How to Fix a Dry Wood Front Door
My poor dry wood front door takes a serious beating from the hot Texas sun. I used to think I had to restain my front door every year or two to keep it looking nice.
Then, one summer, the finish on my door was covered in heat haze and looking really dry and sun damaged. So I got desperate and tried a wipe on product that was supposed to fix a dry wood front door and protect it from the sun.
Well, I admit I thought it wasn’t going to do much. I was just hoping to make it look good enough until the weather cooled down and I could restain my door again without removing it.
BUT, this stuff really was a-mazing, guys! As I rubbed it into my dry wood front door, the white heat haze disappeared and the finish started looking rich and shiny again.
You can see how quickly it happens in the video below. Now, I use this stuff every 4 to 6 months depending on the time of year, to protect my door from sun damage and keep the stain on my front door looking beautiful.
Table of contents
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How Do You Fix A Dried Out Wood Door?
It’s actually pretty easy to fix a dried out wood door. You can have this job done in 10 minutes with this wipe on door polish.
Watch this video to see my hazy, sun-damaged dry wood front door go from bad to so, so good in this video.
How Do You Restore a Weathered Wood Door?
Sometimes the damage will be so bad that you will have to restain the front door. You can even stain a door without taking it down. Both posts are full of tips for which stains to use, when to do it, and how.
But, if the discoloration isn’t too bad and the finish isn’t peeling, you should probably try Howard’s SunShield Outdoor Wax first.
Start by wiping down your front door with a clean dry cloth or soft brush to remove any dirt. Then use a clean rag to apply the Sunshield Wax to your dry wood front door.
I just keep applying more and rubbing it in until my door looks shiny again and all the dry looking sun damage on the wood door is gone.
I seriously love this product. It works so well on my dry wood front door and protects the stain from more sun damage.
After using it for a few years, I’m thinking I probably only need to restain my door every 5 to 7 years now. Which is amazing for a door that gets full Texas sun most of the day!
Howard’s SunShield Outdoor UV Wax
One more quick tip about Howard’s SunShield Outdoor UV Wax. This product is made for use on your outdoor wood furniture too! So, it can do more than fixing that sun damaged, dry wood front door.
It can also revive and restore teak outdoor furniture or other wood furniture that is getting dried out and damaged by the sun.
Just follow the same steps you used on the door to clean off the dirt on your wood furniture. Then rub in the Howard’s SunShield with a clean rag.
How to Prevent Sun Damage on a Wood Door
If you want to prevent sun damage on a wood door, there are many waxes and outdoor grade sealers that can help.
Outdoor grade sealers are designed to take abuse from the sun, wind, and rain. They are pretty essential to keeping any stain finish looking nice longer.
But, an outdoor grade sealer, like helmsman or another exterior urethane can be a chore to apply.
You either have to wait for the perfect weather, apply while the door is still hanging, keep checking for drips while it dries, all while leaving the door open all day.
Or, remove the door so you can lay it flat when applying. Either way the door would be off all day. It’s not something you’d want to do often.
So, the best way to extend the life of the sealer on your door is to give it a little extra help. The kind of help that can protect the door from the sun damage that can dry the door. Or, cause the heat haze I always get.
This is where I recommend Howard’s SunShield wax. Apply it just a few times a year to any of your wood doors (and outdoor furniture).
That Wipe on Wax will protect and extend the life of the stain finish on your wood exterior doors. Easy Peasy.
Did you know that paint holds up to sun damage longer than stain. If you’d rather paint your door, check out the easy steps in How to Repaint a Door without Removing It.
Looking for more of my Home Cleaning Hacks? You can see them here, on my YouTube channel. 🙂
Quick Fix for a Dry Wood Front Door
This 1-step fix for a Dry Wood Front Door protects my door from sun damage, gets rid of heat haze, and makes the dry finish look beautiful!
Materials
Instructions
How Do You Fix A Dried Out Wood Door?
- It’s actually pretty easy to fix a dried out wood door. You can have this job done in 10 minutes with this wipe on door polish. Watch this video to see my hazy, sun-damaged dry wood front door go from bad to so, so good in this video.
How Do You Restore a Weathered Wood Door?
- Sometimes the damage will be so bad that you will have to restain the front door. But, if the discoloration isn’t too bad and the finish isn’t peeling, you should probably try Howard’s SunShield Outdoor Wax first.
- Start by wiping down your front door with a clean dry cloth or soft brush to remove any dirt. Then use a clean rag to apply the Sunshield Wax to your dry wood front door. I just keep applying more and rubbing it in until my door looks shiny again and all the dry-looking sun damage is gone.
- I seriously love this product. It works so well on my dry wood front door and protects the stain from more sun damage. After using it for a few years, I’m thinking I probably only need to restain my door every 5 to 7 years now. Which is a-mazing for a door that gets full Texas sun most of the day!
Howard’s SunShield Outdoor UV Wax
- One more quick tip about Howard’s SunShield Outdoor UV Wax. This product is made for use on your outdoor wood furniture too! So, it can do more than fixing that sun damaged, dry wood front door.
- It can also revive and restore teak outdoor furniture or other wood furniture that is getting dried out and damaged by the sun. Just follow the same steps you used on the door to clean off the dirt on your wood furniture. Then rub in the Howard’s SunShield with a clean rag.
Notes
My poor front door takes a serious beating from the hot Texas sun. I used to think I had to restain my front door every year or two to keep it looking nice. Then, one summer, the finish on my door was covered in heat haze and looking really dry, so I got desperate and tried a wipe on product that was supposed to fix a dry wood front door and protect it from the sun.
Well, I admit I thought it wasn’t going to do much. I was just hoping to make it look good enough until the weather cooled down and I could restain my door again without removing it. BUT, this stuff really was a-mazing, guys! As I rubbed it into my dry wood front door, the white heat haze disappeared and the finish started looking rich and shiny again.
You might also like this DIY for How to Whiten Tile Grout. It’s a Game Changer!
Check out these easy tips for Easy DIY Home Security Updates for your Doors.
If you have or are thinking about installing marble tile in your shower, check out the easy DIY steps I’m using to clean marble tile in a shower that won’t damage it.
Or, this amazingly easy DIY for how to clean your car seats at home.
And, if it is time to Stain your Front Door, check out these steps for how I restain a front door without stripping it or removing it. 🙂
Feeling inspired? Now that you’ve seen this easy fix for a sun damaged, Dry Wood Front Door, you can do it too.
Let me know if you have questions. Don’t forget to sign up for the Abbotts At Home email newsletter to get DIY, Remodeling, and Crafty ideas in your inbox.