Have you painted your doors and they have yellowed over time? Then do not miss this video tutorial in which I show you the solution that I have given to this problem. You’ll learn how to strip doors to remove all layers of paint and to renew them to give them a totally different look.
Paint is an excellent resource to change the appearance of your doors, but sometimes it needs a renovation since the passage of time can deteriorate it. In my specific case, a few years ago I painted the wooden doors of one of my cabinets with white acrylic enamel with a gloss finish (you can see it at this link). However, they currently looked yellowish and ugly as can be seen in the following image.
When I painted them I applied two coats of primer and two coats of enamel, so adding more coats of paint on top would have thickened the door preventing it from closing properly. For this reason, I decided to strip both the doors and the frame and also add some moldings to renew their appearance. You can see the whole step by step in the following video tutorial.
How to strip doors and remove yellowish paint
For stripping the wooden doors of this closet and completely renew its appearance I have followed the steps detailed below.
1º.- Disassemble the doors
First, the door hinges will be unscrewed to remove them. For this I have used the hammer drill that is part of the Black+Decker BCK23S1S-QW kit. This kit also includes a mouse sander, an 18V 1.5Ah battery and a carrying bag.
2º.- Strip the paint from the doors
To strip the paint from the doors I have used the Universal Super Stripper V33. Its application is very simple and you only have to follow the following steps:
- Put on gloves and shake the container vigorously.
- Apply a thick layer (2 to 3 millimeters) and uniform with a brush. Its gel texture facilitates application on vertical supports such as the frame, although whenever possible it will be applied horizontally to allow the product to penetrate better. For this reason I disassembled the doors and placed them on the workbench.
- Let the stripper act between 3 and 30 minutes, depending on the number of layers to be removed. I opted to leave it for 30 minutes since my doors had two coats of primer, two coats of enamel and the original wood varnish.
- Wait until the layer has completely softened before removing the paint with a putty knife or steel wool.
- Rinse with soap and water or clean with alcohol and allow to dry for 24 hours.
3º.- Sand the wood
The next step will be to sand the wood since, even if it is free of paint and varnish after stripping, sanding will provide a more uniform surface and a better grip for the paint. For this I have used the Black+Decker mouse sander which, being battery-powered, allows for better freedom of movement and incorporates a microfiltered dust tank.
Renew the doors without changing them
To renew the doors and take advantage of the original ones, they have been painted again and some moldings have been placed.
In the first place, a white water-based enamel resistant to knocks, stains and washable has been used. In addition, this type of paint can be applied directly without primer and it is only necessary to apply a couple of coats.
For its application, a roller will be used to spread the paint from left to right and from top to bottom. After letting the first layer dry (about 12 hours), the second will be applied for a perfect result.
On the other hand, in this particular case the edges of the door have not been painted because moldings will be fixed on them and the adhesive has a better grip on wood.
Once the second coat of paint has dried, white melamine moldings that have previously been cut to size with the miter saw or with a saw and miter box will be placed. To do this, mounting adhesive will be spread on the back of the moldings and pressure will be exerted with clamps.
Install a doorstop
Door stops are essential when it comes to protecting the walls from damage that may be caused by the knocks of the doors when opening. In this case, the Inofix model 3164-7 door stop has been used, which is made of high-quality stainless steel, which provides it with great strength and durability. In addition, it is specially designed for very heavy doors, large or that do not reach the ground as in this case.
Its installation is done on the wall and is very simple:
- Make a hole in the wall to insert the plug that incorporates the stop
- Remove the rubber damper and insert the screw to screw it to the wall
- Replace the damper
After following all these steps, the doors look different, right? They have little to do with those that looked yellowish and without grace. New coats of paint have revitalized them and the molding has given it a more elegant touch.
I hope this tutorial for stripping wooden doors It has been helpful to you whether the paint on your doors has yellowed, or if you want to renew its appearance. Do not forget that you will find many more guides and tricks on DIY and decoration at
Project carried out in collaboration with Mi Hogar Mejor
