What should I do with this door?

[WickedLou9]

I got a new front door put in finally. The old one was probably 90 years old.

Anyway... It's a fiberglass door with a wood grain embossed into it and it will take a gel-stain so that it looks like wood. I'm doing the outside in a dark wood stain that should go well with the house I think. I'm still not sure what to do with the inside... the old door was painted white on the inside.

What do you guys think? Paint it white? Stain it? Leave t alone? Do something else?

[thomez]

stain brown so it matches the wood floor

[Publius]

i like the stained glass in your window.

I'd say pain it white to match the trim; from the angle in the picture the floor looks like that wood color would look weird on a door.

[JaJae]

I say the floor brown might look weird. White would be too bright. I'd go with a similar tan (wood brown) as the way the light is hitting your back couch. Not too light, not too dark.

[thomez]

I'm really not sure after looking at it again. The floor color might look too dark compared to the overload of white and the light colored walls.

White might be the best option, at least then it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. White probably is the safest "can't go wrong" choice.

[Roonie]

It is obviously a 1900 era's house.

Paint it red and give some life to that room.

Second option would be to paint it white like the rest of the trim

third option would be wood stain but I have found dark wood stain on fiberglass door looks bad and you can always tell it is fiberglass. The oval is a sure giveaway.

[Rouger2]

leave it alone it looks good just the way it is. I don't like to comment on things like this though it might hurt my manly image.

[Ardentfrost]

Originally Posted by Rouger2

leave it alone it looks good just the way it is. I don't like to comment on things like this though it might hurt my manly image.

I think the women's underwear you wear does a better job of that

[WickedLou9]

Originally Posted by Roonie

It is obviously a 1900 era's house.

Paint it red and give some life to that room.

Second option would be to paint it white like the rest of the trim

third option would be wood stain but I have found dark wood stain on fiberglass door looks bad and you can always tell it is fiberglass. The oval is a sure giveaway.

yeah it is. Not sure what year, early 1900's probably... judging by the old lines for the gas lights that we found in the attic... that and the edison era knob and tube wiring


BTW, here is the front of the house...


not sure if red would go really.

[Roonie]

My guess is 1905-1910. The fir trim pieces and small front door opening are period pieces. Also the stained glass and single pane windows with the old glass waterry look is usually that era as they floated the glass at that time to make it which is why they call it water glass. Also don't know if that shelf on the right is covering radiators if not then the heating system has been updated. The front has been cannabalized with vinyl siding and the porch has been rebuilt but the lines are still there. Also the front brickwork is new.

[WickedLou9]

Originally Posted by Roonie

My guess is 1905-1910. The fir trim pieces and small front door opening are period pieces. Also the stained glass and single pane windows with the old glass waterry look is usually that era as they floated the glass at that time to make it which is why they call it water glass. Also don't know if that shelf on the right is covering radiators if not then the heating system has been updated. The front has been cannabalized with vinyl siding and the porch has been rebuilt but the lines are still there. Also the front brickwork is new.

Yes it's covering a radiator, but the boiler is new.
I have no idea when the siding was done. It's aluminum actually and it's not just the front, it's the whole house. I don't really like it but it was here when we bought the place and I think there is some sort of foam insulation under it. Alot of the important stuff has been upgraded. It's got a new roof, new water heater, new boiler, new central A/C units, the only bad thing is the knob and tube wiring. Some of the house is updated, like the kitchen and baths, but the rest still has the original wiring.

[RMNIXON]

I prefer a darker more natural wood look. Love your exterior!

[WickedLou9]

I know it was built sometime before 1934 atleast, because I found these tucked away in the attic



3 cent postage stamp!

[Roonie]

If you really wanted to the aluminum siding can be recycled ans they will pay you money for it. Its a big project and not to be taken lightly. The foam underneath is a ridgid foam insulation. Hopefully with some of the updates they also added some sort of insulation like blown in insulation in the walls??

[Roonie]

My front door. It is dark green.

[WickedLou9]

Originally Posted by Roonie

If you really wanted to the aluminum siding can be recycled ans they will pay you money for it. Its a big project and not to be taken lightly. The foam underneath is a ridgid foam insulation. Hopefully with some of the updates they also added some sort of insulation like blown in insulation in the walls??

nah that would be big bucks.
no insulation because of the knob and tube wires

[Roonie]

You can still use styrofoam panels with knob and tube wiring for insulation. It just requires more work. You should upgrade the wiring anyways as K & T wiring is not sufficeint for todays appliances and energy draws.

[WickedLou9]

Originally Posted by Roonie

You can still use styrofoam panels with knob and tube wiring for insulation. It just requires more work. You should upgrade the wiring anyways as K & T wiring is not sufficeint for todays appliances and energy draws.

Yeah I know, Just trying to put it off cause it's going to be thousands of dollars to get it all re-done

[Linzyhop]

my mom recently moved up to Rhode Island and has a very old house as well, and i grew up in Maryland in a 200 year old stone house. My mom has always brought the older houses she's lived in back to the original beauty of when they were first built, with painting, decorating and taking down a lot of the modern crap (like false shutters and whatnot). so i've seen a lot of renovation work on older houses. i love restored older houses. so beautiful.

that said, on the outside I would do one of two things, paint it the dark green color you have on the accents, or paint it white to stand out. painting the door red or some other vibrant color won't go well with the main color of the house. the dark green would bring out the trim color more and the white would be a nice contrast to the main green color as well.

on the inside I would go white. it's crisper, cleaner, brings it back to the older feeling, but doesn't look "old" per say....

good luck!