I'm a little late to the party on this post, but your door problem sounds familiar. I'm guessing the problem: milk paint.

Not really sure what it is but we had it on all the woodwork at our house (layers and layers) and the last layers would not strip, even with chemicals. It got mushy and wet (along with the wood) but wouldn't separate.

We painted over it on the doors but on one built-in cupboard that we refinished it just never came off entirely.

Beautiful door by the way. My husband wants to trash our 3 (ca. 1860.). I hate him.

You must keep the door. My dh got a wild idea this spring that we MUST have a new back door for our 100 year old house. He unceremoniously ripped out the old one and installed the new version. I hate it, hate it, hate it. I am going to stash the old door so that if he ever comes to his senses, I can put it back.

I'm not sure what you have used so far, but I find that heat strippers take off the stubborn paint better than chemicals. It takes some patience, but I'll bet that you can strip the door. Worst case, just paint it. With a new coat of paint, it will look alive again (even if it isn't exactly the look you were going for).

I adore the navy blue color. Good choice.

No, no, no, you must save the door! Can you send it out to be professionally dipped and stripped?

The knob is gorgeous (we have a few just like it) ... and a new door would just Not Look Right on your lovely old house.

I love old doors! I hope you're able to ressurect it to your satisfaction.

I've never met Norma or Barbara-Kay & while I'm certain they are smart reasonable women, I think "their cheese done slid off their crackers".
If you put the cherished old knob on a new door, it will be like having Joan Rivers' bad cosmetic surgery.
I agree a new door will save energy but you can always improve upon an old door's weatherstripping, flashing, etc.
Oh! Keeping the old door means you have the opportunity to knit a fulled door snake. See? The door loves you and is giving you knitting opportunities!
Think of it like your Granny and don't get rid of it because it's old and isn't preforming like it used to. Just believe in the power of chemicals and give the paint stripper more time.

I vote for keeping the old door! Surely there's something out there that will make that lacquer/paint/whatever-it-is loosen its grip. If it were me I would also apply brass polish to the mail slot and see what happened.

I love your old door! I don't like any new doors I see around - they all look very Home Despot to me. Like, "see, I got a door at the Barbie store!" Your old door has character. Keep at it!

It is possible that somebody used lacquer on the bottom half for whatever reason, maybe as suggested above so it would be as affected by the elements. If that is the case then you will need something stronger. Not sure any of it is good for the environment but you are recycling and reusing your old door and making it all nice again. It is really gorgeous and I am sure it will be wonderful..keep us posted on what you use to complete the stripping. ss

Oh and Norma just reminded me...I need to wash my duvet cover...

ooooo I love the paint color!!

Good luck with the door - when you're done, wanna come strip mine? ;o)

I love your doorknob, too. Hope you can get the paint off the door. Sometimes wood just does that (we had a problem in our living room with some moulding that didn't strip all the way. We ended up just painting over it.)

Your house is going to be gorgeous when it's completed. I'm with you on the door, if it can be saved. (And I've got a history of fawning over old doorknobs.)

I love the new colour.

As for the door, I would try a chemical stripper. If that didn't work, or if I wasn't a chemist (which I am) and didn't want to do it myself, then I would take it to professional strippers. And while you're there, you could get one for Norma too.

I'd salvage the doorknob and buy it a new door!

That NormaLady really needs a cat. Then she'd have someone warm and snuggly to take to bed. Just sayin'...

Oh, and I can think of someone, but we're not going there...

I wonder if that lower part of the door is harder because it gets hit by the elements vs the top of the door that's more protected by the porch. Does that make sense? :?

Btw, I really want to send Fig something catnip and see if he opens it on his own or waits for you.

Oh, and that door will totally be worth the work. You just ignore that NormaLady. She's trouble, ya know...

Is it just me, or does everyone feel all sing-songy reading Sandy's last line?

BUT perhaps, San, it's time to face facts: The door has lived a good, long, productive life. Maybe it's time for the door to lie down its weary head. Or knob. Or something.

You'll love how energy-efficient all the new doors are, but, if you're like me, you'll positively HATE the way they look. And it won't look right with your older house. Damnit. But you'll get used to it. Why can't we have everything AND chicken soup at the end of a long, hard weekend? Will you answer me THAT? (and while you're at it, why can't we call crawl into bed with.... well, I struggled for a good long time to think of a male's name worthy of finishing the sentence, and I can't come up with a single one. Now I'm just heading off into another direction entirely and finishing it thus: ... a cozy down comforter with a soft and clean duvet cover.)