Front door of house to be finished

[Kyle Stiefel]

Hello folks,

I have a friend who is building a new home. They have already hung the new door (think it is hemlock). They asked me what to finish it with as they will not be painting it and it needs to finished in place. I live in southeast Alaska (rain forest) although there is a covering porch of the entry area.

I know there area several less then optimal situations here so what do you think?

Thanks,
Kyle

[Joe Chritz]

I hope he is sitting down when you talk about the bill.

I was researching something similar for outdoor furniture once that I wanted a regular finish on.

Aliphatic urethane is the stuff to use, it is a 2 part finish and is wicked expensive and tough to handle.

Sun is more damaging than the water in most conditions.

Spar varnish is the only exterior finish that is close to inexpensive and will require regular refinishing.

Check woodweb's finishing section for info on the finishes available. Lots of commercial people on there.

Joe

[jeremy levine]

Will it have a glass door in front of it ?

[Greg Funk]

We used Sikkens Cetol
(http://www.nam.sikkens.com/product.cfm?product_id=42&product_category=exterior)
6 years ago and it has held up well but our front door faces north and is covered and not exposed to the sun.

Greg

[Steve Schoene]

If the door is under a covered porch so that it gets little to no direct sun there is a chance to be OK with a clear finish.

I have used a two part aliphatic urethane--Interlux Perfection--and it would hold up well, and be durable to boot. BUT you MUST be willing and able to read, understand, and follow to the letter the 9 pages (text only) of instructions. Pay attention to the temperatures. You are making polyurethane from its components so being meticulous is required. You NEED a organic chemical vapor mask that meets the specifications for the particular isocyanates among the materials. This is NASTY stuff. (I was quite willing to accept the dust I got when working in 15 to 20 knot breezes when I applied (a pigmented variety) to my boat deck. If you screw up, you have really screwed up since you won't be able to use a stripper to remove it.

Marine spar varnishes hold up pretty well, though they do require some regular maintenance depending on the amount to sun. Marine spar varnishes are not. In northern latitudes they will last quite a while. Use only real marine spar varnishes. Epifanes Clear High Gloss, Pettit Captain's, or Interlux Schooner are all good tradtional resin spar varnishes. Any single-part varnish that includes polyurethane is a non-starter. Stuff you could buy in big box stores or ordinary paint stores probably do not make the grade. But even with the best, every couple of years an additional coat should be applied as maintenance. Dings must be dealt with promptly or damage could get away from you. A kick plate would also be a good idea since spar varnish is pretty soft.

Really consider paint--a quality gloss enamel will out last any clear finish dramatically.

[Kyle Stiefel]

Will it have a glass door in front of it ?

Yes, the top of the door has a small eight window section. I appreciate all the input.

[Randy Klein]

The woodwhisperer just (I think today) posted a podcast about finishing exterior doors.