Hello everyone!
For the last 13 years I have been working for a cabinet company staining, painting and spraying finish. I have a fair bit of knowledge when it comes to interior wood finishing. My sister & her husband just added on to their home and purchased 3 very expensive alder doors. The doors appear to have finish on them cause they are very smooth and have a satin sheen but after being installed for one week they all have dark spots where water had collected and one door has a bottom corner that has swelled. She asked me to fix them cause it’s a 6 to 8 week turn around to replace them. Repairing the mild damage won’t be a issue but I’m a bit overwhelmed about the finish I should use. 1 door faces the north sun not a big deal but snow/rain a issue 1 door faces west other faces east both will have direct sun light for several hours a day. The doors are about $1400 so I want to do it right! She is dead set on the natural look. I have seen posts about using oil paint base #4. Any comments on the success with this procedure and does anyone have a step by step. Obviously I’m going to have to do some sanding so do I need to strip the door completely or can it be scuffed on the undamaged area and coated over. Also can I spray on the paint base or do I use a high quality Purdy paint brush or quality roller? Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks Heath
Replies
Tell her to go ahead with the replacement..assuming they will be replaced at minimal cost?? You'll have to wait that long to dry them out, and if they are in place on the house they will never dry out.
Finish the replacements before you hang them.
Unfortunately replacement isn't really a option at this point due to vacation coming up and turn around of door delivery. The pic I posted is of the worst of the 3 doors. I am picking up the doors tomorrow and they will be in a heated room with dehumidifiers running around the clock. We have a week of sunny but cool weather so he can tack up plastic and plywood to seal off room but the walls and floor are being finished next week. I'm sure 2 of the doors can be dry and fixed by this weekend and the worst is not saturated so I feel pretty confident I can get it ready to finish by weeks end.
It's too late now but ....
Alder (alnus rubra) is not a durable or a strong wood and seems unsuitable for exterior doors. On the other hand, it's said to be quite porous, so should take a finish well; and it's said to be fairly stable, so shouldn't be as susceptible to warp as some timbers, due to moisture changes in the surrounding atmosphere. (They use it to line the inside walls of saunas).
If you do manage to finish it with a weather proof goo (and perhaps some anti-fungal, anti-beetle stuff first) I imagine that finish will need renewing regularly, as outdoor exposure weathers it. Also - don't be bangin' the door shut. :-)
Lataxe
The door manufacturer had to have had finishing instructions. I've never seen one that didn't. If they could have been left with just the factory "finish," they would have said so. Clearly, that is insufficient.
Any clear exterior finish is going to do a poor job over time. It's just the nature of wood, clear finish, sun, and weather.
The very best finish will be one from an actual marine supply store. But even that won't last nearly as long as paint.
Wow cant believe a door company would even make alder exterior doors. Its a common wood here in the PNW. Not sure where you are but around here we have lots of boat repair shops.
Find some good marine varnish and go from there. Interlux, Epiphanes, and Petit all make good products.
Alder is a common wood used PNW for interior doors and other inside projects. Largely because of its availability. It will not hold up well outside. A unfinished piece placed outside in the PNW will turn nearly dust within a year. I have seen this myself. Good Luck in trying to save them.
Thanks for the comments everyone! They are beautiful doors I'm definitely going to do some digging about the product. My sister and bro-in-law not the type to do the finishing stuff they basically know nothing about it. So their understanding was they were ready to hang unfortunately they have learned a hard lesson here because in the instructions it says the doors must sanded and finished. Manufacturer will not be held responsible for any moister damage after delivery. Not to mention doors are advertised as solid wood and they are but the core isn't alder. They have a 1/16 inch alder veneer (I'm guessing they call it a veneer) luckily the only damage is at very bottom of one door. So wish me luck I'm hoping 13 years of experience will help me make these doors look like the $1400 they payed for them! Thanks again for the comments I hope I can find good finish I live in kansas so not many places to purchase products for boats. Any suggestions on repair of damage to the veneer in the picture. It's at very bottom I'm wondering if it's possible to use a syringe make a couple small holes inject some glue and clamp it down then fill with a light hard putty. Any thoughts?
Try Jamestown Distributors. I buy lots of boat building supplies from them.
One word of warning with marine finishes is that they can be pretty nasty stuff to be around sometimes. Have good ventilation and a proper respirator.
The paints can be downright deadly if sprayed. Good luck.
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