Wood Refinishing Guides
What you need to know before refinishing your woodwork — written by Sue Wheeler, not a content team.
Methods & Technique
Most people think refinishing means a full strip. Sue Wheeler invented a third option — wet sand, color coat, and topcoat for finishes that are sound underneath. Faster, less invasive, and extends finish life 5–10 years.
Methods & Technique
Chemical dip tanks raise wood grain, dissolve hide glue joinery, and leave old-growth wood looking flat. Here's what hand-stripping does instead — and how to tell which method a contractor uses.
Safety & Compliance
89.8% of St. Louis City homes predate 1978. If yours does, lead paint is almost certainly present. Here's what the EPA requires, what certification means, and how to verify a contractor.
Cost & Planning
Realistic price ranges for door refinishing, staircase refinishing, and kitchen cabinet refinishing in St. Louis — plus what drives cost up or down, and how it compares to replacement.
Decision Guide
For pre-1950s St. Louis homes, the original woodwork is old-growth wood that cannot be replicated. A clear decision framework — with a condition table and real cost comparisons — for doors, staircases, and cabinets.
Diagnostic Guide
Peeling finish, water rings, yellowing clear coat, alligatoring, dark stains — this diagnostic guide identifies every common damage type, what caused it, and whether it needs Perk Up & Protect or a full strip and refinish.
Free estimates. No obligation. Sue answers every call personally.