Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/wood door repair

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Expert: - 4/26/2011


Question

scratched door
My husband replaced all the doors in our house, staining and lacquering them himself. Within a few months my dog had scratched 3 of them. The images I include show the door in the worst shape.

My question is, can I remove the lacquer, sand and stain those areas, or does the whole door need to be stripped? I have refinished a table and chairs in the past, but I'm hoping I do not have to start from scratch. Thanks!

Answer
Hi Sarah, first of all, lacquer is not up to the task of protecting such a door...and there is no way to fix such damage without redoing the entire door. If they are softwood doors, the damage is deeper than the finish,(likely even if they are hardwood doors), and so that will have to be stripped completely, and sanded pretty aggressively and carefully to remove it all, before refinishing....and then you have the issue of the dog...it will do it again. There's really no finish that could protect wood from such scratching, especially if this is a larger dog. Even a catalyzed or conversion varnish would eventually succumb to such damage.......and the harder the finish, the harder it is to remove to refinish. Post back if need be- regards- Greg

Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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