Although we expect much of the front doors of our homes, we pay scant attention to them once they have been selected to give the right atmosphere and architectural detail. There is, however, something else besides the character and design of the front door that conveys to guests their first impression of the home, and that is its state of preservation.

Too many fine doors with outside exposure have come to be a source of annoyance because the finish has crumbled away, faded or blistered in the sun, or because they have warped badly or even show signs of falling apart on their hinges.

For the exacting service of finishing doors it must be remembered that only the finest paint, enamel, varnish, or lacquer should be used. Furthermore, every inch of the door must be protected, not merely the front and back faces and the lock edge. Even painters, in their rush to finish a job taken on a price basis, often fail to coat the top and bottom edges of doors to seal the surface against moisture. And what is the use of sealing the front and back if we leave the top and bottom edges to draw up water like a sponge?

Some doors, particularly those of the flush-panel type, consist of a soft wood core of many small pieces glued together and veneer glued on the exposed surfaces. Even if waterproof glue has been used in the construction of a door of this kind, it will be affected by moisture unless well protected with a waterproof finish, and if ordinary glue has been used, it has about as much chance to hold together in the presence of moisture as a Japanese lantern.

Doors made of planks or of solid wood stiles with solid panels will withstand water reasonably well, but they are likely to warp as much as ½ or ¾ in. out of line unless well protected. Doors are made from very dry wood, and it is well known that unless they are given a coating of some protective material the minute they arrive at a new building they are likely to absorb enough moisture, if only from the damp air, to cause them to warp.

This section will describe in detail the application of enamels of the varnish-base type (not brushing lacquers).

Be sure to choose an enamel made specifically for exterior wear. It will cost from $5 to $8 a gallon, but you will need only about one quart for a door. Exterior enamel usually comes in white alone, but sometimes it can be obtained in light tints. White enamel can be tinted by adding to it a little of the desired color ground in japan - that is, in varnish. If only a small amount of color is needed for a very light tint, it is possible to use the more common and easily obtained tinting colors ground in oil. In either case, thin a little of the color with turpentine and break up the lumps, if any, of course; then strain it through cheesecloth before adding it to the white enamel.

Before the enamel is applied, however, a new door should have at least two coats of enamel undercoater. This also must be of a type made for exterior use. An enamel undercoater for interior wear may turn gray or black when exposed outside. In place of a prepared undercoater, you can use a coat of white lead thinned with a mixture of three parts turpentine and one part boiled linseed oil.

Fig. 19. - Applying the first coat of enamel on a front door.

An old door that has been varnished should first be sandpapered well with No. 1 paper to cut the gloss. If the old varnish is simply dull or shows fine hairline cracks, there is no need to remove it. If, however, it is scaling off, sandpaper hard enough to take off all the varnish. Unless it comes off easily, use a liquid varnish remover, which will hasten the work.

If you have to finish an old door from which all the varnish has been removed, use as a first coat the enamel undercoater as it comes from the can (Fig. 19). If some of the varnish remains, however, the first coat of enamel undercoater should have a few ounces of the enamel added to it to make it take a firmer hold on the old surface. For the second coat, use the straight undercoater.

One of the best brushes for applying both the undercoats and the enamel is a 2- or 2½- in. flat varnish brush. You must have a good one.

A convenient procedure is to remove the door and stand it on the front or back edge. Paint the top and bottom edges, hang the door again, and paint the front and back edges. Then paint the front and back faces. In the case of a four- or six- or eight-panel door it is well to paint the edges, then the moldings on the edges of the panels, front and back, then the panel faces, and finally the remainder of the face surfaces.

As to the handling of the brush, avoid stretching the enamel undercoater out too much. "While it should be firmly brushed into contact with the surface, it should not be spread to make a very thin film, as is done with outside paints. Applying the enamel is a bit more difficult. Fill the brush well and, except on the edges, apply the enamel with the idea of covering about one square foot with a brushful. Just flow it on and do not brush it any more than you must to distribute it evenly. Repeat with a second brushful and do not work over the first area until you have coated in about a square yard.

Then wipe the brush on the side of the pot until all surplus enamel has been worked out, and brush over the surface which you have coated. This is to distribute the enamel finally and to pick up any excess. Repeat this series of operations until the whole surface has been coated. Watch closely for about twenty minutes. If too much enamel has been put on in places, it will sag or "curtain." If you act quickly you can brush out the enamel evenly again and eliminate any defects.

In enameling the panels or in working around lights of glass in a door, as in Fig. 19, be careful to avoid leaving too much enamel on the edges of moldings and in the corners.

Each coat of enamel undercoater should be rubbed lightly with No. 00 sandpaper - merely to cut off any dust and dirt nibs. Then wash the surfaces clean with a sponge and water and let them dry before painting again.

If a hand-rubbed effect is wanted on gloss enamel, wait two or three days until the second coat of enamel is hard and then rub it with fine powdered pumice stone and water on a piece of soft felt tacked to a block of wood as in Fig. 20. Fold the felt over the ends of the block and place the tacks in the ends; otherwise they would scratch the surface. Wet the enamel with water, wet the felt, and pick up some of the dry-pumice stone. Rub with an even pressure up and down, that is, lengthwise of the boards, and do the same amount of rubbing on each division of the area.

Fig. 20. - For the finest effect on a front door, the enamel is rubbed smooth with pumice stone and water.

Do not rub the moldings and door edges, as it is very easy to cut through the enamel at such places. At most give these places one or two strokes with the rubbing pad, or use a short stiff bristle brush.

If a noticeable amount of dust collects on the first coat of enamel, it is well to water-rub it instead of merely sandpapering it lightly. Do not rub any more than is necessary to cut off the gloss.

The task of rubbing enamel is not nearly as hard as amateur painters are likely to imagine. By stroking off the sludge with one's thumb and inspecting the surface, it is easy to see just how far the rubbing process should be continued to give the smooth, satiny appearance which is so greatly prized and is always indicative of the highest grade enamel work.

A satisfactory effect can be obtained without rubbing through the use of a special semiflat drying enamel instead of a high gloss enamel. The last coat of this type of enamel does not require to be rubbed.

There is something to be said, too, in favor of using high gloss enamel and letting the last coat stand without rubbing. It is claimed that an unrubbed gloss enamel resists the elements a little better than one which has been rubbed because it presents such a tough, smooth, and unbroken film. Furthermore, the shiny glare of a newly enameled door, even if it is not rubbed, becomes softened quickly enough in most localities because of the dust and soot in the atmosphere and the consequent necessity of frequent washings.