Mahogany doors??

[CB works 14]

Here is a picture of two restaurant doors I have been asked to bid on to refinish. I am still very new to the wood restoration business but am dying to work on more wood. I'm so new that I'm not really sure that these doors are in fact mahogany. Being that this would be my first exterior door refinishing job, do you guys think that this is a task a newbie should be taking on?

Thanks,

Christian

[PressurePros 248]

Positively a different process than what you have learned here about decks. Are you are sure this is a solid wood door? It is hard to tell from the pictures.

If this were me, I would remove the doors, cover the glass as tightly as is possible, remove the hardware, strip, pH balance and reinstall. Let the moisture content lower and then progrssive sand to 100 grit. Apply an alkyd resin type penetrating sealer to all sides (something with pigment as opposed to dyes). After it dries, apply two coats of spar urethane with either a wet sanding or very fine sanding with steel wool in between coats. Be careful with the spar urethane between coats, it does not cure very solidly and using the stel wool can mar the finish.

I don't know your skill or confidence level but this is not really a wood newbie job. You can do it, just take your time. What are you thinking of quoting?

[Jeff 232]

Sometimes you can find a manufactures tag on the edge of the door and model # make sure its all wood, it may not be and it may just be a Mahog. finish.

Like said its a lot different than wood decks its more like refinishing furniture. I know a guy who does doors all thhe time and who you can make them look beautiful if you know how.

[CB works 14]

I'm going to check out the doors today to make certain that they are solid wood. I'm almost certain they are because of their age. I am confident that my skill level is where it needs to be to a job like this and I definitely think I can do it. It seems to me the real issue here is logistics (2-3 days with the doors off). These are the two doors to a restaurant, and now is the busy season down here. I am going to try to talk him into saving this project till winter. When it comes down to the $$$ this is a tough one. This restaurant is on the grounds to a hotel on an exclusive property and I really want to get more work out of this, so I was thinking of giving them an offer they cant refuse in the hopes getting of more work. So I was thinking around the $300 to $400 range, what do you think?

[PressurePros 248]

No way you can keep the doors off for multiple days . Thats why I put in my post 'reinstall' after you clean and strip.

You are right about the price. To do it right is a lengthy procedure. $400 seems awfully low for the amount of work to be performed but then again, I am not sure how much a place would pay to ahve a service like this done. If the doors aren't in a ton of direct sunlight you can get away with just maintaining the spar urethane every year.

In my opinion it has to be done correctly at least once every 3-4 years. Maybe others have some shortcuts and a better idea on FMV for this type of job.

[CB works 14]

Ken,

I saw the reinstall part of the post, but I was thinking of the finishing process of the job. Considering the lengthy dry and cure times, wouldn't it be risking the process with all the traffic the doors will be receiving during the finishing, Or is it not really that lengthy?

[CB works 14]

What do you think a job like this would be worth with also keeping in mind the amount of potential work this place could give me. I want to give them some kind of break with the hopes of even half of the work this place needs. or is that a bad practice? Should I just charge for what it is, or should I dangle the carrot?

[Neil_Asheville 114]

cb. i could see this project easily getting into the 12-15hrs range. easily. that's not including dry / cure or travel time. this is an estimate for me, at least. i've done plenty furniture and antique stuff, no doors though. i do know someone here :lgwave: on TGS that recently did a front door resto. Bueller?

what's 15hrs of your time worth? it's certainly not bad practice to discount your product to get more of their business. if your goal was to get a contract refinishing 100 of their exterior mahogany doors, then you do it for no charge. if you want their concrete cleaning or exterior wood work, find something else to interest them with that fits within your core service and pass on the doors. find your niche and own it.

/neil

[CB works 14]

Neil,

Thanks for the great info. I just got done meeting with the PM in charge and it turns out he and I grew up in the same area as I and we really hit it off. I'm not worried any more on getting this job in order to get more work. I am going to charge what I think it's worth. Another streak of good luck is that the restaurant will be closed for 5 days next month to get re carpeted so he said that that would be a perfect time to do it. I still have my work cut out on researching the process and testing some stripping techniques so I can give an accurate bid, so any info would be appreciated....Bueller.....Bueller Thanks,

Christian

PS. Like I said I'm still very new in the biz and am still trying to develop my niche and I definitely want wood restoration to be included.

