How to Guide
2
FINISHING AND REFINISHING INSTRUCTIONS
for Interior and Exterior Door Slabs and Systems (JCM004)
PREPARE THE DOOR
If renishing a previously nished door slab, use the following recommendations for the product you have. The achieved result will depend on the skill
of the person doing the renishing. We recommend seeking the help of a skilled professional if unsure. After preparing the previous nish, follow the
nishing instructions in the following sections.
Doors that were Painted Doors that were Stained
Steel and
Smooth Pro
Fiberglass
1. Scuff sand with 150 grit sandpaper or ner or buff the surface
of the door thoroughly with 0000 steel wool until the entire
surface is dulled and even. Feather out areas where the previous
nish is cracked or peeling by removing all loose material and
sanding outward until the surface is uniformly level.
2. Remove all loose debris with tack cloth (available in store paint
sections) and re-prime bare areas with a good quality water-
based primer appropriate for the substrate. Re-priming the
entire door will provide the best surface for the new top coat.
N/A
Wood
(Authentic
Wood,
Premium
Composite and
Molded)
1. Scuff sand with 400 grit sandpaper or buff the surface of the door thoroughly with 0000 steel wool until the entire surface is dulled
and even. Feather out areas where the previous nish is cracked or peeling by removing all loose material and sanding outward
until the surface is uniformly level.
2. Remove all loose debris with tack cloth (available in store paint sections) and re-prime bare areas with a good quality water-based
primer appropriate for the substrate. Re-priming the entire door will provide the best surface for the new top coat.
3. Doors that were stained will need to be stripped and/or sanded to bare wood and then can be re-stained and top coated or painted.
Architectural
and
Design Pro
Fiberglass,
FiberLast and
Finishield
Steel
1. Do not attempt to remove the nish with paint stripper, solvents or other chemicals, instead, buff the surface of the door
thoroughly with 0000 steel wool until the entire surface is dulled and even.
2. Remove all loose debris with tack cloth (available in store paint sections).
3. Doors that were stained can be re-top coated with clear nish or painted if a color change is desired.
4. For Fiberglass doors, refer to the stain kit instructions for renishing.
1
1
2
1
4
4
1
1
1
3
3
3
3
2
2
PREVIOUSLY UNFINISHED PRODUCTS
• If the door slab has a glass insert, install the provided screw covers
over the screw heads around the glass insert.
• Clean the door with a clean, lint-free cloth, removing all dust and
foreign debris. For light cleaning, a one part vinegar to ten parts
water mixture can be used. For tough dirt removal, use denatured
alcohol making sure all residue is removed by turning the cloth
often while cleaning. Allow the door to dry thoroughly. DO NOT USE
SANDPAPER OR LACQUER THINNER ON ARCHITECTURAL OR DESIGN/
SMOOTH PRO FIBERGLASS, OR FINISHIELD
®
DOORS.
For Wood Doors Only:
• Before applying rst nishing coat, lightly block sand with the grain
all surfaces by hand with 400 grit sandpaper. Remove all handling
marks, raise grain, scuffs, burnishes and other undesirable blemishes.
For doors with wood veneers, veneers are very thin and it can be
easy to sand through the veneer. Do not sand veneers any more than
necessary.
• Stile and rail doors have wood panels that can oat. If necessary,
adjust panels before nishing by carefully realigning with a wood
block and hammer.
FINISH THE DOOR
Use the table below to nd your
product and desired nish and
follow the instructions in the
corresponding box. The illustration
to the right shows the recommended
order to apply nishing materials
to the door by any method except
spraying. Finishing materials should
be rst applied, in the direction
of the arrows, to the door panels
(1), then to the vertical members,
or stiles (2), horizontal members,
or rails (3) and nally to the outer
stiles (4). This method has been
tested to yield the best results. You
may, however, use any method that
youchoose.