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finishing mahogany entry door

areadan | Posted in Construction Techniques on December 6, 2006 06:41am

I searched the archives for this, but nothing really came up.
I just scored a mahogany entry door with sidelights. (ok, it’s not solid mahogany, but something like a 1/4″ veneer)
Some relevant details:
1. installation locale: Boulder, Colorado: Dry, cold, and hot. we do get some rain and snow occasionally, but UV damage and drying out are my biggest concerns.
2. door will be covered by a porch- the nearest eave is 5′ away.
3. I’d like to stain it a bit darker than it is now.

Please suggest stain/sealers for the outside and interior products as well. Please suggest product names or be very specific and suggest application techniques. I am not very experienced with finishing wood.

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Replies

  1. stevent1 | Dec 06, 2006 03:23pm | #1

    Look into marine finishes. They usually have good UV protection.

    Chuck S

    live, work, build, ...better with wood

  2. BMan | Dec 06, 2006 04:50pm | #2

    What exposure does the door face- North, south, etc.

    There are published guidelines for recommended cover based on exposure. South or west exposures might need 1.5x door height to offer proper protection. A door facing northeast will require much less, as there will not be direct sun. That said, maybe your 5ft of cover is not enough. Also, how high above the door is the eave? The finish of a  properly oriented and covered wood door will hold up significantly better than the same door "hung out to dry".

    No matter what products you use, finish the door and frame before you hang it. Remove all hardware, hinges, weatherstripping, thresholds, etc, and then finish all sides of doors and frame. Finish the door bottom and lockset borings with something like Anchor Seal emulsified wax. 

    Darker colors will be bleached out quicker by exposure to sun.

    The alternative to staining and sealing the door would be to apply an oil finish, and give it a quick reapplication every year, or as needed. Penofin or Messmers oil finishes are reputedly good for mahogany. However, that may not be a good idea for the core material below the mahogany veneer. What is the core?

    "Good design is good business"

                              Florence Schust Knoll (1917-)

  3. frenchy | Dec 06, 2006 06:12pm | #3

    areadan

         OK I spent a lot of time doing the research for this sort of problem.  I have a timberframe  (actaully a double timberframe with the outside timbers black walnut)

        Natually I wanted them featured..

      Nobody made a good UV protection/finish that didn't cover up the wood.. If you want the wood protected I hate to admit it but you have to paint it!

       Varnishes etc. don't offer any real protection..

    Epiphanes is about the top marine spar varnish and costs the earth.  My entry way done in Epiphanes lasted about three years beore it started to fade. I could sand it down , take off the top layer of wood and expose another , give it the required coats and repeat every three years.. or give up and yield to paint..

  4. Omah | Dec 06, 2006 11:18pm | #4

    Miniwax stain and a good marine spar varnish with uv,also produced by minwax would probably be a good bet in your circumstance. after it all cures, in about a month, occasional applications of a sacrifice coating also with uv protecktion, like armor all or turtle wax 2000, will slow down the need to recoat every three years or so.

    1. SteveSchoene | Dec 07, 2006 02:07am | #5

      Minwax doesn't make a good marine spar varnish.  As was mentioned in an earlier post Epifanes Gloss is about the best, with Pettitt Captain's and Interlux Schooner being very close.  They are all about the same price--not cheap.  The key to making this work is regular maintenance--before it gets to the point of needing to be stripped.  With nearly full sun, you would plan on sanding with 320 and applying a maintenance coat every year.  With partial shade, probably every other year will work.  If you don't want to do anything for three years, then use paint.  If you wait for it to show more than the faintest bit of dulling, then you may have to strip and recoat, but if you stay ahead, you won't have to strip for 10+ years. 

  5. thebozer | Dec 07, 2006 03:15am | #6

    If sun exposure and UV is your biggest concern, I would rule out the use of a spar varnish. It will become brittle and eventually flake off. I would echo a previous poster's recommendation of Penofin oil. Perfect choice for mahogany.

    1. SteveSchoene | Dec 07, 2006 05:35am | #7

      The reason spar varnish flakes off is that, when the finish isn't renewed, the wood underneath the varnish deteroriates and the bond between varnish and wood breaks down.  Untreated dings that penetrate the varnish can also lead to water damage that spreads under the varnish. 

      Oil finishes don't flake off, they just fail to protect, and the wood turns grey or black.  Oil finishes may require twice a year recoating in full sun, and in the tropics boaters who attempt to maintain bright teak with oil do approximately monthly recoating.  With varnish, they may renew the coating twice a year. 

      Either system can work well, if it is understood that regular, frequent, maintenance is required. 

       

  6. alanj | Dec 07, 2006 05:52am | #8

    I've had very good results with Varathane brand "Plastic Oil Finish". It comes in a gold can.

    Many French doors I installed in a brutal southern exposure 15 years ago have done perfectly well.

    Very easy to apply..wipe on or brush til it won't absorb any more. Wipe off excess. Take pains to clean glass well within a day or two or you'll be using a scraper. You can probably guess how I know this.

    This isn't a gloss finish, a typicle golden glow. But it is a fine primer for urethanes, if you want to go that way later.

    By the way, Varathane brand varnishes are about the last thing I would use in any application.

    This oil is their little known secret.

    Expect to recoat in a few years. But it's easy compared to scraping varnish.

    I'm not sure it is the best for horizontal applications. i.e. railings. A recent customer's 2X6 deck railing is showing signs of mildew so I'm guessing there's no antifungal chemistry in it.

    All of the doors I've done show none of this behavior.

    Best of luck

    PS:
    I work in Vancouver, BC. where it's very wet.

    Not available at Home Despot



    Edited 12/6/2006 10:24 pm ET by Alanj

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