Previous varnish only finishes only lasted 2 3 years.
Best finish for exterior door.
A scott burt owner of topcoat finishes a high end residential paint company in jericho vt responds.
Wood entry door materials and finishes photo by keller keller.
The wood you see beneath a clear finish determines whether your door s look will be rustic or refined.
Good woods photo by manfred koh time inc.
On the downside it will only give you about a year of protection from the ravages of outdoor life.
From a finishing standpoint exterior doors rank right up there with decks as the most complicated surfaces to protect and maintain as a critical high traffic barrier between the interior and exterior of a home the finish on a.
There are a variety of exterior wood finishes with different characteristics and properties.
Doors made with stable woods are less affected by humidity so they re better at holding up to the elements.
I m torn between applying a film forming finish such as paint opaque stain or exterior varnish or a penetrating oil finish.
Oil finishes don t provide a protective film that sits on top of the wood like varnish does.
For a door made of pine white fir or another wood species that doesn t bleed i e gives off tinted compounds in wood called tannins go with a water based exterior paint such as behr.
Finish with the outer sections following the grain of the wood.
The combination has worked amazingly well for me on a west facing exterior oak door that looks as good today as it did after refinishing 7 8 years ago.
Maintenance is a necessity for outdoor wood finishes.
Allow the door to dry for an hour or two check the instructions on the paint can then apply a second coat.
For large exterior surfaces glossier paints are usually reserved for trim areas such as windowsills and doors as well as surfaces that may be washed frequently.
The best clear finish for an exterior door is 3 coats of clear epoxy followed with 2 3 coats of spar varnish.
Choosing an exterior wood finish.
Good exterior finishes protect the wood from these harsh conditions but will certainly fail unless they are renewed on a scheduled basis.
Q what is the best way to finish an exterior wooden door.
Instead oil soaks into the wood fibers and.