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Thread: Exterior Door Glaze and Stain, or Stain, then Glaze?

  1. #1

    Exterior Door Glaze and Stain, or Stain, then Glaze?

    Im finishing up some exterior doors and trying to decide if I should install the glass, so I can get the beads perfect and then stain (clear), or stain and then install the glass. There are 12 panes of glass per door, so so its a substantial amount of room for errors and cleanup once glass was installed. Thats why I'm thinking of doing glass first.

  2. #2
    No one has any opinion on sealing and finishing before or after glass?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    9,599
    On the doors I've done with glass I finished everything before installing the glass. Glass held in with bolection molding I made into glued up assemblies and finished them at the same time. Glass held in with small beads, which sounds like how yours will be, I finished as long lengths before cutting/fitting during glass installation. To hide any raw wood at the cut ends of the moldings, I wiped with the same stain before nailing in place, and coated the joint with finish using an artist's brush after.

    To install the glass I installed silicone foam tape in the rabbet and laid the glass against it. Then I ran a small bead of silicone around the edge of the glass before fitting the moldings in place.

    John

  4. #4
    Thanks John.

  5. #5
    I ended up installing the glass before hanging because the muntins and mullions were so thin, and the glazing beads were flat stock (just over an inch wide for both beads and the muntin/mullion) that I figured it would be easier to get it off the table.

    The bad news is, somehow in the process, I managed to put a scratch or two in each piece of glass. 22/24 panes of glass had to be replaced. I guess the answer is clearly ALWAYS install glass last.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    9,599
    Ouch, sorry to hear that. With some French doors I made I installed the glass while the doors were still in my shop to make fitting and installing the molding easier. I transported the doors to the jobsite and got them installed with no scratches to any of the panes. Other than the added weight and fewer grip options it didn't seem like a risky approach. If I had to do it at the jobsite I would still want to have the doors flat on sawhorses to make installing the molding easier. Wherever you install the glass I think the key is to install the panes in each row, then move down to the next row, etc. and never reach back over what's already done. I laid cardboard over each row as I went to help prevent accidents.

    John

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