canvas from the hinges, free it from the handle and awnings

To facilitate restoration work, it is advisable to remove the canvas from its hinges and place it on a flat horizontal surface. Removing the canvas is not difficult, but it is advisable to use the help of another person who can support the canvas if necessary. If the hinges are not painted, you can remove the retaining pins from them.

However, if the hinges have been painted many times or are designed in such a way that the retaining pins cannot be removed, another method may be used. First, the paint is removed from the loops where they are attached to the luda. After this, to remove the canvas, you should open and unscrew all the screws securing the hinges.

The removed canvas must be placed on a flat surface and the places where the handles are attached with self-tapping screws must be freed from paint. They need to be unscrewed. If the hinges and handles that have already been unscrewed are not removed after removing the screws, the problem may be due to adhered paint. In this case, you can use a chisel and a hammer.

Disassembling a paneled door leaf

Most types of doors have a paneled structure, that is, their leaf includes frames, crossbars, inserts of shaped elements or glass. Such inserts complicate the repair process. To improve old interior doors of this type, you often have to completely disassemble them.

First you need to inspect the canvas and identify the location of the tongues connecting the individual elements. In most cases, they are located at the corners of the jumpers. After this, the tongues should be drilled out with a drill. To separate structural elements, it is better to use a wooden mallet. After this, work is carried out to restore individual elements. In some cases, you can do without parsing.

Restoring the geometry of the canvas and strengthening it

When the question arises of how to restore an old door, you need to pay attention to the preservation of its correct geometric parameters, since wood can swell during operation due to exposure to moisture. Poor closure may indicate such a problem. It is almost impossible to repair an MDF door that has been subjected to similar impacts. However, if the canvas is made of solid wood, it must be carefully planed from the ends.

Ways to remove old paint

To update wooden interior doors coated with varnish or paint, the decorative coating must be removed. Solvents are often used to remove old paint. A product such as B52 gives a good effect. Work must be carried out outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, since the vapors of such chemicals are extremely toxic and can cause poisoning.

The process of removing old paint using solvents takes some time. To remove the coating, the chemical is applied to a small area. After the paint has softened, scrape it off with a metal spatula.

Before updating old doors with your own hands, you can use thermal treatment to remove the paintwork. Most often, a gas burner or a hair dryer is used for this purpose. Under the influence of high temperatures, the paint comes off the wood and can later be easily removed with a spatula or scraper.

This method of removing layers of paint has its drawbacks. Often the decorative material peels off unevenly, so additional thorough cleaning of the surface with sandpaper of varying degrees of abrasiveness is required.

If you have a sander, it is best to use it. To carry out work on removing the old coating, it is best to take the canvas outside, since during this work there will be a lot of dust. Be sure to wear a protective mask and goggles.

If there are many layers of paint on the door, you should stock up on spare sanding wheels in advance, as they quickly become chipped and clogged with dust. Bend areas and corners must be cleaned with a chisel and sanded. Using this method of cleaning wood, you can quickly achieve the desired result. After removing the protective paint layer, you need to sand the surface.

Glass replacement

Glass replacement is carried out not only if it is damaged, but also when you want to update old interior doors. This stage of restoration has its own characteristics. It is easier to replace glass if they are fixed with glazing beads. They can be picked up with a spatula.

After this, you need to remove the nails with pliers. After removing the glass, you need to clean the bed with a knife and spatula. After this, measurements are taken. The glass should be 0.3 mm smaller than the frame. If desired, you can use an acrylic unbreakable mirror. You can insert both frosted and transparent glass. The opening must be treated with sealant. After this, the glass is inserted. It is fixed with glazing beads. Thin nails are used for fastening.

Door putty

The final stage of preparing the door for decoration is its putty. It allows you to eliminate existing irregularities and defects. To eliminate chips and cracks that often plague old wooden doors, you need to apply a small amount of diluted wood putty to a spatula, apply to the surface and leave to dry. If there are deep defects, you can repair them with a mixture of sawdust and wood glue.

It is advisable to fill large cracks with wood chips selected to size and treated with wood glue. This method of eliminating chips and cracks is difficult to perform, so it should not be used if you lack the skills. You need to let the putty and wood glue dry. The finished surface is carefully sanded with sandpaper. After this, you need to apply a primer and let it dry.

