Blemish on Epiphane finish of Mahogany door

[Don Morris]

This blemish was noticed this year after 5 years of looking great. I refinished the Mahogany door with (as I remember at least) 6 coats of Epiphane. The interior side opposite the blemish looks great, as does the entire rest of the door. It is a mostly Nothwestern exposure just outside of Wash. DC. The blemish is near a joint, it's also near the bottom (drainage from top or capillary action from bottom?). It's also near the step where something could have splashed up on it and bleached it. Finishing isn't my strength, so I'm posting this here. What do you people think? We didn't notice this until now as this entry door in on the 2nd level and we always enter the house through the garage on the 1st level. My wife only noticed it when she was greeting some garden club members arriving for a meeting. We're sure though, the blemish is recent because we decorate the door at Christmas and didn't notice it at that time. Also, suggestions for repair vs, refinishing the whole side. Seeing this ruined my day as I remembered back to what I had to go through to refinish the whole side. Comments and suggestions Please. Thanks. Don M.












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[Brian Kent]

It looks like it is soaked from the inside of the door. I would seal the edges of the door first, maker sure it was completely dry, and then do a light sanding and feather in several new coats. I think 5 years is good, even for Epiphanes.

That's my opinion, but wait until the experts chime in.

[Howard Acheson]

Water or some other contaminate has gotten under the finish. The yellowish area is indicative of the finish failing and loosing adhesion. If this is what is happening, there is no saving it and the door will need to be refinished. From the looks of it, the wood underneath is also stained and will need to be bleached and otherwise re-colored. What probably caused it is that the joint at that point is a cross grain seam. The expansion/contraction due to seasonal changes in relative humidity. The movement caused the finish over the seam to crack and fail. This allowed water to get under the finish at that point.

When refinishing be sure to finish the top, bottom and both side surfaces

Keep in mind the even with the best of exterior clear finishes, five years is about the limit before a finish will need to be re-sanded and a few more coats of finish applied.