To all,
I’ve been asked to recommend a finish for 2 pairs of church doors. They are the classic white oak in a lancet style, around 12 feet in height with heavy iron hardware. Made about 1905. We are located in Colorado and these doors face west so they are blasted by afternoon sun. They are also subjected to extreme temperature swings during the spring and autumn where one day it can be 70 and the next freezing and snowing. I thought about a marine varnish but I’m concerned about adhesion I don’t know what the current finish is. Obviously the doors can’t be removed without great expense and effort so all work would have to be in place. Any and all recommendations would be appreciated.
Thank you
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Replies
You could do what the builders of all the great European cathedrals did. Just let them age gracefully.
Don't go with a film finish, you'll be chasing repairs for years to come. I suggest a product called "Teak Oil" by Star Bright.
We've been using it on the (not-so-bright-anymore) brightwork on an Allied Seawind ketch for about 5 years now. The decision was made to give up on the varnish and the Teak Oil has things holding up well, just not glossy looking anymore. As it fades and starts to look dry we just clean and re-coat.
It darkens the old wood quite a bit so run a test before you commit.
It will help a lot if you make sure to seal the top and bottom of the doors. Most people figure that if you can't see it whatever but you can wick up a lot of moisture through end grain. They make a special pad painter to get the door bottom without needing to take the door off the hinges.
Either marine varnish or Teak oil.
Thing is, both of these require regular maintenance. Oil is probably a little easier but nothing last for long in the sun.
Me? I prefer the look for a good grade (expensive) marine varnish but it is going to have be recoated ever year, MAYBE every two years if you use a high grade varnish. It all depends on the amount of UV it sees. There is not way around this.
Paint would be the longest lasting thing you could put on there but I am sure that is not an option.
My preference for exterior items is a marine spar varnish. Yes, it requires maintenance periodically, depending on details of exposure, placement, etc. So does teak oil, or at least all versions of it I've ever used. I find the appearance of a high-quality varnish preferable over teak oil.
This is assuming, of course, that paint is not an option. High-quality exterior enamels can last a bit longer than either of the two above, in my experience. Bottom line, though--if it's outside, it's gonna need periodic maintenance/re-coating, periodicity dependent on product and details of exposure.
Thank you all for your replies.
Quality Spar varnish such as Petit ans Epiphanes will provide the best protection. Since there is little abrasion resistance required but high resistance to UV and wood movement, prefer the alkyd base to the urethane, it offers more flexibility. Thinned down first coats and surface preparation will help adhesion and longer life, then 6 coats applied as thick as possible. Since this will take a week or so to get all the coats, I clean and store my brush in diesel fuel and use a spinner to clean up and prepare for the next coat.
I did some research on finish in harsh desert climate and came across a guy who suggested some System Three ClearCoat Resin as a sealer and 'primer' and several coats of Epiphanes Flat Varnish.
Having spent a good bit of time working in a boat yard, I have confidence in good marine finish choices when it comes to harsh weather and System Three and Epiphanes are good quality finishes.
They turned out nicely, and the way that epoxy sealer settled in, I have a feeling it's gonna look nice and be low maintenance for a while!
What does the epoxy do that that the Varnish doesn't do? Varnish seals the wood and protects if from water so why epoxy?
Epoxy is a lot harder. The almost water thin epoxy seeps into the wood grain as well.
If you thin out some varnish, and put it on the wood, it will seal the wood nicely, and give it a little more strength. I've finished many projects like this. But, varnish is still slightly flexible and soft. Epoxy (at least this stuff) dries stiff and rock hard.
This System Three Clearcoat goes on just a little thicker than water, but settles into the grain. When it cures, it is nice and rock hard!
The Epiphanes seems to just enhance the grain nicely and make everything glow beautifully. But, I bet it also offers a touch more protection. I know if taken care of, it will last a long time. It certainly does on boats.
Epoxy has a very high adhesion force, it adheres to most things and most finishes adhere well to it so it’s often used as a primer. The typical finishes on ships and rigs is a epoxy primer on bare steel followed by urethane coats. If it goes bad however on wood, it’s difficult to strip away.
As a sailor, I'd also go for teak oil. Yes it will need to be reapplied and perhaps a brightener used from time to time, but a film finish is so much more work when it needs to be redone. ...stripping and then the multi-coat process again.
In Colorado you're going to have a lot of UV on that door. Spar varnish won't last long.
As a sailor, I have used oils on teak for a long time. I also have had teak items that I left alone, no finish, and after 10 years of neglect gave them a light sanding and they now look like new. Oak however will not restore as well and will turn gray deeper needing abundant sanding to recover its original look, unlike teak. Teak oil, like Danish oil is a name that is used to sell linsed or tung oil and a lot of mineral spirits.
https://www.popularwoodworking.com/flexner-on-finishing-woodworking-blogs/teak-oil-what-is-it/
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