Cedar versus Sapele

[Randy Viellenave]

Getting ready to build my first set of doors, and I have read everything I could find about material selection. Seems like cedar is the best choice, just not available here. Would Sapele be a good alternative? It is available here, and I have used it for trim already in the house. The door will get about 2 hours of morning sun, and of course near permanent high humidity. If I make it from Sapele, I would not want to paint it, so what finish would be best? It will be 16 feet behind an overhang so it should only see water during a major storm.

[Nick Nelson]

Not much to compare between the two other than maybe color but I would prefer sapele over cedar for an exterior door.

[peter gagliardi]

Sapele is an excellent choice for exterior doors. As a matter of fact it is one of the "woods of choice" in the industry. Good longevity, good working characteristics, glues well, and most importantly, above cedar, it holds screws much,much better.
Excellent stability above cedar as well.

[Randy Viellenave]

Thanks for the input, that makes the choice simple. what would be the best finish for it? I used Danish oil on all the interior stuff, but haven't done any exterior work that was not painted.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I would prefer Sapele to Cedar. It is more dense, and therefore stronger and, as already said, holds screws better. As a boatbuilder, I have used most species of cedar and mahogany. I would varnish with Goldspar gloss with UV inhibitors, or use a polyurethane with UV inhibitors. The Goldspar is going to give an amazing golden glow in the sunlight.

[Nick Nelson]

I'm not an exterior door builder, but I would do several coats of quality polyurethane.

[Randy Viellenave]

Thanks a bunch guys!

[Rich Riddle]

Another vote for Sapele over Cedar.

[Brian Tymchak]

For a finish, consider Epifanes Marine Varnish. It's used on boats which are subject to much more sun (UV) than your front door will be. It holds up so much better than the marine varnish you get at the BORGs. I order it from Jamestown Distributors. I've been using it on my entry door and hot tub stairs for the last 3 or 4 years and am very pleased. I get direct sun on the entry door for several hours in the morning. Although I put a fresh coat on every year, before I do, the finish has shown no signs of weathering. I could probably skip a year between refresher coats, but my experience with the old varnishes got me into the habit of doing it annually.

[Doug Hepler]

Randy,

I agree with Brian. Prefer an alkyd resin based spar varnish with high solids content like Epifanes or McCloskey Mon-O-War. A polyurethane based spar varnish will not last as long. Epifanes and McCloskey labels recommend many (6-8) coats but that's a separate issue that depends on how intense the sunlight exposure will be. The alkyd spar based varnishes are less likely to crack and fail because they stay somewhat more flexible. Polyurethanes dry hard and brittle. Have a look at these notes: http://plaza.ufl.edu/chepler/Notes/Outdoor%20Wood.pdf

Doug

[Randy Viellenave]

That was a good read! Guess it will take about 8 more days than planned, but it will be worth the effort to make sure I don't ever have to replace them.

Thanks to all for sharing your experience!

[Rich Enders]

Isn't Sapele African mahogany? If so then the article referenced says that it is only moderately resistant to decay. I have no first hand experience with sapele out doors, but I have had poor results with the earlywood of western red cedar eroding leaving a corduroy like surface.

[John Blazy]

I would seal the Sapele with a coat of no blush epoxy prior to the great spar varnish references already mentioned. It will soak in better than the varnish, will fill the voids and pores of the wood, and seal any end grain joints to prevent moisture wicking. Most high-end boat finishes (and recommended by the top spar varnish makers) have epoxy sealer / filler prior to varnish. West System with the 207 hardener, or Basic No Blush by Progressive Epoxy Polymers is best choice.

[Jim Knishka]

+1 on Epifanes, used it on a fir screen porch floor exposed to both moisture and sun. Even this varnish required an annual maintenance coat due to UV exposure, however it got a lot more than 2 hours of sun per day. West Marine stocks it in my location.

[Doug Hepler]

Rich,

Sapele is rated as moderately resistant by the Forest Products Handbook (see Table 14-1 on p. 14-5). It is in the same category as new growth baldcypress and new growth redwood.

Doug

[Richard Barker]

By all means check out Sikkens Cetol for Windows and Doors. This is not film finish but an oil based varnish and will not flake or be damaged by ultra-violet light. Repairs are easy with a light sanding and recoat. My choice for outdoor furniture made from sapele.

[Mark Kornell]

Isn't Sapele African mahogany? If so then the article referenced says that it is only moderately resistant to decay. I have no first hand experience with sapele out doors, but I have had poor results with the earlywood of western red cedar eroding leaving a corduroy like surface.

No, they are different species. Similar look, but Sapele is not a true mahogany. Sapele is a fair bit harder, too.

I'd stay away from cedar for a door. Too soft.

The entry door on my house is Sapele. About 2 1/2 years old now, just sees a bit of morning sun. Is also under a 12' overhang, so no moisture exposure. It was finished with a lacquer with some UV inhibitors (sorry, don't have specifics). Looks good, but given that it doesn't really get exposed to anything but a bit of summer and winter temperature extremes, not surprising.

Another option to consider might be Douglas fir. Fairly common for decorative or custom exterior doors here. Price-wise, VG Doug fir is not much different than Sapele.