i have a set entry doors that are weather beaten and need a new finish. some of the old finish still remains but is flaking off and the bottom of the doors appear to be water stained . i planned to lightly sand and wipe down with boiled linsed oil and apply a stain. these doors are solid wood which appear to be oak. can any of the experts on this give me any advise please?
thanks
Replies
Boiled Linseed Oil has no benefit for exterior doors. It has virtually no water resistance. Answering several questions would assist in getting to a good solution.
What is your climate like?
Is the door sheltered from the sun?
If not completely shaded, how many hours of sun does it get a day.
How long did it take to become weatherbeaten? Do you know what was the original finish on the door?
What do you want the door to look like when you are done? Are you willing to do annual maintenance of the finish?
You might want to think about spar varnish. It has better expansion/contraction characteristics and UV blockers. Once the wood has been cleaned up and you have a fresh surface, the spar varnish will outlast anything but paint, if properly prepped and applied.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I agree with spar if a clear finish is needed. But not just any old spar. It should be a good marine spar made by Epifanes, Interlux, or Pettit. It won't be found in big box stores or paint stores, only in boating supply stores such as West Marine. It will cost about $25 per quart.
Spar varnish was originally made for ships and is still used for that purpose. Varathane makes a good one too, and they have a chemist available through their tech help phone line.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Varathane makes a consumer grade product labeled Spar Varnish, but it contains urethane resin. Urethane resin is inherently susceptible to deterioration from UV. It only becomes adequate to survive exterior use through the addition of UV protective additives. The true marine spar is formulated with phenolic resin, with natural UV resistance and now also has the similar UV resistant additives. The "good stuff" is likely to last twice as long in full sun than the consumer grade products.
I agree with the spar varnish. Now with all that said, a maintanace for the doors is something that can not be over looked, depending on how much sun and weather your doors get you should use uv filter wax every three months. Also clean doors often.
measure twice cut once.!
I think we are getting ahead of ourselves with advise, before jk3 gets back with more details about the door and its situation.
thanks for your reply.i lightly sanded doors w/150 grit sanding paper to remove the finish that was flaking. i wiped doors w/ tack cloth . they appear to be stained in certain areas possibly due to water or sun. i then wiped down w/ boiled linseed oil. the stains were less evident but still vivible, i hope that i did not cause more problems by doing this. any input you have would be useful .
thanks
ps. i dont know the original finish , the doors have a southern exposer, they are shaded by a overhang about 3/4 of the length. the finish i had planned to use was sikkens cetol system. i wondered if staining them darker would make for a uniform apperance.
Edited 2/26/2006 5:13 pm ET by jk3
The Cetol system is a good one. It contains its own pigment so another stain won't be needed. I would wait long enough to ensure that the BLO has fully cured. The cure would take 3-4 days in warm dry conditions, and considerably longer if it is chilly and damp. I would also consult the Cetol literature to see if their technical specifications say anything about what materials are OK under the finish.
Edited 2/26/2006 6:00 pm ET by SteveSchoene
All indications are that the finish is already failing. It's gone beyond just what is loose and cracked right now. All the finish should be removed to do the best and most long lasting job. Use a chemical paint stripper that contains methylene chloride. It will work the fastest and most completely. It makes little sense to apply any remedial finish like BLO or any film finish unless you complete remove what is on the door now.
As others and Steve has said, a good true marine spar varnish finish is best. Look for the three products Steve recommends. They are not cheap but they are the best. Stay away from consumer grade finishes.Howie.........
I see that a lot of people are recommending spar varnish, which is certainly a good choice. But now there are better choices, particularly for UV protection, in lacquer and particularly epoxy. You can get a 10 year guarantee, even in full sun, with some of the epoxy finishes. I don't know the details as I sent my door out, but I think it is worth looking into.
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