[JFife 14]

Christian--

I was too tired to post on this yesterday, but you nailed it......the skill on this isn't that tough, it the logistical issues. Here is what I'd do:

1) Remove at night

2) Put on sawhorses

3) Apply Removall310

4) Stand guard at door for an hour

5) Powerwash off using airless paint sprayer

6) You and helper re-install door

7) Come back couple days

8) Sponge-sand surfaces, palm sand smooth bottoms/edges/tops

9) Brush on Sikkens cetol, attention to bottoms/edges

10) Have fans on to speed drying of 1st coat

11) 1st coat dries, re-install doors

12) Next night, 2nd coat (don't need to remove doors)

13) Next night, 3rd coat (don't need to remove doors)

Hope this helps...charge large, lots of legwork on this service. To speed it up/make easier, you could do a penetrating oil stain like RS, but won't have gloss look.

BTW, I'd say the door is Mahog from appearance. Definitely not oak.

[Celeste 341]

"Bueller" is off today :) Neil, those doors do look quite familiar don't they?

Celeste

[CB works 14]

Jon thanks,

That definitely helps. If I get the job I will more than likely need some details. The guy in charge of this project is off to Hawaii for two weeks starting today, and I should find out when he gets back. Does $800 sound about right for something like this?

Celeste,

"Bueller" is down here right now. I think I might go have a nice cold beverage with him, and see what he thinks.

Christian

[CB works 14]

Jon thanks,

That definitely helps. If I get the job I will more than likely need some details. The guy in charge of this project is off to Hawaii for two weeks starting today, and I should find out when he gets back. Does $800 sound about right for something like this?

Celeste,

"Bueller" is down here right now. I think I might go have a nice cold beverage with him, and see what he thinks.

Christian

[Celeste 341]

Yes, I know - which means I get no MINUTES off, much less any days :(

Celeste

[squirtgun 122]

Yes Sir you gotz sum mitee purty,firnitur graded MOHogOnay doors there.

$900+ to strip,step sand from 120 to 220,stain(gel stains rock for furniture) and cabinetry) and varnish(if these were interior doors they would get sealed,sanded and laquered x 3).Lots of man hours and detail work.Multiple trips to job site etc. etc.

If you aren't sure you can handle the refinishing of the doors walk away.......BUT...if you can......Charge accordingly and don't worry about other possible work.

[CB works 14]

Here are the doors I did this summer. I kind of wanted to forget about this job, that's why I haven't got around to posting them till now. I learned a real important lesson on this one. Never take a job you have haven't done before, with a deadline only an experienced contractor could keep up with. Being that they needed the doors back in three days I didn't want to pressure wash them and have to wait till they dry. So I got a striper that wasn't caustic and I wouldn't have to neutralize, figured I could apply, bag, and scrape. Well, I applied, and bagged, then when I came back the next morning the doors sucked all the moisture out if the striper and it was like dried, caked tooth paste on the doors. After lots of cussing, scraping and wishing I had listened to most of you, the only thing left I could do was to sand them. So after 10 hours sleep in three days I got the job done. I think I'm just now caught up with the sleep I lost. They were happy and I have got some more work out of it so I guess It paid off....I think.

[RCBill 14]

Scott has this right. On top of the skill needed to do the door well, you'll need to deal with traffic. It doesn't matter that the restaurant will be closed, people will want to use the doors.

This isn't a wood job like those written of here. It is a furniture job.

Don't work for carrots. No business is better'n bad business. Learn on something that you'll see again.

I did a local Applebee's front doors. I'll take a day off before I work for a restaurant again.

[PressurePros 248]

If its any consolation they look beautiful.

[CB works 14]

Scott has this right. On top of the skill needed to do the door well, you'll need to deal with traffic. It doesn't matter that the restaurant will be closed, people will want to use the doors.

This isn't a wood job like those written of here. It is a furniture job.

Don't work for carrots. No business is better'n bad business. Learn on something that you'll see again.

I did a local Applebee's front doors. I'll take a day off before I work for a restaurant again.

RCBill,

That's it, they didn't want the doors on property while they were being worked on. I took them off, boarded the entrance ( there was another one), and took them to my shop. (converted my surfboard factory for three days). I ended up charging $900 for this job. I can't say it wasn't worth it because now my foot is in the door, but if it was just for the doors I would have to say it wasn't.

Ken,

Thanks it is.

I am happy with the outcome, it's just how I got there I would like to forget.

[DecoDesignCenter 14]

I must admit, great job you performed since it was your 1st time finishing wood doors. Good job!!

Edited May 10, 2011 by Beth n Rod

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

This thread is from 2006.