How to repair/refinish 50 year old interior flat stained wood doors?
My doors have taken a beating including hot glued plaques from the prior owners which I've covered and/or ignored for 15 years and holes from a variety of sources, some as big as 8" x 6". I have painted the interior white; the doors are currently a mid tone wood and the floors 50 year old oak hardwood which I may be able to refinish in the next couple of years. I would love to have them stained again, but I can't see how if I was to repair with putty. They are a non-standard size, so replacement would be expensive. I am not the greatest at DIY, but I try. Suggestions appreciated.
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Gee with that kind of damage, I would go to Habitat for Humanity Restore and buy a few recycled ones,.. cheap from $20. It will cost you more in product to fix your very damaged ones.
Otherwise, I think I would buy a sheet of veneer or laminate and glue it on.
I f you are locked into restoring their original look, Sharon (above) has outlined your best options. If you want to change their look you can repair and add moldings or thin paneling. There are many tutorials on Hometalk.
Since you confess to not being a skilled DIYer hanging new or different doors may be too challenging. I suggest you work on one door at a time. Set up a pair of saw horses and cusion the tops with old towels or rugs. Plan on scraping off old glue, filling holes and sanding everything down. Invest in a palm sander to help with the hardest part. Use good quality primer and paint. If your doors do not come out smooth then avoid shiny paint.