Best Finish For Oak Front Door

What finish to use.

Best finish for oak front door.

In this article i ll highlight some key finishing tips and techniques used to create the multilayered finishes that bring out the best in oak. 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. Even when described as solid wood most modern oak doors are engineered made in a factory with oak veneers on the surface so it s a good idea to check the manufacturers fitting instructions before you start. Good woods photo by manfred koh time inc.

I d rather not use a varnish that will need to be stripped off eventually. Choosing an exterior wood finish. Interior how should i best protect the inside of the front door porch frame dried oak window boards oak veneer internal doors and green oak beams. In the past oiling and waxing doors was a very labour intensive job and difficult to maintain.

Allow the door to dry for an hour or two check the instructions on the paint can then apply a second coat. Maintenance is a necessity for outdoor wood finishes. A scott burt owner of topcoat finishes a high end residential paint company in jericho vt responds. Check out the recipes that make use of these techniques in 4 proven oak finishes below.

Previous varnish only finishes only lasted 2 3 years. Doors made with stable woods are less affected by humidity so they re better at holding up to the elements. How to finish engineered oak doors the best way to finish your oak veneer doors. I would like to keep it all the same light medium colour and limit the shrinkage and maintenance cycle.

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. Good exterior finishes protect the wood from these harsh conditions but will certainly fail unless they are renewed on a scheduled basis. But a beautiful wood door with a clear finish will attract many more admiring glances as long as you maintain it with. Finish with the outer sections following the grain of the wood.

Wood entry door materials and finishes photo by keller keller. The best finishes for oak celebrate its grain. There are a variety of exterior wood finishes with different characteristics and properties. The best clear finish for an exterior door is 3 coats of clear epoxy followed with 2 3 coats of spar varnish.

Two coats of enamel paint over a primer will provide a wood door with the best and longest lasting protection against sun abrasion and weather about 8 to 10 years. The wood you see beneath a clear finish determines whether your door s look will be rustic or refined.