Is your wood front door drying out? I can help!
My poor sun damaged, weathered wood 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, my door was covered in heat haze and the finish on my door was just looking really dry and sun damaged.
So, I got desperate and tried a wipe on product that was supposed to restore a weathered wooden 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 wipe on product really does restore sun-damaged wood, guys!
As I rubbed it into my weathered wooden door, the white heat haze completely 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 prevent front door sun damage and keep the stain on my front door looking beautiful.
It’s a super easy wood front door maintenance option! Let’s get to those steps to fix a faded front door.
Table of contents
How Do You Fix A Faded Front Door
Watch this short video to see how easy it is to restore front doors with this wipe on wax.
How To Restore A Weathered Wooden Front Door
You can usually restore a weathered wooden door with a wipe on wax designed to protect the finish and restore the shine.
But, sometimes the damage will be so bad that you will have to restain a front door with weather damage. Don’t worry, I have a post with easy steps to stain a door without taking it down.
But, if the discoloration isn’t too bad and the finish isn’t peeling, you should 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.
That stuff works amazingly well to restore sun damaged wood doors. Watch the video above, if you want to see it in action.
I just keep applying more and rubbing it in until my door looks shiny and all the dry looking sun damage on the wood door is gone.
I seriously love this product. It works so well on all of my weathered wood outside. You can use it on wood patio furniture too. And it protects the stain from more sun damage.
After using it for a few years, I’m thinking I probably only need to refinish my door every 5 to 7 years now. Which is amazing for a door that gets full Texas sun most of the day!
Use It To Fix Faded Outdoor Furniture Too
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, weathered wood 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.
Easy Wood Front Door Maintenance Plan
It’s actually pretty easy to restore a dried out wood door. Most minor cracks and drying in the finish on your wooden door will look so much better after applying Howard’s Sunshield.
It’s a wipe on wax that will restore the shine and color on a sun damaged wood door. AND, best of all, that wax will protect the door from most sun damage for a few months.
And, it extends the life of the finish on your front door for years longer than it would last without it. Just be sure to apply Howard’s Sunshield every few months to keep the finish looking nice, and shiny.
You can have this job done in 10 minutes with this wipe on door polish and skip the front door restoration for a few more years.
How To Protect Wood Doors From Sun Damage
If you want to protect wood doors from sun damage, there are many waxes and outdoor grade sealers that can help. My favorite is Howard’s SunShield Wood Conditioner and Protectant.
Just apply it every few months to protect wood doors and outdoor furniture. That wipe on wax will protect and extend the life of the stain finish on your wood exterior doors. It’s really so easy!
That’s it for how to protect wood doors from sun damage and restore faded front doors. I hope this helped. Good luck!
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Feeling inspired? Now that you’ve seen this easy fix for a sun damaged, weathered wood 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.
Stephanie Abbott has been remodeling homes, updating & building furniture, and working on DIY home maintenance and cleaning tips for over 20 years. Her remodeling has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. And, her DIY YouTube channel has had more than 8 million views.
Most of the DIY tutorials and videos on this site focus on beginner to intermediate level DIY Projects that can be done in an affordable way without high-end, expensive tools. All of the cleaning tips on this website have been tested in her home.