It depends on your objectives; do you want a clear finish, fast dry time, interior or exterior use, a certain sheen, want to spray, etc.? For an interior clear finish or a Flat finish, use HIGH PERFORMANCE water based topcoat. It is a "water white" finish, fast drying (1 to 2 hours), water cleanup and contains a UV Stabilizer to protect the underlying stains from fading. Waterbased HIGH PERFORMANCE can be applied over any stain as long as it is dry. For applying over oil base stains: 24-48 hour wait time. For applying over GF water base stains, GF Milk Paint and Dye Stains: 1-2 hours. NOT recommended over any long oils such as Linseed oil, Danish Oils. Application method: Acrylic brush, foam brush, paint pad applicator, or spray with HVLP 1.3 (.051) needle nozzle. High Performance topcoat is available in flat, satin, semi-gloss and gloss sheens.If ambering is desired (darkening of the finish over time), you have two choices, use ARM-R-SEAL liquid oil based topcoat, a long time favorite of the wood working world.
It can be wiped and brushed on. Available in Satin, Semi-gloss and Gloss sheens. Or use Enduro-Var waterbased topcoat, available in Flat, Satin, Semi-Gloss and Gloss. Enduro-Var adheres well only over WATER STAINS, DYE STAINS, and RAW WOOD. It will adhere over an oil stain ONLY if the stain is completely dry (minimum 4 days drying).If you want fast build or a soft satin sheen, use oil based GEL SATIN Topcoat. It is a heavy duty oil and urethane oil base top coat, which produces a beautiful hand rubbed quality finish. Gel satin has a thicker consistency, so there are no drips, runs or spills. Dry time is approximately 12-24 hours depending on humidity and temperature. Application method: Wipe on with a cloth, natural bristle brush, foam brush, or paint pad applicator. GF developed this finish as a "sister" to GEL STAIN. For more complex projects that have a lot of nooks and crannies, we recommend ARM-R-SEAL liquid topcoat or HIGH PERFORMANCE water based top coat, or ENDURO-VAR, available in Flat, Satin, Semi-gloss and Gloss.If you need an exterior finish, use waterbased EXTERIOR 450.
Brush it on with an acrylic brush, poly foam brush or handi-painter applicator or spray with HVLP, 1.3 (.051) needle nozzle. Exterior 450 is NOT suitable for decks, but performs well on furniture and doors. It is available in Satin, Semi-Gloss and Semi GlossHow many top coats do I need? Normally 3-4 coats of a combination of sealer and/or top coat are recommended. If you are working on a project that needs extreme wear or water resistance such as bathroom vanities or kitchen cabinets, we normally recommend 4-5 coats. Friendly Reminder- always take care to dispose of oil based soaked application materials safely according to your local regulations. I'm doing a solid oak door that will have minimal sunlight exposure with considerable exposure to rain. Any suggestions on what would provide the best protection and wear? Client already knows it won't last forever. 1st choice - High quality primer followed by paint. 2nd choice - High quality spar varnish. Whatever you use, be sure and remove all hardware and apply finish to all surfaces, including top, bottom and sides.
To keep exterior wood doors looking good and lasting longer, apply a dollop of silicone adhesive into the holes just before applying any fasteners (screws, nails). Acrylic urethane would be best. MacLac makes a very nice product of this description. Rudd Prothane is a very good choice if not in full sun continuously. Do you think a vinyl sealer with Magna Lac pre cat lacquer as a topcoat lasts longer than the varnish or acrylic urethane? The color will be natural with a Van Dyke glaze, if it makes a difference. No, Magnalac is an inside type product. With an exterior door unit that gets a high degree of moisture you need to 1) Paint the top and bottom with oil enamel paint. 2) Stain with something with a UTC based stain. 3) Apply SW Homiclad sealer as you would a stain. 4) Finish with a catalyzed urethane such as SW Polane, Pinnical, PPG Flexicron. 4 to 6 coats and do not rub the finish out, as this will destroy the surface protection. Aliphatic urethane is a 2 part exterior finish, which works great for exterior doors.
