Thread: Entrance door lacquer and stain

That's interesting. Why seal it. I am also going to watch this thread.

Yep! I will be watching also with interest.
I have been requested to sand back and "redo" an entrance panel door for my aged mother. I know the door is not terribly old but the existing finish appears to be flaking off. My thinking that there was no sealer or they used an inappropriate finish.

No words of wisdom yet.
Maybe I could be more brief.
Should I stain and lacquer before hanging?
Should I just stain?
Should I just Lacquer?
Should I do both, stain and lacquer?

If it was me I would prefer to completely finish the door flat as I find it easier to do then in a vertical position. I have no access to spray equipment so everything will be done with a brush. Once dried I will flip and finish the other side.

Which brings me to guessing why it would need to be sealed before hanging. Easier to do the sanding if the grain has been raised.

Originally Posted by wombatwal

No words of wisdom yet.
....

And you maybe right, no words of wisdom yet.

As a registered builder, I can advise you to keep the "warranty" from the manufacturer you need to seal the door prior to hanging ( ie behind hinge rebate, handle mortise, top of door, bot of door etc)

Originally Posted by wombatwal

No words of wisdom yet.
Maybe I could be more brief.
Should I stain and lacquer before hanging?
Should I just stain?
Should I just Lacquer?
Should I do both, stain and lacquer?

Hi,

Answer, both if you want to stain, but seal and lacquer anyway.

All solid timber doors, old fashioned floating panel and new fangled multi construction doors, have components with grain and figure at angles to each other. Wood moves more across the grain than with the grain especially with changes in moisture content, humidity etc. so, with different components at different directions it becomes important to limit how much moisture the timber can absorb. That means that it is important to seal and finish the door so that it is as stable as possible, does not swell, jam, twist etc.

Whether you stain depends only on whether you want to change the colour of the timber.

Originally Posted by Moth Woodworks

As a registered builder, I can advise you to keep the "warranty" from the manufacturer you need to seal the door prior to hanging ( ie behind hinge rebate, handle mortise, top of door, bot of door etc)

Thanks Moth Woodworks. I am a complete newby, what would you seal it with?

Originally Posted by Xanthorrhoeas

Hi,

Answer, both if you want to stain, but seal and lacquer anyway.

All solid timber doors, old fashioned floating panel and new fangled multi construction doors, have components with grain and figure at angles to each other. Wood moves more across the grain than with the grain especially with changes in moisture content, humidity etc. so, with different components at different directions it becomes important to limit how much moisture the timber can absorb. That means that it is important to seal and finish the door so that it is as stable as possible, does not swell, jam, twist etc.

Whether you stain depends only on whether you want to change the colour of the timber.

Thanks Xanthorrhoea.
I am not sure if I will stain yet. The current door is in a mission brown type colour and the door "jams" are the same colour.
The new door has not arrived as yet. But it will be a lighter colour than the "jams". I don't know if the lighter coloured door will look out of place with darker "jams".
I intend on lacquering in a ultra violet proof polyurethane with a stain first or without.
Am i doing the right thing?
The door faces north.

As Mothworks has said, to keep the warranty you have to "seal every face of the door including top and bottom. Polyurethane is a good choice. You may need 3 coats to properly cover the surfaces. Stain is NOT a sealer!! You have to put a finish over it. If the door is in the sun for any period during the day the finish will be put through some extreme performance demands, so you may even have to put more than 3 coats on.
I would hang the door first then apply the desired finish. Should your door hanger man put any marks on the door during the hanging process its easy to sand/fix up during the painting process (I have been a Carpenter for more than 40 years)

Originally Posted by chambezio

As Mothworks has said, to keep the warranty you have to "seal every face of the door including top and bottom. Polyurethane is a good choice. You may need 3 coats to properly cover the surfaces. Stain is NOT a sealer!! You have to put a finish over it. If the door is in the sun for any period during the day the finish will be put through some extreme performance demands, so you may even have to put more than 3 coats on.
I would hang the door first then apply the desired finish. Should your door hanger man put any marks on the door during the hanging process its easy to sand/fix up during the painting process (I have been a Carpenter for more than 40 years)

Thanks very much chambezio.
I now know what to do.
Another question.
How about sanding.
I am getting the door from Bunnings it is a "Hume Doors" door, a door maker in Sydney.

You may like to look at some of the marine finishes if your door will have to face West or get a lot of sun. I have used a marine finish called Deks Olje available from Whitworths Marine. There are #1 and. #2. The first saturates the wood and gives a satin finish, the second applies a gloss layer over. The great advantage is that when you need to refresh the finish in about 12 months all you need to do is a light sand and put more of the product over the top. Can't do that with polyurethane!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Xanthorrhoeas

You may like to look at some of the marine finishes if your door will have to face West or get a lot of sun. I have used a marine finish called Deks Olje available from Whitworths Marine. There are #1 and. #2. The first saturates the wood and gives a satin finish, the second applies a gloss layer over. The great advantage is that when you need to refresh the finish in about 12 months all you need to do is a light sand and put more of the product over the top. Can't do that with polyurethane!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks Xanthorroea.
I think I will go with your recommended finish.

Originally Posted by chambezio

As Mothworks has said, to keep the warranty you have to "seal every face of the door including top and bottom. Polyurethane is a good choice. You may need 3 coats to properly cover the surfaces. Stain is NOT a sealer!! You have to put a finish over it. If the door is in the sun for any period during the day the finish will be put through some extreme performance demands, so you may even have to put more than 3 coats on.
I would hang the door first then apply the desired finish. Should your door hanger man put any marks on the door during the hanging process its easy to sand/fix up during the painting process (I have been a Carpenter for more than 40 years)

Just received the door.
The door has raised panels of what looks like different types of wood.
It is reasonably smooth.
Should I sand it first, and if so what should I sand it with?

Possibly a bit late now, but for future reference.

it must be undestood that there is no such thing as a long term UV stable clear finish.....they simply do not exist.

The best clear finishes are from the marine market...they all expect to "refinsh their bright work" every 2 to 5 years.

If your door is a little less weather exposed than a boat in the water full time you may get 5 to 10 years out of a top spec marine varnish.

If you want a long term UV and weather stable finish it will be opaque......and light coloured.

Any door if I had the choice I would finish it complete before it was permantly fixed.....mostly that would mean fitting and adjusting it correctly including getting all the hinges, locks and acutriments fitted, then removed for finishing.

These modern doors are trash, so you realy need to properly seal every edge and surface....and seal them well.....3 coats minimum.

Should you sand.....unless you want it looking rough....

persoanally I would seal the door with either the compatable sanding sealer to the top coat or in this case with thinned top coat.

This will consolidate the surface and raise the grain......I would then sand thru to 180 grit or depending on the detail with a maroon scotchbrite.

I'm not all that keen on staining this sort of stuff, I prefeer to use colour in the finish......I find it more consistent and it will improve the UV performance

tint your finsh and put as many coats as required to get the colour depth you want, then go clear coats of the same.

I'd be using a clear single pack marine polyeurathane.

I did a hardwood panel to mount some intercom door stations for a client a few years ago....3 years ago from memory
I was back to replace the door strike some months ago and the panel looked as good as the day I hung it..althought it is only sun exposed in the mornings.

As for the door jamb.....very likely the person hanging it may have to rework the stop beads and stuff...so I'd be refinishing the door jamb in like manner also.

cheers