need help to refinish exterior door

[imianga]

I put this topic in wrong category, so I am reposting it in here.

I just purchased RO150 and want to use it for refinishing an exterior wooden door.
It has not been maintained for several years and previous finish is in bad condition.
I planning to sand it out starting with 100 grit upto 180grit, then put some oil varnish mixture.
Should I start with 80 grit?
Also what kind of finish do you recommend for harsh weather condition?
It is very dry and hot during summer...long winter with a lot of snows in my area.
Someone recommend me to go with light finish and maintain more often rather than putting thick finish

Thanks

 

[dirtydeeds]

depends on the quality you wish to achieve and the time you have

top quality work

if its already varnished, and there is some black staining behind the varnish and you are putting new clear varnish on

you need to get rid of the staining

even if there is no black staining (and you have VERY poor conidtion varnish lifted and peeling ) you have got to strip the door to the wood ALL the old varnish must be removed otherwise it shows up like a sore thumb under the new varnish

this is even more true if the new varnish is water bourne and the old is polyurethane
 

to this quality.................. a 40 year old front door with six fielded panels expect to take 5 hours to strip to the bone ( EXTERNAL FACE ONLY) door

take the door off the hinges, it takes under 2 minutes and the work is easier on a bench, then remove all the door funiture

the rotex will get used for only half an hour or so, the rest of the time is with detail sanders (and scrapers for the tiny detail)

forgot to say use 40 or 60 grit for removal (for speed)

then 150 or 180 for finishing.................................  use an inline sander for finishing before the first coat.................... this is varnish work and anything else shows up

rub down between coats with 340 or 400 grit  (unless the tin says different)

DO NOT use wire wool between coats like the diy books tell you, this is an external door

tiny pieces of wire wool get into niches, then they rust

 

[dirtydeeds]

like ALL clear varnish work you spend 99 percent of the time in preparation

the varnishing takes minutes

do not forget to do the top and bottom of external doors

maintenance of all your hard work

varnish is a high maintenance product, ask any boat owner, its the reason so many varinshed boats get painted a few years down the line

in our climate (i cant talk for baking summers and snow for 3 months every year) once every 18 / 24 months key the varnish with 180grit then apply another coat

 

[jaegerhund]

DD did the works on prep -- all I can offer is for finishing , you could use CPES (muliti-wood prime by Smith and Co.) and then a quality  Spar Varnish.   

Justin

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Whch I had a better answer, but...

We live in the New Mexico desert, a mile above sea level.  Punishing UV rays, hot summer days, cold snowy winters.  Everyone here has pretty much taken to the idea of annual or semiannual maintenance.

I have CPES and Epifanes marine varnish on some outdoor furniture, but it still takes annual maintenance of the varnish.

As a woodworker, I hate to say it, but paint is probably the lowest maintenance, most durable finish for an exterior door.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Whch I had a better answer, but...

We live in the New Mexico desert, a mile above sea level.  Punishing UV rays, hot summer days, cold snowy winters.  Everyone here has pretty much taken to the idea of annual or semiannual maintenance.

I have CPES and Epifanes marine varnish on some outdoor furniture, but it still takes annual maintenance of the varnish.

As a woodworker, I hate to say it, but paint is probably the lowest maintenance, most durable finish for an exterior door.

SPF 10,000

 

[jaegerhund]

As a woodworker, I hate to say it, but paint is probably the lowest maintenance, most durable finish for an exterior door.

Yep  --- I agree with this  --- something like a CPES treatment, oil-based (penetrating) primer, followed by a quality latex.  Just one way.

I don't know if you have mold and mildew issues, but make sure you kill those boogers after sanding and  such (bleach, soap concoction) before finishing ------ they can and will live under and on paint and varnish.  In Louisiana , it gets into everything.

Justin

 

[dirtydeeds]

i am totally at sea with american climate conditions

and therefore american carpentry problems

but my gesss is that louisanna has high heat and high humidity

this (poor) understanding leads me to believe that paint finishes may well be much easier than clear / coloured varnishes

 

[jaegerhund]

i am totally at sea with american climate conditions

and therefore american carpentry problems

but my gesss is that louisanna has high heat and high humidity

this (poor) understanding leads me to believe that paint finishes may well be much easier than clear / coloured varnishes

I think you have it spot on -- but really no type of exterior finish lasts long around here .  I don't have enough experience with the varied climates of this country to know how they affect exterior finishes , but I think it is fair to say that a clear coat/varnish finish is a creature of regular and often maintenance no matter where.    Anybody care to give a lesson on this stuff?

Justin

 

[Jerry Work]

Clear water based finishes designed for the marine trade are the best bet for such applications.  Stay away from spar varnishes as they often do not dry completely in conditions of high heat and humidity.  Make sure there is no rot in the existing door and keep it inside a conditioned shop for several days before doing the application to allow residual moisture to leave the near surface regions on the door faces.  Spraying with HVLP will work best and you want to thin the first coat to promote deep penetration.  Do a second seal coat and sand, but do not break the edges.  Now apply three to five build coats with as little film thickness as you can manage.  Wait two or more hours between coats if the outside humidity and temp are high as in this example.  Wait six or more hours after the final build coat and sand the door flat.  Apply one mist top coat with the door in a horizontal position.  That final coat will flow out like glass and you will not need to buff or polish.  As long as the door is fully sealed all around this finish should last a long time and will really bring the natural beauty of the wood to life.  Hope this helps.

Jerry

i am totally at sea with american climate conditions

and therefore american carpentry problems

but my gesss is that louisanna has high heat and high humidity

this (poor) understanding leads me to believe that paint finishes may well be much easier than clear / coloured varnishes

I think you have it spot on -- but really no type of exterior finish lasts long around here .   I don't have enough experience with the varied climates of this country to know how they affect exterior finishes , but I think it is fair to say that a clear coat/varnish finish is a creature of regular and often maintenance no matter where.    Anybody care to give a lesson on this stuff?

Justin

 

[jaegerhund]

There's a lesson -- thank you Jerry.

Justin