Designer decoration of old doors

There are many ways to update doors without changing them, allowing you to make its surface original. When decorating doors, you can use different materials and available materials. Door design is especially important for people who want to personalize the interior of their home.

Decorating a door with fabrics

Updating doors with fabric allows you to completely change its appearance. When decorating, you can use both plain pieces of fabric and small scraps of different colors. It is better to glue the fabric using Bustilat mastic. The composition should be applied to a piece of fabric and then glued to the surface. After this, it must be carefully leveled with a spatula. Additionally, you can glue sparkles, cords or baguette frames.

Decorating doors using decoupage technique

The decoupage technique can also be used to decorate doors. During the work you will need the following tools and materials:

• acrylic lacquer;
• napkins with a pattern;
• PVA glue;
• brush with natural bristles.

The canvas must first be coated with a primer and painted in the desired color. The napkins should be layered, separating the top layer with the pattern. After this, you need to tear it lengthwise into 3 parts. After this, they need to be glued to the surface of the PVA door. Gradually, the entire surface to be decorated is filled with napkins. After about a day, the drawing is opened with acrylic varnish.

Decorating a door with self-adhesive film

A simple method of updating doors is to use self-adhesive film. During the work you will need the following materials and tools:

• sharp knife;
• film;
• spray bottle with soapy water;
• soft cloth.

The self-adhesive film can only be attached to a clean, flat surface. After this, you need to spray the surface with water using a spray bottle. The protective layer should be removed from one corner of the film and glued. After this, gradually removing the protective part, you need to glue it across the entire width. In this case, you need to run a soft cloth over the surface to expel the air from under the film. When the top is glued, you need to gradually remove the protective shell and move down. Thus, you need to slowly tape the door with film to the very bottom.

Children's drawings, art painting

You can effectively decorate the door with children's drawings. If there are children in the house, you can ask them to draw pictures of any theme on the door leaf with acrylic paints. After this, the surface is opened with a water-based varnish. In addition, you can independently paint the surface with drawings of any complexity.

Lamination

There is a special laminate plastic available for lamination. It is glued to the base using a cold method. The only drawback of this method is the high cost of the laminate.

Wallpaper with moldings, photo wallpaper

Often, to update interior doors, wallpaper with moldings and photo wallpaper are used, on which, thanks to available technologies, three-dimensional images can be applied to special paper. It is not difficult to cover a simple canvas with photo wallpaper. First you need to apply glue to the canvas. After this, the photo wallpaper begins to stick from top to bottom. Bubbles must be removed with a rubber roller. The edges are trimmed with a wallpaper knife. You need to wait for the wallpaper to dry.

Painting, varnishing and staining

Often, when a door is being restored, preference is given to varnishes and paints. Before starting painting, it is necessary to seal the existing glass inserts with masking tape. It is better to use paint specifically designed for wood. It can be applied either with a spray gun or with a brush, making movements along the wood fibers. The painting process is carried out in 2 stages. First, a basic white coat of paint is applied. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that there are no leaks. The second layer is a tinting layer, so it can be any color.

If during the preparation process it was not necessary to seal large cracks, which entails the appearance of visible defects, you can use transparent varnishes, which will highlight the color and structure of the wood pattern. Before painting, the wood should be treated with stain. To renew old wooden doors with your own hands, the varnish can be applied either with a brush or with a spray gun. There should be no leaks. Often it is necessary to apply several layers of varnish. The stain is applied in a similar way.

Stencil painting

Using stencils, you can achieve a good decorative effect. First you need to paint the canvas in the desired color. After the base layer has dried, pre-prepared stencils of designs are attached to the surface. After this, the empty areas in the stencils are painted over. You need to make sure that the paint does not spread. Stencils can be removed after the paint has dried.

Veneering, door stickers

If desired, you can carry out veneering yourself with a special film. It is best to work together. First, the film should be fixed on the surface and then ironed with a hot iron. Water will adhere tightly to the surface under the influence of heat. When attaching the film, you need to make sure that there are no bubbles under it. There are special door stickers on sale that can be fixed using both hot and cold methods.