I have nine closets with bifold doors that have gone through 3 kids and 30 years of living. Is there an easier way to refinish these doors other than sanding them down, wash with lacquer thinner, sealing, staining and shooting them with clear lacquer? The doors are louvered on top and raised panel on the bottom.

I am trying to get ready for springers but this last bit of this project is stealing my time.

Cost/time of labor = New doors .. .

Buy new, spray, install.

Or Paint them.
While remodeling the house I am in now, I couldn't bring myself to throw away the 25 year old louvered fir doors in the house. Great quality doors in good shape, but the old brown stain was ugly and dated.

A coat of primer and two coats of a high quality white semi-gloss later they look brand new.

Sky-Guy hit the nail on the head. there is a reason those doors have lasted so many years. you might think about replacing the hardware if it needs it, but don't count on finding an exact match, you will probably have to do a little retro-fitting. with twenty years in the building materials trade and the last ten working specifically with doors, i can tell you most bifolds are total crap, unless you buy something in the price range of Simpson Doors, but i don't remember them having louvered bifolds. absolutely DO NOT BUY "STAINABLE" LOUVER BIFOLDS AT DEPOT OR LOWE'S, they are import crap. hope this helps. now get fishing, 'cause lord knows, i'm not.

The thought of painting them has crossed my mind but I could not stand the thought of doing that to these beautiful doors. They are not in that bad of shape. They are custom doors as the openings are not standard which will drive up the cost of buying new. There was a guy in Fife that made custon bifolds but I lost his contact number. For the time being I will clean them up and polish them. When the weather gets better I will bring them into the shop and refinish them the right way.

In the interim I will look for a custom bifold shop and get a bid on new ones. Once I get a price I will make a decision on whether or not to proceed with the refinishing. If anyone has a lead on a door shop that deals with custom fir bifold doors I would appreciate it.

Captain

I had the same feeling until I saw how much new Fir louvered doors cost.
Then I went to the paint store....

I wouldn't want to tackle stripping, sanding and refinishing myself.
Too labor intensive with louvers/raised panels and I hate anything to do with painting.

If the doors are worth saving why not a get a price(s) from a refinisher and then compare that to the cost of new doors.

In Ballard there is a place called "Furniture Spa". It is my understanding that you can bring large pieces there and they dip them in paint/stain/varnish/lacquer thinner. Must be some brutal chemicals. Anyway, whatever you put in comes out ready for sanding and refinishing. Not sure about the cost. But it might be worth looking in to. http://www.furniturespa.com Good luck.

I second Brant. I would have them dipped.

Then again I am a glutton for punishment, so I might just start doing them one door a night after work until I either went crazy and burned them all, or finished the job, whichever came first.

The louvers will be a total bitch to sand to bare wood. This project will take you a long time and a lot of work to accomplish at home. Get a Fein Multimaster for the small edges if you are going to do this in your shop.

might i suggest not doing them at all... [censored] the doors! it's march gawd dammit! theres springers in the air. you know the saying "april showers bring may springers" so it's only going to get worse. the closet can just stay shut. ask kaykay about closet doors.

this may make a big difference! look on one side of the louvered opening for pin/finish nail holes. you can remove the "sticking" (the trim that holds the louvers in place) on this side and pull out the louvers for sanding, etc. if you break any of the sticking, you can ususally buy some trim (window stop, etc.) to replace, and since it will most likely be on the inside, no one will know if it isn't a perfect match. oh yeah, number/letter your louvers for remove and replace.

i'll bet JerryGarcia knows a little something about this, you might ask him.

louvers in an older bifold might be fully pocketed as in not removeable. Dipping can remove the old finish but might also react with the glue at the joints weakening the joints. This is a custom bifold outfit we do some sanding for on occasion. He makes an acceptable product for the price.


Custom Bifold, Paul Gracie, 206 246 5282

Gordy @ McKenna Door. 253-677-7227. He did the finish on our entry door, and built the frames for our interior doors. he would be worth a call. Tell him Andy from McCleary sent you.

I have a detail, belt and drum sanders. I have decided to do one at a time if I don't look into new. Thanks for the advice! It gives comfort to me that there are others that are as anal retentive as me on this site, especially Brewer!

Jerry I have a call into Paul Gracie. I think this is the guy that I have used before in another lifetime ago when I was a builder.

Thanks to all for your input.

Captain

captain,

i'm still fuming over the usa loss to canada yesturday.

sorry for being anal retentive.

Brewer,

My son's brother-in-law lives in Abbotsford and we have heard all about the Canadian win. I am sure we will hear more.

What would this board be like without the Brewer? I enjoy your comments. When I get caught up I have some reels headed your way.

Take care bud.

Captain

captain,

i'm just a guy who trys to survive life of pirahnah pursuits.

this place is like the amazon. your swimming in pool with others who seem just like yourself in almost everyway. untill you slip an say or do something odd. then wham your chewed up untill all thats left is spinal column! no joke on that. chew or be chewed on.

Sounds like you already have your answer. I am partial to keeping originals especially if they are crafted nicely.

Update on the bifold doors.

Thanks to Jerry Garcia I got a lead on a guy to build some new doors. The price was about $4,000. plus hardware and finishing. I estimated it would be just under $6,000. when I got them all in.

I armed myself with sanders, glue, screws, clamps, wood filler, stain and lacquer and went to work. With four doors left I am well on the way to completing this project. The doors came out beautiful, I would say just as good as new, if not better. The old adage, necessity is the mother of invention is alive and well at the Captain's house.

With completion of this project my wife has instituted a new policy for the grandkids. She has implemented a "NO Quad's in the house rule". This should help to keep things in order around here.

With the money saved on this project it looks like the new electric downriggers are becoming a reality on the USS Kelly Daze for the springer season.

Captain