Door Refinishing — Central West End
Door refinishing in the Central West End.
The Central West End was built between 1880 and 1920 by people who expected it to last. The old-growth fir and oak doors they hung are still here, still sound — they just need the finish stripped and restored correctly.
What makes Central West End doors different
The Central West End is one of St. Louis's great Victorian and Edwardian neighborhoods — brownstones, limestone mansions, and ornate row houses built for families who expected craftsmanship as a baseline. The doors that came with these homes were milled from old-growth Douglas fir, white oak, and chestnut at a time when those species were still harvested from mature forests. The grain is tight. The wood is dense. There's nothing like it available new.
What those doors have accumulated in 100 to 140 years is a different story. Layer after layer of paint — most of it lead-based. Shellac applied over original stain that's shifted color for a century. Wax on top of wax. The original finish hasn't been seen in decades on most of these doors, and the layers that cover it have failed, cracked, yellowed, or simply become too thick to present well.
We hand-strip every door. No dipping — chemical dip tanks damage the glue joints in raised-panel doors, raise the grain, and destroy any hope of a clean final finish. Hand stripping is slower, but it's the only method that preserves what makes these doors worth restoring in the first place.
For most Central West End door projects, we use the board-up method: the door is removed from its hinges, transported to our shop, stripped and finished in a controlled environment, then returned and rehung. The result is a more consistent finish cure and no chemical fumes in your home during the process.
Front doors, pocket doors, French doors — and everything between
Front door refinishing
The entry door on a CWE brownstone or mansion is a statement piece — often substantial in scale, paneled, with original hardware. UV exposure from a west or south facing orientation breaks down finish quickly. We strip to bare wood, make any surface repairs, and apply a UV-resistant polyurethane built for exterior use. The result protects the wood while preserving the character that makes CWE entries distinctive.
Pocket door refinishing
Pocket doors are essentially universal in the larger CWE homes — parlor to dining room, library to study, front hall to rear. Most are original fir or oak and in structurally good condition under decades of failed finish. We pull the panel out of the wall cavity, work it in our shop, and reinstall. The hardware — typically original bronze or brass — stays intact. These doors are one of the most satisfying jobs we do because the transformation is dramatic and the wood underneath is always beautiful.
Interior door sets
CWE homes often have a full complement of interior doors in matching fir or oak. When you refinish one, the others immediately look worse by comparison. We frequently work through an entire floor or a whole house interior door set to maintain stain consistency and visual coherence. Matching an existing stain across different batches of old-growth wood is part of the work.
French doors and glass-lite doors
French doors and glass-panel doors require hand work around every lite — no shortcuts with orbital sanders near glass. We've done hundreds of these in CWE homes opening to rear porches and formal gardens. The finish work around the glass has to be precise, and the finish itself has to be flexible enough to handle the expansion and contraction that comes with seasonal humidity changes.
EPA Certified Lead Removal — required for most CWE homes
The overwhelming majority of Central West End homes were built before 1940. Under EPA RRP regulations, any refinishing work that disturbs painted surfaces in a pre-1978 home must be performed by an EPA Certified Lead Removal. Sue Wheeler holds that certification.
Her process includes proper containment of the work area, HEPA vacuum filtration, wet methods to control dust, and documented cleanup. You receive a completion record. Every door project we do in the CWE is handled this way — not because we have to advertise it, but because it's what correct work on these surfaces requires.
"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, Westminster Place, Central West End
Common questions
Do you refinish doors in the Central West End?
Yes — the CWE is one of our most active neighborhoods. Sue has been working here for her entire 36-year career. We refinish front doors, interior doors, French doors, and pocket doors. Call (314) 367-6054 for a free in-person estimate.
What types of doors are common in Central West End homes?
Most CWE homes have substantial paneled entry doors in old-growth Douglas fir or white oak. Pocket doors are nearly universal in the larger homes and row houses. Many also have French doors opening to rear gardens or formal parlors. The wood is old-growth — tighter grain, greater density than anything milled today.
Do Central West End doors have lead paint?
Almost certainly. The vast majority of CWE homes predate 1940. Any painted surface can be assumed to contain lead until tested otherwise. Sue Wheeler is EPA Certified. Every door project is handled with proper containment, HEPA filtration, and documented cleanup.
Let's talk about your Central West End doors.
Free estimate. No obligation. Sue answers every call personally — (314) 367-6054.