This project in Beverly Hills, CA involved repair and touch-up of a front door with extensive interior damage. The door was an original solid core unit that had been varnished when the building was built. Over roughly 10 years the homeowner’s rescued poodle, who is blind and becomes anxious when the owner leaves, repeatedly scratched at the door when he heard the owner coming up the hall. The owner had never had the door repaired until now, and the scratches and gouges were concentrated on the side the dog reached most.
We discussed two approaches with the homeowner. The full revarnish would have required removing the door and taking it off-site, where a complete revarnish process would take about 13 days. To save time and avoid removing the door, in Beverly Hills offered an in-place repair and refinishing solution that restored the appearance while protecting the wood.
Our plan used two site visits to complete the project without removing the door. On the first visit we cleaned and prepared the damaged areas using a denatured alcohol wipe to remove dirt, oils, and loose finish. After the surface was clean we applied grain filler to fill cracks and gouges, shaping it to the existing contours so the repair would sit flush with the surrounding wood.
Next we applied shellac over the repaired areas. The shellac served as a barrier between the old varnish and the lacquer we planned to use for the final touch-up. Because varnish and lacquer do not mix well, the shellac prevented a cloudy film from forming and helped us preserve the original tones in the existing finish.
We returned on the second day to apply the lacquer touch-ups. The lacquer was used to blend the repaired areas into the surrounding varnished surface and to bring back the natural tones of the original finish. Working in small sections allowed us to match sheen and color as closely as possible to the existing varnish without a full door removal and revarnish.
The result was a finished repair completed in place, avoiding the time and logistics of removing the door for a 13-day revarnish. completed the front door repair and touch-up in Beverly Hills, CA using a two-visit process that addressed the scratches and gouges, protected the wood, and restored the door’s appearance while respecting the original varnished finish.
Service provided: Wood Furniture Repair
Location: Beverly Hills, CA