Door refinishing in St. Louis.
Every door in your home tells you something about the people who built it. We make sure the finish tells the right story.
Front doors. Interior doors. French doors. Pocket doors.
Doors are the most-handled architectural element in any home. They take UV exposure from outside, humidity cycling from inside, daily contact from everyone who uses them, and the accumulated grime of decades. A well-refinished door handles all of that and looks right doing it.
Front door refinishing
Curb appeal. UV protection. The first impression of your home.
Learn moreInterior door refinishing
Stain consistency, finish matching, original character preserved.
Learn moreFrench door refinishing
Multi-lite doors with glass. Hand prep required — no shortcuts.
Learn morePocket door refinishing
The feature that defines a CWE or Lafayette Square home.
Learn moreWe take the door to the shop. Not the shop to the door.
Most contractors refinish doors in place — which means chemical stripper, fumes, and dust in your home. We do it differently.
For the majority of door projects, we remove the door from its hinges, transport it to our shop, strip and finish it in a controlled environment, then return it and hang it. The result is better — controlled humidity and temperature produce a more consistent cure — and the process is less disruptive for you. No chemical smell lingering in your hallway. No sanding dust on your floors.
We call this the board-up method. It's the reason four hours of shop time typically replaces what would otherwise be a full day on-site.
On-premise work is available when removal isn't practical — for very large doors, built-in applications, or commercial spaces with scheduling constraints.
Most St. Louis doors have lead paint. We handle it correctly.
If your home was built before 1978 — and in St. Louis, that's the overwhelming majority of older homes — the paint on your doors almost certainly contains lead. Stripping those doors without EPA-certified lead-safe protocols generates lead dust. In the room your family walks through every day.
Sue Wheeler is an EPA Certified Lead Removal. Every door project on a pre-1978 home is handled with proper containment, HEPA filtration, wet-sanding methods, and documented cleanup. You receive a completion record for your property file.
This is not optional compliance language. This is what correct work on these surfaces requires.
Strip & Refinish or Perk Up & Protect?
Strip & Refinish (S&R)
Complete restoration. Strip to bare wood, repair any damage, stain if needed, finish with polyurethane. For doors with failing finish, significant wear, UV damage, or major color change. This is the right choice for most doors that haven't been properly finished in years.
Perk Up & Protect (PUP)
Maintenance coat. Light sand and fresh finish over a solid existing base. For doors that are structurally sound and holding finish, but looking dull or lightly worn. Faster, less expensive, not right for every door — we'll tell you which applies to yours.
"Our front door was the first thing guests saw — and it was embarrassing. Sue refinished it in a week. Now it looks like it came from the 1890s because it did, and it shows."
— Homeowner, Lafayette Square
Common questions
Let's talk about your doors.
Free estimate. No obligation. Sue answers every call personally.