Wood Refinishing in Lafayette Square
St. Louis's oldest intact Victorian neighborhood — carved newel posts, ornate pocket door surrounds, and wainscoting that defines every room. Sue Wheeler has worked here for decades.
Lafayette Square is St. Louis's oldest intact Victorian neighborhood. The homes here were built primarily between 1865 and 1895 — Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, and Romanesque Revival styles that packed more wood into their interiors than almost any other era of residential construction.
These aren't just old houses. They're houses with carved newel posts, ornate turned spindles, elaborate pocket door surrounds, and wainscoting that runs floor to ceiling in the dining room. The woodwork wasn't decorative — it was structural identity. Restoring it is the whole point.
Sue Wheeler has worked in Lafayette Square throughout her career. She knows the neighborhood's stock and its quirks: the original fir floors with shellac finishes, the pocket doors that have been painted shut and forgotten, the front doors that face south and take a beating from the sun every year.
What We Do Most Often in Lafayette Square
Lafayette Square homes concentrate the best of what makes historic St. Louis woodwork worth saving — and some of the most challenging refinishing conditions.
Pocket door refinishing
Lafayette Square homes often have multiple sets of pocket doors, frequently in original fir or oak with intricate raised panel detail. Many have been painted over one or more times. We remove them from the pocket, hand-strip the finish, refinish to match the surrounding millwork, and reinstall. Hardware is preserved wherever possible.
Staircase refinishing
Victorian staircases in Lafayette Square are frequently the most ornate part of the house: turned and carved spindles, heavy carved newel posts, continuous curved railings. Every component has to be stripped by hand — the profiles on these pieces make dipping impossible without destroying the detail.
Front door refinishing
The front door on a Lafayette Square home is a statement. Most are solid wood with raised panels and transoms. South-facing doors get UV and weather damage year after year. We remove the door, strip and refinish it in our shop, and rehang it — usually in one visit.
Historic District Status and Tax Credits
Lafayette Square is a Local Historic District — qualifying rehabilitation work may be eligible for the Missouri Historic Tax Credit (25–35%), and properties listed individually on the National Register may also qualify for the Federal Historic Tax Credit (20%). Check with your tax advisor and the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office to confirm your property's status.
Wood refinishing qualifies as a Qualified Rehabilitation Expenditure when the work is compliant with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. Hand-strip method: compliant. Chemical dip-stripping: not compliant — it can alter the wood's character and disqualify the expenditure.
EPA note: Lafayette Square homes almost universally predate 1978 — most predate 1900. EPA RRP regulations apply to any work that disturbs lead paint. Sue Wheeler is EPA Certified and follows proper containment and documentation procedures on every job.
From a Lafayette Square Client
"We have pocket doors on both floors — six sets total. They'd all been painted shut at some point. Sue opened them up, stripped the paint by hand, refinished them to match the floors, and they actually work now. It was a significant project and she handled every piece of it."
— Homeowner, Lafayette Square
Get a Free Estimate for Your Lafayette Square Home
Sue Wheeler answers every call personally: (314) 367-6054
She's been working in Lafayette Square for decades. She'll look at your pocket doors, your staircase, your front door — and tell you exactly what they need and what it will cost.
Request a Free Estimate →EPA Certified Lead Removal. Est. 1989. St. Louis Magazine — "Perfect Finish."
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