A friend has asked for my help refinishing his custom mahogany entry door and sidelights. The door is 3’ wide x 8’ tall and very heavy, with fixed multi-paned sidelights on each side. We plan on using Epifanes Hi-gloss spar varnish as recommended in FW #205. Our current plan is to sand and refinish the door on its hinges so that we don’t have to remove / reinstall the door for each coat. The door would be wedged open about a foot using shims between the door and floor to allow full access to the front face, and the interior would be sealed off with tarps and tape to prevent sawdust and odors from entering the house. This would allow the door to be closed after each coat has been applied and had a chance to dry. Does this sound reasonable, or is there a better way of approaching this project? Thanks in advance.
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Replies
How was the door finished to begin with? How did it fail, and how long did that take? What sun exposure does the door receive? How are you removing the old finish?
I would like to make sure the finish on the top and bottom is at least as good as the finish on the face after you're done.
Don, the finish on the sides, top, and interior is all in good shape and may even be original (door is about 8-9 years old).
Steve, the door faces East and does not have a lot of shelter. Apparently the exterior of the door was finished about two years ago by first sanding and then applying Minwax stain and a couple of coats of spar varnish (yup, already told him two coats isn't enough). I plan on sanding down to bare wood, which shouldn't be too hard given condition of the finish except for a narrow band that's under the weatherstripping. Thanks for the idea of the sample board - he wants to restain the door but his wife isn't sure of color yet.
If there is a chance of using stain then you would be better off removing old finish by chemical stripping. Sanding can leave the wood in a state where it accepts stain unevenly. By the way, light colors are considerably more durable than dark. (Dark heats up--causing the finish to deteriorate faster.) The Epifanes will add considerable richness since it, itself isn't a terribly light colored varnish.
The key to a clear finish is that it isn't a do it once and forget it kind of finish. You have to expect to do regular maintenance. Observe it closely--as soon as there is any dulling of the sheen, it needs to be sanded and a refresher coat applied. On a vertical surface without full sun, you can probably get away with two years before needing preventative maintenance in the form of a sanding and refresher coat.
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