Evolving Doors: New Life For Adorable Wooden Finds

Where you are certain of the surface coating on the wood, you can use the appropriate method for removing the material.

Start by cleaning the surface with a dilute mixture of warm water and dishwashing soap to remove dirt.

Dry the surface thoroughly before assessing the condition of the remaining finish.

Remove stubborn dirt, grease and wax with mineral oil.

Wipe the surface of the wood with a clean cloth dampened with the mineral oil, or use a mop to clean floors.

Methylated spirits on a cloth will remove shellac finishes and wax.

Use acetone or lacquer thinner to remove lacquer.

You can remove varnish and polyurethane with special chemical strippers, but these products are toxic and should be handled using a respirator, eye protection and gloves.

In most cases, it’s safer to strip varnish or polyurethane by sanding.

Clean it before you strip it.

Simply mopping with mineral oil can reveal the true nature of a wood floor.

Aged paint can be a challenge to remove, but there are many ways to strip paint off wood.

Before trying any, test a vintage painted surface for lead.

If the test is positive, remove the paint with a stripper formulated for use on lead paint.

These usually soften and bond the paint to a fabric or paper strip so the paint can be removed without flaking or creating dust.

Sometimes the quickest and most efficient method of removing paint is by sanding and scraping it off, especially on flat, unadorned surfaces.

Painted wood surfaces are usually scraped for repainting rather than removing all the paint.

Scrapers come in many shapes and sizes, from wide flat types to tiny V-shaped scrapers for cleaning out grooves.

Sanding a painted surface down to bare wood means it can be repainted, stained or refinished natural.

There are specialised sanding tools for the nooks and crannies of casework, cabinetry, furniture or moulding.

A heat gun can be a quick way to remove paint from flat wood surfaces.

Move the gun along the surface, heating the paint just enough to soften it and make it release from the wood.

Follow along with a putty knife as wide as practical for the wood surface.

Using a heat gun takes practice, because if the paint isn’t hard enough, you’ll have to put a lot of effort into scraping with the putty knife and you risk gouging the wood.

Too much heat, though, can make the paint overly sticky and gummy, making it difficult to gather and remove from the knife.

A heat gun should never be used on paint containing lead because it will release lead fumes.

There are many chemical strippers, but most are toxic.

Newer types, including soy-based formulas, are less so, but safer strippers tend to work more slowly and are less effective for stubborn paint.

Check the labels for the required safety precautions and ventilation requirements.

The strippers are either paste or liquids, although paste strippers are easier to handle and apply.

Most are brushed on, allowed to sit, then scraped off with a putty knife or other scraping tool.

Wood covered in several layers of paint often requires more than one application of stripper.

Finding the nail is the first step to removing it.

That’s why a handheld metal detector is a must for checking reclaimed timber.

A hidden nail or screw can destroy a saw blade and seriously injure the operator.

Nippers are good for removing nails carefully, to limit damage to the board face.

But they won’t work on sunken nails or flush nail heads, as the pinchers need room to close over the nail body to pull it out.

Use a wrecking bar for large, embedded nails.

Tap the slot of the tool under the nail head by rapping on it with a hammer.

Pull back on the handle.

Use a scrap of wood under the wrecking bar head for extra leverage.

As it will likely mar the surface, a wrecking bar is usually reserved for rough or hand-hewn timbers.

The time-tested method of prying out nails with a claw hammer is as effective with reclaimed wood as it is with new timber.

Use a scrap of plywood or other soft pad under the head of the hammer to increase leverage and protect the face of the wood.

Wood doors are the low-hanging fruit of reclaimed building materials. Easy to get at and easy to remove.

Whether you’re interested in a set of distressed doors for your kitchen cabinets, looking for a sturdy entrance with distinctive style, or just trying to match the interior six-panel doors in your three-bedroom Victorian terrace, you’ll find spectacular alternatives through many sources.