How to Fix an Interior Door

September 29th, 2008 — Clean, Doors, Handy Man, Refresh, Repair, Replace 

Interior doors are usually not made of the best materials, and even the nicest homes may have simple hollow core doors. Since these doors are in high use areas, they can frequently have issues, such as hinge wear, and even in many cases, holes where something fell against it. If your interior doors have seen better days, it’s time to get cracking and get them fixed.

First, let’s tackle the issue of hinges. It is a good idea to inspect all interior door hinges every year. Try picking a holiday like Memorial or Labor Day to make it easy to remember. They should be properly oiled during this time and you should check to make sure that all of the screws are present, tightened and that the hinges are not coming apart.

If you notice a few hinges that are loose, you’ll need to get an appropriate screwdriver and tighten them in. It may be necessary to get some help to make sure that this is done properly. Have a friend or family member push the door up and in until the hinge is flush with the wall. Tighten the screw and then ask them to release the door. This is the easiest way to make sure that a hinge is properly tightened.

For high traffic areas, wood stress is very common, especially in older homes. This occurs when a door is opened to swiftly or too hard, and over time, the wood starts to give way. After awhile, the hinge no longer has a strong anchor and it may come loose. You may need to rehang a door, especially if the wood is severely damaged. For a quick fix, insert a shim that is thicker than the screws for the hinge. You’ll need to attach this to the area where the wood is rotting, and then attach the hinge to the shim. It may be necessary to cut into the door jam to get the shim and the hinge to sit flush.

For interior doors that are starting to show signs of wear and tear, a good cleaning is essential. Start with Murphy’s Oil or a similar wood cleaning product and carefully scrub away any dirt and grime that is present. If the wood is not too old, the soap and oil should restore the former shine. You can also take some olive oil on a rag to restore wooden doors.

However, if this does not help, you will need to take the door down, sand it down completely and either paint it or re-stain it. This doesn’t take too long, and can really bring a lot of life back to an old door.

For interior doors with holes or cracking, the best solution is a replacement. The integrity of the door has been compromised, and there is no point in patching it up. When you purchase a new interior door, consider getting one that has a solid core. Although they are more expensive, they will usually last much longer, especially in high traffic areas.

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How to Revitalize Your Woodwork

May 21st, 2008 — Handy Man, House Damage, Repair, Wood Floors, Woodwork 

woodworkFew people know that proper care of woodwork requires much more than an occasional dusting. Your woodwork was once made up of a living thing, and without the proper care, it’s going to look quite dead. However, it is possible to revitalize your wood and keep it strong and healthy without much effort. If you’ve got an older home with a lot of woodwork, you may need to spend some extra time on it, but generally, these techniques should only take a few minutes.

Let’s start with revitalizing wood floors.

If you’re floor is already dried, cracked and the shine is completely gone, you’re going to need to do a major overhaul to bring it back. This means stripping the floor of any remaining varnish and re-staining it. This may take several coats depending on the color you would like. Once you’re done staining, you’ll need to revarnish the floor. In most cases, and especially with high traffic areas, this requires several coats and plenty of drying time in between. You need to keep the area as dust free as possible during this process so that the varnish stays smooth.

If you’re floor has seen better days but it’s not quite down for the count, you’ll need to add some oil to it to get it back. We recommend Murphy’s Wood Soap followed by Olde English Wood Oil. This comes in a few scents, but the lemon oil is probably the best for your floors. Completely wash the floor with Murphy’s and then add the oil to it once it is completely dry. You’ll really need to work that it and then give it plenty of time to dry since it will be a little slippery. Wood floors should have this done at least once a year to keep them looking fresh.

Moving on, let’s talk about the woodwork in your home, such as door frames, window sills and any built-ins you may have.

If the varnish is still in pretty good shape, but they’re looking a bit dull, you can try Murphy’s and Olde English to bring them back to life. Another great trick involves some olive oil on a soft rag. Gently work the oil into the wood until it has been completely absorbed. If the area is near curtains, take them down before you start to avoid staining them with oil.

If the woodwork is already dry and or damaged, you’ll need to strip it completely down and start over. For doors, it’s best to take them down to this so you don’t end up with drips in your stain or varnish. Otherwise, you’ll need to be careful and avoid overloading your brush with stain or varnish. This will help decrease the amount of drips. If you catch some while you’re still working, quickly brush them into the finish to disguise them.

The key to keeping your woodwork looking great is constant care and the right kind of cleaning products. Never use any cleaner on your wood that was not specifically made for wood. This will only strip the wood even further and make it harder to maintain.

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