oak door

[Jules001]

The front door on my house is an old oak door. It is probably the original one from when the house was built and has a little stained glass panel in the centre. I would love to be able to keep this door, but it just looks a bit scruffy. I'm not sure if it has got varnish or something on it layered from years ago, does anyone know how I can restore it to it's original glory?

[gen2]

That sounds just like the front door to my mother's house which was built in the 1930's.  That one is still as good as new.  It has never been varnished, instead, about every 5 years or so one of us rubs linseed oil into it (just like preserving a cricket bat). Sometimes we might give it a light rub down with sandpaper first.

If yours has varnish on it, then it might need a bit more serious rubbing down with sandpaper before adding the oil.

[dmsjps]

Hi Jules001, I agree with gen2: strip it back to the bare wood and apply linseed oil to 'feed' it, which will restore the beauty of the wood. If you have children or live near a main road though, it could become 'grubby' from dirty fingers and/or traffic fumes, so you will just have to clean it now and then. Not as easy as on painted or varnished wood, but still do-able. Good luck.