Lets face it when someone comes to your home, what’s the first thing they see up close? Your front door. Once they knock, there they stand, waiting, until you open the door to greet and welcome them inside.
Stop reading right now. I want you to go stand outside at your front door. Take a good long look around, what do you see? Piles of shoes? Cobwebs? Dusty light fixtures? A tired wreath? An old worn out welcome mat? A weathered door that’s seen better days? This is the first thing that everyone sees when they come to your home.
Is what you see making you cringe or making you smile? If your front entry is cringeworthy, don’t fear. It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to spruce it up and create an inviting and welcoming front entrance that you can be proud of.
Start by getting rid of anything that doesn’t belong there; toys, shoes, dead struggling plants, the old tattered wreath, the worn out door mat. Next get out your broom and sweep down the cobwebs and leaf debris. You haven’t spent one red cent and I bet it already looks a thousand times better.
Now take a good long look at your front door. If your fiberglass front door looks as bad as mine did then keep reading for the step by step instructions for refinishing it. It’s not difficult, there’s no sanding required (WOO-HOO), and it won’t cost you a fortune either. Just be sure to pick a weekend when you plan on being at home.
I confess, I’ve been dragging my feet as far as refinishing our front door. I found a few videos online but none of them were specific to fiberglass doors. Hubs was digging through stuff in the garage and came across this fiberglass door finishing kit by Therma Tru Doors. It was apparently used by the builder and there was plenty of the product left to refinish the door. I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer, it was time to finally tackle this project.
If you decide to use this product it will cost you just over $100 for a kit that contains everything you will need, except for painters tape. You can order a kit directly from the company here. The stains come in a variety of colors, so you can find something that works for your home. If I was selecting a color I would have chosen something a bit darker, but I love free, so I went with what I had.
Supplies needed for this project:
(these supplies are included in the kit)
- Painters Tape (not included in kit)
- Lint free rags
- Gloves
- Mineral spirits
- Stir sticks
- 2″ synthetic brush
- Stain
- Top Coat/Polyurethane
Start by wiping down the surface of the door with a damp rag to remove any excess grime and dust.
Once the door is dry put on a pair of gloves and use another rag to wipe down the surface with mineral spirits.
Use painters tape and mask off any glass, hardware and weather stripping on the door.
Open and stir the stain instead of shaking the can. Improperly mixed stain will not dry properly.
Dip a rag into the stain and work the stain into the grain using a circular or cross grain motion. Apply stain to one section at a time. Wait a few minutes and use a clean rag to wipe off any excess stain going with the grain. Allow stain to dry completely, about 1-2 hours. This will vary depending on the temperature. It was in the mid 80’s when I stained the door so it only took a couple hours for each coat of stain to dry completely.
Once the stain is completely dry, it’s time to apply a top coat to seal the door and protect the finish. If you start early enough in the day you could easily stain and seal the door in one day. I got a late start the first day so I stained the door the first day and applied the top coat(s) to seal it the following day.
Stir the top coat, DO NOT SHAKE CAN. Shaking the can will produce air bubbles in the product which could effect the finish.
Dip the tip of the brush into the top coat and apply a thin layer to the door in long even strokes going in the same direction as the grain.
Allow the first coat to dry for 2-3 hours. Then apply a second coat. Resist the urge to just glob on one really think coat. You will get a nice smooth professional looking finish if you take the time to apply two thin coats instead of one thick coat.
Allow top coat to dry completely and then carefully remove painters tape.
If you happen to get stain or topcoat onto any of the hardware on the door, dampen a paper towel with some Goof Off to remove it.
Helpful tips:
- Apply stain when temperatures are between 50 & 90 degrees.
- Do not sand the door.
- Do not stain or or apply topcoat when dew is present.
- Do not stain in direct sunlight.
Your newly refinished door should last for 3-5 years.
I’m so happy with the finished results, not bad for an amateur! Now I won’t hesitate to invite over family and friends!
Do you have a fiberglass front door and you’ve been debating on whether you can get good results staining and refinishing it yourself? Just follow these steps and take your time. The most important thing to remember is, applying thin coats is the key to getting good results. If I can do this…you can most definitely do this!!!
Did You Try This DIY Project?
How did it turn out? Snap a pic and hashtag it #naturewayblog — I love seeing your creations! Don’t forget to comment and leave a review, or tag me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
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I am not receiving any form of compensation from Therma Tru Doors for recommending their product. I’m sharing their information with you because I personally had exceptionally good results using their product and I feel comfortable recommending it. If you follow these instructions you should get the same equally good results.
Remember…Jesus ❤️’s you!