One Client Various 1

Exterior doors take the worst of the weather, and sometimes there is no choice but to strip back and start again. That was the case here. We removed the old finish with a chemical stripper, neutralised the timber, then sanded and bleached it to lift out stains and black water marks. Stripper can damage brickwork, glass and paving, so the whole area was sheeted and masked before work began. All sanding dust was drawn straight into a vacuum extractor rather than left to settle.

The bare wood was then stained to get the colour exactly right, followed by an under-oil stain and an over-oil stain to build depth. Finally the door received five coats of finish to protect it from sun and rain.

On the staircase, worn sections were stripped back to bare wood and carefully colour-matched to the surrounding original finish, so the repairs disappear. Every hole was filled and every scratch removed before we applied a hard-wearing lacquer, ideal for treads, rails and spindles that see daily use. With expensive carpets and tiled floors close by, we masked thoroughly and extracted dust throughout to keep the home clean and undamaged.

The cabinet had turned dull and was missing sections of veneer. We laid matching veneer to replace the missing pieces, then coloured and blended the repairs into the existing tone. Holes and scratches were removed, and the piece was finished with the king of all finishes, French polish. You can see the deep, glowing lustre it brought back in the before and after photos below.