Exterior Door Refinishing- Baton Rouge area

Should I sand and stain/poly, or paint?
---

Really a matter of personal preference.

Paint may be more durable and longer lasting, as well as easier to redo next time.

Whatever you choose to do, please make sure you are using products suitable for exterior use. If you don’t, you’re wasting your time and money.
I’ve seen more exterior doors/wood windows ruined by using the wrong products, generally Minwax stain with a non-spar or interior grade polyurethane.

Mine were pretty bad when I moved into my house. I decided to give it a shot myself and it came out ok. I did it in 2019 and then had it redone in the summer of 2025, so the stain lasted about 5-6 years facing direct sun in the evening. Here’s a before and after.



In summer of 2025 I used Geaux Feaux painting. You can find them on Facebook, they are good but usually booked for like 6 months in advance. They use paint and make it look like wood. They did several houses in my neighborhood over the last few years. It was $775 for both doors. This is before and after.

That looks great. My front entrance is very similar. $750 isn't bad at all
Did they sand and then paint, or just strip? I like that color a lot.

Also, they will replace the seals around the door for a little extra but not the bottom ones. I replaced all the seals myself before they came and did the paint.