UV stability, durable and non-yellowing. It comes in 3 sheens - gloss, semi-gloss and satin. There are some Atlanta area shops using this product and having great results. Vinyl sealer and Magnalac both are interior products - they are not meant to hold up in an exterior application. Lisa Gilbert, forum technical advisor Which brand of aliphatic urethane are these people using? My boss has a boat he'd like me to re-finish the woodwork in and this seems like the way to go. This one is a Gemini product out of El Reno, OK. Contributor D, the product you want, since it is for your boss and he is going to pay for it, is Sterling Linear Urethane. Apply a base wiping coat of SW Homoclad sealer and spray 4 coats of topcoat. This is the most costly finish I have ever shot but it is the most durable. I agree with painting the top and bottom edges of the door. I always use a high-quality exterior enamel. Unfortunately, sometimes door installers need to trim the doors to fit and they are not as diligent at repainting what they cut off.
I have also had good luck with automotive acrylic lacquer (PPG) at Lake Tahoe (pretty nasty up there in the winter) in protected areas. Could one use aliphatic urethane on a red oak exterior door that has a heavy sun exposure? Or will the wood movement be too much for this type of film to handle? I have a client that needs a front door redone that I've been re-varnishing for years. It's finally gotten to the point that it needs to be stripped, re-stained and finished. It's the second best choice behind linear polyurethane. The aliphatic urethane Lisa refers to costs as much per gallon as the linear poly costs per quart. What is linear poly and can it be stripped eventually? It's a very high-end clear coating that's commonly used on yachts in place of spar varnish. Damn near bomb-proof according to the people I've talked with that have used it. It strips great with a belt sander. Linear strips very nicely as long as you get under it. It is not like stripping old polyester.
The trick with any exterior finish is not to get to the point of having to strip the material off. Before the finish crazes, powders or loses its color, you want to re-coat the item. This goes for anything from your offshore cabin cruiser to my front door. Most exterior finishes have UV absorbers that get used up and must be renewed or the finish, stain and wood will be destroyed. When customers call us with a door re-coat, we get out there now. When they need a door refinished, I normally do not return the phone call. It still WOULD strip nicely with a belt sander, wouldn't it? I never said it wouldn't strip with MC stripper. Actually, I thought from the descriptions of linear poly that I read on some of the boating sites, where this stuff is popular, that the stuff was like polyester. For polyester I'd recommend a blowtorch or the aforementioned atomic bomb. The brand of linear poly mentioned a lot on these boating sites was some stuff I believe was called Awl-Grip? Is the Sterling product similar?
My biggest concern here is UV exposure and longevity. Unfortunately, the door in question gets sun from the lock rail down for the better part of the day. Plain cut red oak, a dark stain color and south exposure (dew at night) aren't helping matters, either. Could any of these finishes hold up for say five years, maintenance free? I'd hate to go to the expense and be back where I started a year from now. Your best bet if you have the money to spend is Sterling two-part linear polyurethane. At $240 a gallon + $240 for the catalyst it'll be an expensive door finish. Contributor M, have you ever worked with marine finishing products? They are not the same as painting or glazing a wood door. Yes, I have done some work with marine finishing products, also exotic car interiors and very expensive exterior entrance units. As far as I know, there is no magic to the chemistry of the products used in the marine industry. The wood that is used is the same and so are the environmental extremes.
Moisture resistance, UV exposure and chemical resistance concerns are all the same. As a company that finishes and refinishes a wide range of products and surfaces, it is our profession to find out new or different products from a wide range of fields. So please let me know what you have hiding in your bag of tricks. I don't have anything hiding, only experience in building 40-60 footer sail yachts. And yes, there are some tricks by working with polyesters, vinylesters, polyurethanes, epoxies, etc. If you mix a gallon of primer with the catalyst from brand "A" and start shooting you have wasted 500 bucks. Having done some work with marine finishing products is not the same as working in a marine environment. The wood used in a marine environment is not the same as the one used in kitchen cabinets and the finish is also not the same. Marine products have their use "on the water". For on land use, they are too expensive. Would you like to add information to this article?Interested in writing or submitting an article?
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