August Project for the Front Door
- , by Trudy Chuoke Trudy Chuoke
Can you believe this is August and as we start the month we start a new project for the home. Let me give you the lineup of the projects we have talked about so far. January was removing glass rings on furniture with White Ring Remover. In February, we used Morgan's Repellent to discourage mice and rats from invading your home. March's project was using Howard's Leather Salve to protect and restore leather furniture in your home or office. April was sharpening your knives with the convenient Any Sharp knife sharpener. May was using Fresh Wave, which neutralizes odors in your home with safe ingredients. I recommend Fresh Wave for babies' rooms, athletic kids' rooms, and any room in the house with a persistent odor. June challenged you to clean the outside windows of your home with Zep, and I am happy to say that my nephew, who lives in Houston, sent me pictures of his cleaning project. July likely pushed you out of your comfort zone by teaching you how to give your toilet a tune-up, specifically by replacing the flush valve with a new Fluid Master 400. August is an easy project with big rewards. Freshen up the front door!
Front doors sell homes. If you are looking for a new-to-you home and a Realtor shows you a home with a dull and faded front door, she will likely tell you how easy it is to spruce it up and "make it your own," which is another way of saying you will need to update it. HA! But when I was looking at homes, what it told me was that this is just the beginning of the projects I will need to do if I buy this home. So, whether you are thinking of selling your home or just want to make sure those beautiful doors on the front of your house last much longer, this month's project is for you.
First of all, let me tell you this is an easy project. You will only need two products, Restore A Finish, SunShield, a few soft rags, and maybe an hour. First, look at your door. If it's dusty, use your hose to rinse it off. You do want to start with a clean surface. Next, with a dry, clean door, you are ready to pick up Restore A Finish and SunShield at your local hardware store. Restore A Finish is a product that has been around for 50 years; there is nothing like it. It features a unique finish penetrating formula that restores the wood's color while blending out any imperfections. It comes in 9 colors that are very forgiving and will blend with almost any wood color. Using a soft T-shirt rag or cloth, apply Restore A Finish to the rag and then wipe it on the door in the direction of the wood. Let dry for 30 minutes. Now look at your door. Did this one coat completely restore the color of the door, or does it need a second coat? If you need a second coat, repeat the process. Let the surface dry for 30 minutes.
Now you need to add protection to keep this new finish looking good. That's where SunShield, also made by Howard, comes in. Sun Shield is a combination of waxes, fragrant oils, and an excellent UV inhibitor. Apply SunShield to a rag and wipe on the door going in the direction of the wood. Let SunShield penetrate for 30 minutes. Then wipe off any excess. You can apply a second coat following the previous instructions. Now, remember this is a maintenance project. Every couple of months for a few minutes, you can protect your front doors.
You can use SunShield on other outdoor projects. You can protect any wood surface, especially Teak and hardwoods. Use it on outdoor chairs, tables, benches, lounge chairs, and chests. It will protect and enhance the beauty of all finished or unfinished wood.
Keep up with the maintenance on your front door; they are not cheap. And using Restore A Finish and SunShield, you can get it done for under $30.00. Look for Howard Products on our website and get them shipped to your home. I'm off to Alpine, in West Texas, to visit my daughter's family and new granddaughter. Talk to you next week about installing a new sprinkler by Rain Bird. You're going to love it!