A scott burt owner of topcoat finishes a high end residential paint company in jericho vt responds.
Best exterior wood door varnish.
For a door made of pine white fir or another wood species that doesn t bleed i e gives off tinted compounds in wood called tannins go with a water based exterior paint such as behr.
It comes with an oil based formulation that allows it to expand and contract with altering weather conditions.
Allow the door to dry for an hour or two check the instructions on the paint can then apply a second coat.
This spar varnish is highly practical to utilize for exterior wood surfaces on top of the waterline in railings trim as well as wood furniture.
Q what is the best way to finish an exterior wooden door.
There are a variety of exterior wood finishes with different characteristics and properties.
Finish with the outer sections following the grain of the wood.
Choose the best paint for the front door.
I m torn between applying a film forming finish such as paint opaque stain or exterior varnish or a penetrating oil finish.
From a finishing standpoint exterior doors rank right up there with decks as the most complicated surfaces to protect and maintain as a critical high traffic barrier between the interior and exterior of a home the finish on a.
Good exterior finishes protect the wood from these harsh conditions but will certainly fail unless they are renewed on a scheduled basis.
I have researched to find the best finish that has uv protection mildewcide is easily applied.
Maintenance is a necessity for outdoor wood finishes.
Since your door is likely exposed to outside elements using the proper exterior paint type will prevent peeling and fading.
The combination has worked amazingly well for me on a west facing exterior oak door that looks as good today as it did after refinishing 7 8 years ago.
However the initial application does take longer then exterior varnish.
An epoxy sealer with an exterior varnish topcoat is the most durable outdoor finish and can last for many many years.
An exterior oil finish is definitely the simplest quickest way to treat an outdoor project.
I m preparing to build an outdoor furniture set including chairs tables and other pieces.
The best clear finish for an exterior door is 3 coats of clear epoxy followed with 2 3 coats of spar varnish.
I mainly looked at three products waterlox marine finish sikkens cetol and watco exterior wood finish.