Victorian Front Door Restoration and Painting Project

Victorian Front Door Restoration and Painting Project

Victorian Front Door Restoration and Painting Project

The homeowner wanted a welcoming front door that introduces the home’s character and says “well maintained”.

Before William Nunn Painting Contractors started their professional historic home restoration work, the front door was in disrepair. It was deserving of an experts hand paying careful attention to the original hardware while taking extra measures to protect the door’s original wood before resealing and the woodfinishing process began.

The doors and hardware on many historic homes are an important aspect of the architectural character of those buildings. Their original design, craftsmanship, or other qualities may make them important to preserve through restoration, proper woodfinishing techniques and/or painting. This is self-evident for functional doors that are ornamental and express historical character, but it can be equally true for warehouses or factories where the doors may be the most dominant visual element of an otherwise plain building. Evaluating the significance of these doorway entrances and planning for their repair or replacement can be a complex process involving both objective and subjective considerations.

Planning for the repair of Victorian home front door restorations including evaluation of their physical condition, techniques of repair, and design considerations when replacement is necessary. Restoring this vintage door’s hardware was a critical aspect of our successfully completed project. Likewise, we will help you make well-informed decisions that will value and protect your home investment.

The End Product of this Front Door Restoration Project

After the front door was fully restored by William Nunn exterior painting contractors with new veneer, new oak threshold, original glass reset, hardware cleaned and polished, and painted.

Why Restoring Exterior Victorian Doors is Important

The amount of effort required to restoring an old door depends largely on whether or not it’s an exterior door. When the door is exposed to Minnesota’s weather, you may be able to get by with a touch-up for a short duration; however, your Victorian door will merit careful attention over time. Sun, rain, and snow wreak havoc on most wood finished doors as the years age it. The door will probably need stripping at some point; we sand the wood first and take extra steps to protect it to complete a satisfactory restoration and exploratory job. While it is possible to strip and sand a door while it is hanging, it’s much easier to be more thorough if we take it down and return it. We are quick and efficient through all stages of painting work.

Restoring the entry set of hardware on an existing door is fairly straightforward for someone with years of experience. When restoring a Victorian door, we seek to avoid drilling new holes – which often becomes necessary when replacement hardware is the only option. Cutting the slot for a mortise lock is more difficult; and sometimes involves the skill of a locksmith to route the mortise and install the lock. Renovated homes in the Southeast Minneapolis Historic Neighborhood and Summit Ave are recognized nation-wide for many beautifully restored Victorian homes.

“The mansions of Summit were intended to declare the owners’ status in St. Paul society—you could drive by and see the porte-cochère, the colonnade, the turret, and you knew that the owner had not just fallen off the turnip wagon. What remains and is so clear… is the fine workmanship of the buildings, the stonework and brickwork and wood-carve front entrances, cabinetry, and carpentry of thousands of anonymous men, many of them immigrants, who rode the streetcars or climbed up the hill from the flats, carrying their lunch buckets, to work on the construction crews six days a week, 10 hours a day.” – Midwest Home

Your door’s lock-and-trim hardware may seem like a small detail, but it can really make an exquisite statement. Many times we see remarkable, hand-crafted Victorian door handles that outshine anything you can buy on the market today.

Ream more buttonRead more about how restoring and painting your home protects your home. We are easy to connect with; call 612 825-3875.