How to Refinish Rustic Doors

Remove the door from its hinges. Place it over sawhorses or on a flat worktable to prepare it for refinishing. Remove the hardware, and place painter's tape along the edges of any windows.

Sand away old paint or varnish from flat areas with an electric sander. Sand the door in the direction of the grain. Begin with 80-grit sandpaper, move to 100-grit, and finish 120-grit sandpaper. The higher the grit numbers, the finer grit of the sandpaper.

Scrape the paint or varnish from the moldings on the door. Use short, even strokes with a sharp paint scraper to remove the old finish.

Rub 100-grit sandpaper along the freshly scraped moldings and along tight corners and edges of the door.

Wipe the dust away with a tack cloth. The surface of the door needs to be clean for the varnish to adhere properly.

Paint the top, bottom and side edges of the doors. Let them dry for four to six hours. Place the door back on its hinges.

Apply the first coat of clear varnish to the front of the door. Paint the varnish along the direction of the grain beginning with the flat panels, move on to the moldings and finally the smaller sections next to a window.

Let the varnish dry overnight. Keep the door open if feasible; otherwise, wait as long as possible before closing the door.

Sand the door with fine 220-grit sandpaper. Stroke the door gently so you don’t sand through the varnish to the bare wood. Wipe with a tack cloth.

Paint the second coat of varnish on the door. Let it dry overnight. Sand with the fine-grit sandpaper again and apply a final coat. Let the door dry overnight.

Reattach the hardware and remove the painter's tape from the windows.