The Front Door - Title of the House

Once upon a time there was a beautiful Front Door...that grew old and ugly.  I am always in awe when I come home and entre through this amazing entrance. 

It was not the project of choice,  but rather an opportunity knocking..sort of speaking.  I was caught up in stripping the woodwork in our front entrance.  I had already spent 18 months with my heat gun taking off layers of  paint from stairs, spindles, risers, baseboards and everything, anything that was white.  I believe that at the onset of life at the Wolverton House, all the front foyer was shellac, varnish or anything sheer and shiny.  There is evidance that there was a flogging treatment or graining all the wordwork visible from the front door.  The side lights have a unique diamond pattern with individual set in panes of hand blown glass.

The weather was heating up and I started leaving the main door open with the shuttle letting fresh air while my heat gun was melting off the toxic lead paint.  The weather was soo nice that I decided one day to take my heat gun and test the paint removal of the shutter. 

The shutter was really ladened with multiple colours and so thick that it cracked and curled.  With the heat burning hot, the paint bubbled and blistered with great ease and the flat surface of the main frame was so easy.  I decided to steer away from the tedious baseboard work.  Afterall, a change is as good as a rest and this was looking like an excuse to sit outside and not trapped inside anymore.

Hubby was not amused that I changed direction.  This was my downfall with this magnitude of project, but at least I was still working on the project.  Any work is better than no work!

I had extension cords, putty knives, scrappers, sandpaper, screwdrivers and any other tool that we aid in my goal to get paint from every shutter blade...and there are lots of them.  I counted them one day and almost changed my mind.  But the project was well started and now it was a commitment fo finish.  I had my favorite rock to wedge the door open and worked on one side and then the other.

Days turned into weeks and it didnt look like I was accomplishing anything.  But there were gargage bag after garbage bag of paint chips and dust.  The shopvac came out every night to vacuum what was scooped with the broom and shovel. 

I started to attract curious onlookers including the little old lady, 82 I think, across the road who would sit by the window in her second floor apartment.  I was her source of entertainment for most of the summer.

One bright sunny day in July, I had a gentleman stop to talk about my project.  He was facinated with the construction of the door and probably more that this door was still attached after 160 year.  He commented that he loved working with a heat gun.  This was my opportunity to invite him to join my team.  He volunteered on the spot.  Without even asking his name I rushed into the house and grabbed my second heat gun, face mask, sandpaper and more scrappers.  It was about 20 minutes into our dual efforts that hubby came out to meet my new friend.  I couldnt even do a proper introduction, as I still didnt know his name.  Didnt matter, he was working on our project with us.

Hubby was amazed too and commented that this was a first as nobody has ever volunteered before.  Wayne came back a few more times to help.  I hope he knows how thankful we are for his time and effort. 

It took more than four months to clean the door down.  There were many, many colours of paint; white, grey, black, dark hunter green, kelly green, cream. mint green and probably lighter and darker versions of the colours.  If you do the math on all the colours, and perhaps two coats of each colour, that equates to at least 16-20 coats of paint over all those years.  The original colour was buttermilk paint and did not strip off, however it did sand off beautifully.

People were driving by and actually stopping now and asking what I was doing and what colour would be going on next.  Hubby took down the door once it was completely paint free and took it to the work room to level the bottom and complete the restoration before the new colour applied.  I moved on to strip the frame and windows around the door frame, including stripping the 1/4 inch thick paint on the threshold.

Hubby and I went to an Expo 2009 Restoration trade show and were introduced to a Linseed oil paint that is enviromentally friendly.  We were also told that it would last up to fifty years.  The paint is rejuvienated with a quick rub of linseen oil approximately ever 10 years.  That would mean that we never have to paint again!  The only down side is that there were limited colours choices and we would have to custom mix our preferred colour.

We placed our order and by October, I was finally starting to paint.  Yes, I was now on month five of painted our front door.  By November, the job was complete.  Hubby and son installed over 100 screws to reinforce the shutter door frame, cut the bottom off and attached a new and straight base to the lower edge, and filled cracks, gouges and missing edges with bondo.  Hubby and I caulked the details to the side lights and even puttied some of the windows back in.  Windows were cleaned.  From start to finish, and meeting many of our neighbours for the first time, we completed another project.  It only took  six months!