Toronto Front Door Refinishing Services
Refinishing and staining can be tricky. Luckily, our team has refinished many front doors over the years. We are familiar with most of the wood types, stains and clear coats that are frequently used in Toronto. Our team is equipped with top of the line sanding equipment and high-quality stains & clear-coats. As such, we can help you refinish your door and make it look brand new.
The Finesse Promise
2-Year Maintenance
Life happens. That is why we include a free 2-year scheduled maintenance on all full wood siding painting/staining projects. We want to make sure your home looks good, even after we leave. It doesn't matter if your dog scratched the siding, we will touch it up for you. This is limited to 1hr/year and you must have the paint.
2-Year Warranty
We offer a 2-year warranty on exterior wood siding painting/staining projects. This is a worksmanship guarantee goes beyond the 1hr/year limit of our 2-year maintenance program. If it peels, we will fix it. This is NOT valid on horizontal surfaces (such as decks).
Dustless & Efficient
Our team is equipped with the top of line dustless sanding equipment which allows us to prep your siding in less time, keep your house clean, and save you money.
Front Door Refinishing Projects
Front Door Refinishing Process
Step 1 - Assessing the Front Door
The first step to refinishing a front door is to asses the door type and the current condition of the wood & coating/stain. We look out for the following:
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Old doors which have been refinished multiple times may become too thin for sanding. This could also be the case if the door is a veneers or made up of thin panels. Sanding may not be the best process in these cases.
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Different types of hardwoods have varying grain patterns and hold stain differently. This affects the amount of sanding and the finish grit.
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Existing coatings/stains affect the amount of effort required to strip the door. Worn down doors with no clear-coats are easier to sand down than a door with a fresh coat of stain and varnish.
Step 2 - Sanding & Removing the Existing Coating/Stain
The second step to refinishing a front door is to remove the existing coating & stain. This could be done by either sanding or using a chemical stripper. We only use the sanding method (stripping chemicals have become weaker in Canada and are also a pain to work with). Our team uses top of the line equipment to ensure that your door is sanded properly and efficiently to save you money. The Festool sanders we use are connected to a dust extractor to ensure that our team is protected and that your house isn't covered in saw dust. Hardware could be removed or kept on the door depending your preference.
Sanding the front door serves three purposes:
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Open the wood pores so that they accept the stain/paint
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Smoothen the surface so it looks and appears nice
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Removes loose existing stain & clear coat
We usually start with a rough sand using 80 grit sandpaper to remove the bulk of stain/clear. We follow up with 120grit and then finally 220 grit. This all depends on the condition of the previous coating and the wood type. Sometimes 80 grit can be too aggressive and sometimes 220 grit is too fine for the stain to absorb. Each door and wood is different.
Step 3 - Water Popping & Cleaning/Vaacuuming
Although the door is now bare, there are still compressed wood fibres from the rough sanding. These fibres will raise and affect stain absorption when the stain is applied. Water popping helps to remove these fibres and promote even stain absorption. The door is sprayed with a mist of water (or wiped with a damp rag) which opens the wood pores and raises any compressed wood fibres. These fibres are then removed by a LIGHT hand sand. The door is then sprayed or wiped with water once more to open the wood pores in preparation for the stain (it is NOT sanded a second time after the water is applied). We then do a light vaacuum of the door to ensure all loose dust and wood is removed.
Step 4 - Sampling & Applying the Stain & Clear Coat
Now that the door is ready, we will apply 2-3 stain samples for you. Once the colour is chosen, we sand the sample spots down to ensure there are not dark spots or patchiness.
Once the colour is finalized the, we will apply the first coat of stain. We typically use an oil-based wiping stain. Once coat is usually sufficient but we will apply a second coat if eveness or colour depth is lacking. We will then allow the stain to dry overnight.
Finally, the clear top coat is applied once the stain has been allowed to dry. We do a minimum of 3 clear coats to ensure that the door is protected and that the sheen is even. We recommend you do a maintenance coat every 2 years (depending on light exposure) to ensure that the door looks great and that you don't have to refinish the door again for a long time.
Our Reviews
5/5
Peggy Moulder
Vincent went out of his way to get my painting project in Mimico/Etobicoke, done quickly and professionally. I was very pleased with the results. Strongly recommend Finesse Finish Painters for your painting projects.
