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Gel Stained Front Door

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I am going to show you how I stained my front door with Gel Stain. Update: It has been stained over four years and the door still looks great!

I stained my front door with Gel Stain. It is so easy to do yourself.

I had not realized how bad our front door was looking until I made a fall wreath and took a picture of it for my blog.

When I uploaded the picture, I realized the door was so ugly, I could not possibly put the picture on my blog.  So my husband and I went front door shopping and I was surprised how much a new door would cost us.  Here’s my problem, when I find out a price for something, I think of all the things I want that cost the same, and I usually go back home and try to make it better without purchasing the item new.  I am saving up for new kitchen countertops, so I am prepared to work on that door!

I stained my front door with Gel Stain. It is so easy to do yourself.

Our house was built in the early ’90s.  We restained the door about 8 years ago. We had taken the door off the hinges, laid it across two sawhorses, sanded, and stained the door while it was laying flat.

The day that I was going to purchase my stain, I saw this post from MaryAnn at Domestically Speaking Gel Stained Front Door. Her instructions for using Gel Stain seemed so much easier than the way I was going to do the project.

 

I purchased the Miniwax Gel Stain in the color Hickory.  The best part of this project was that I did not have to remove the door so I was not in a rush to get my front door back on the hinges before nighttime.

Instructions

Sand the door well using a palm sander. You can use a staining block to get in the grooves.

I stained my front door with Gel Stain. It is so easy to do yourself.

After sanding, clean the door with soap and water.  After drying, wipe the door down with a tack cloth or damp rag.

I stained my front door with Gel Stain. It is so easy to do yourself.

I have learned from all my diy projects that using a tack cloth helps get up all the sanding dust that is left even after cleaning with soap and water.

gel stained front door

Use a foam brush or rag to apply the stain and stain according to manufacturers suggestions.

I stained my front door with Gel Stain. It is so easy to do yourself. The directions on the can say to wipe off, but I did not. I applied two coats and it looked beautiful.

I stained my front door with Gel Stain. It is so easy to do yourself.The directions also say to use Miniwax Helmsman Spar Urethane for the topcoat to protect the door. I waited a few days after the stain dried to apply the topcoat with a foam brush.I stained my front door with Gel Stain. It is so easy to do yourself.

I think my Gel Stained front door looks so good and I did not have to purchase a new front door. Update: It has been over 4 years and the door still looks great. I am so happy with the door that I do not have the desire to purchase a new door.