Replies

1. 
   NickNukeEm | Feb 17, 2004 11:46pm | #1

   Painted?  Cedar.  I use cedar on exterior trim where wood is called for, unless a stock pine molding is required.  Mohogany might last a little longer, but I think cedar paints out better.  (And it's cheaper.)  Just ensure you use stainless steel fasteners.  And back prime everything.

   I never met a tool I didn't like!
2. 
   VaTom | Feb 18, 2004 02:45am | #2

   Teak doesn't paint well, too oily.  Walnut's great.  I've often used it as an exterior painted wood.  Good luck getting it to rot.  Heartwood only.

   PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

   
   

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   Edited 2/17/2004 6:54:26 PM ET by VaTom

3. 
   Mongo | Feb 18, 2004 03:37am | #3

   Paint-grade wood? I's use cedar w stainless for it's price and availability in my area.

   Sythetic? Pass on plastic and look at something along the lines of PrimeTrim.

4. 
   gdavis62 | Feb 18, 2004 04:09am | #4

   Western red cedar, redwood, mahogany, are your choices, in ascending order of price.  If your entry door is well-sheltered from the weather and sunshine, ponderosa pine or eastern white pine will do nicely.

5. 
   WayneL5 | Feb 18, 2004 04:55am | #5

   Definitely not pine, it's one of the most rot prone woods there is.

   I built and trimmed a door in Western Red Cedar in 1999.  The door is under a small porch roof but gets direct splash of water in storms.  I finished it with Danish Oil because I wanted a natural look.  So far it's graying slowly, but no sign of rot or checking at all.

   Cedar is a very soft wood, so it's difficult to work with without dinging it.  I also got mild flu-like symptoms for a few days following every time I worked with it.  But it produced fine results for my Craftsman style home.

   For added protection you could treat the cedar with Woodlife perservative and let it dry thoroughly before priming and painting it.

   I concur with the recommendation for stainless steel nails.

6. 
   Shep | Feb 18, 2004 05:24am | #6

    I've used mahogany in the past, but with the new restrictions its getting expensive as well as more difficult to find ( I'm talking about real mahogany ). My regular supplier is now recommending Spanish cedar. He says its harder than regular cedar and holds up real well outdoors. I don't have any experience with it yet, but you can ask around and see.

      BTW, Spanish cedar is not related to regular cedar.

7. 
   DougU | Feb 18, 2004 06:09am | #7

   Chuck

   cypress, paints well, machines well, and the price ain't all that bad.

   You can get clear cypress here in TX cheaper than cedar.  I used to live in Iowa and it was far cheaper than cedar or redwood.

   Doug