2025
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Cost to Refinish a Door in Toronto
Basic Doors
Typical Cases:
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Standard size doors (3ftx7ft), minimal details
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Doors that are worn down and are easily sanded
Includes:
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On-site prep & application
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Full sanding process
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1 coat of stain
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3 applications of a clear top coat (brush)
Starting at: $1500+HST
Complex Doors
Typical Cases:
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Above Average Sized Doors
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Doors with more trim/detail (multiple panels, wood work, french doors, etc.)
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Doors with well adhering coatings or hardwoods that are difficult to sand
Includes:
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On-site prep & application
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Full sanding process
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1 coat of stain
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3 applications of a clear top coat (brush)
Starting at: $2300+HST
Custom Doors
Typical Cases:
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Over-sized doors
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Custom doors with intricate designs
Includes:
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Off-site prep & application
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Full sanding process
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1 coat of stain
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3 applications of a clear top coat (spray application)
Start at: $5000+HST
Best Stains & Top Coats for Front Doors (2026)
#1 - Old Master's Wiping Stain
This is our number one pick for front doors. It applies well, provides a deep colour and can be coated multiple times to provide a more uniform appearance. This product comes in pre-mixed colours and can't be cutom matched or tinted.
FAQ About Door Refinishing In Toronto
Q: How long does it take to refinish a front door?
A simple front door takes around 3 days to refinish whereas a standard door could take 4-5 days. It typically takes 1-3 days to strip the door down depending on the size, complexity and condition of the existing coating. It then take half a day to apply the stain and another day afterwards to apply the clear coat.
Q: How long does the door last after getting it refinished?
A: The door could last you 10+ years if you maintain it frequently (apply a clear coat every 1-2 years). Otherwise, the door could begin to grey or discolour in 2-3 years depending on the sun exposure.
Q: Do you remove the hardware on the door?
A: Ideally yes. However, some doors have finicky hardware that is difficult to reinstall. In these instances, we tape over the hardware to protect them while the door is being refinished.
Q: Do you remove the front door while it is being refinished?
A: Typically we do NOT remove the front door. In most scenarios, refinishing the door on-site while it is hung provides the best balance of quality and price. However, some doors need to be removed and refinished in our shop. This adds considerable cost since the door needs to be transported and we need to install a temporary door.
Q: Can a door be touched up rather than having to be stripped down?
A: This depends on the condition of the current stain/clear coat. If the door is not discoloured and the clear coat is still in good shape, an additional coat of clear could be applied. If the door has water marks, is greying or fading, then you will unfortunately need to strip it down and go through the entire refinishing process. Touching up a discoloured door will result in a patchy appearance. The stain may not even absorb if there are remanants of the existing clear coat.
Q: Why is my door greying or discoloured?
A: UV from the sun damages the clear coat & stain on your door. This manifests in a greying (milky) top coat or faded stain. If you don't apply maintenance coats, your door will start to grey and fade. Once the top coat is fully worn out, the door will be exposed to water & moisture which could further discolour the wood. This would lead to water marks and water stains.
Q: Why is my siding turning grey?
A: When unprotected wood is exposed to UV, it begins to develop a patina (the fibers turn grey). Some people like the natural patina whereas others find it unsightly. The patina can be sanded off or restored using a deck revive solution. Natural stains do not prevent the patina from developing because there is no pigment in the stain. Semi-transparent stains and solid-stains can protect the wood from UV and prevent greying.
Q: What are the benefits of spraying vs brushing a top coat?
A: Spraying a top coat provides a smoother finish and avoids brush marks. However, this is not always noticeable depending on the roughness and grain texture of the door. Brushing the top coat with a high-quality paintbrush can achieve a very smooth finish as well.
Q: How long does it take for the door to dry?
A: There are two products being applied to your door: a stain and then a clear top-coat. The stain typically takes 3-4 hours to dry but needs to dry over night before applying a top coat (you could close the door after 3-4 hours). The top coat dries within the hour and could be recoated once it is dry to the touch. We recommend that you leave your door open as long as possible but you could close it within 3-4 hours if needed.