Re: Main entry door....

Hello and thanks for stopping by..

I am curious for ideas on main entry doors. I have already purchased a 1m mahogany (kilndried) door. It is set for delivery in a few days. First problem... The wall it will be installed on has yet to be completed. Second, what type of stains, varnish, treatments, should be applied to ensure the best look as well as durability? Any tips or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated.

1st is you secure the size of the jamb to the wall...

since hindi pa completed yung wall para sa door installation,
it is the best time to pre-finish or finish your door.

type ba o brand,
marami kasing type ng stains.
i'll suggest na lang the easy to find brand ( sm ace hardware )
and also for ease of application.

ace brand are good ...
they have many types.
stains ( you have your choice of shades ),
polyurethane ( oil and water base ) varnish,
your choice of satin, semigloss and glossy finish...
spar varnish for exterior...atbp...

i suggest you do this 1, 2, 3 procedures...these are the most basic application i can suggest ( pang DIY ika nga )...
1. stain application
2. sanding sealer application
3. polyurethane final coat...

you can try different shades for your main entry door...
darker shades for the outside...
lighter shades for the inside...
la lang style lang !!!:dance1:

Re: Main entry door....

So I presume the door to be delivered is bare as in totally bare, maybe from the sash factory or from the display showrooms, slightly rough on one side or the other also some roughness on some edges, I totally agree with the first suggestion, very well said and explained but may I suggest or add something before doing the steps stated by one of our wood masters.

For the sake of peace of mind, lasunin mo muna ang bare door panel mo, spread by brushing a few coats of clear solution of an anti anay or anti bukbok all over the panel, ang mahal mahal pa naman ng mga door panels now adays specially with the total log ban all over the country, sayang kung may naka singit na itlog ne bukbuk inside the wood during its assembly. Anyway let dry completely for a few days then do the detail sanding of your door and then you are on your way to the steps stated by bro jonathanscruz68. 😉

PLUS lets wait for other wood masters to give their 2 cents+ advice.

Best of luck on your project :cool01::p:)
CHEERS !!!!!

Re: Main entry door....

braders, the nomastequilla is American, kindly post in english so you can help him better....:whipass:

Re: Main entry door....

Hi,
I love this forum and all the guys who share here. I haven't joined in, only read, but I thought I would give you my thoughts on your door.
Glad you chose a kiln dried door. My only concern is after you go to all the work of sanding and hanging a beautiful door, be aware that if moisture gets behind a varnish or urethane finish, it will turn black on you. It's very hard then to refinish it. moisture is bad. Maybe the entrance is protected from the element, I don't know, so you might be alright. Personally I have used oil finishes with good success and they bring out the beauty of the natural wood. Just my opinion, best of luck.
Joe

Re: Main entry door....

Hello and thanks for stopping by..

I am curious for ideas on main entry doors. I have already purchased a 1m mahogany (kilndried) door. It is set for delivery in a few days. First problem... The wall it will be installed on has yet to be completed. Second, what type of stains, varnish, treatments, should be applied to ensure the best look as well as durability? Any tips or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated.

Is your main door facing the sun (morning / afternoon)? Will you opt to put a canopy just in case?
The main problem w/ entrance doors is how to weather proof them. In this country, you must be able to get a high-temp UV blocking agent like marine epoxy seals and use them as primers for the door finish. Then you can top them w/ Polyurethane products w/c outlast most outdoor or extreme weather finishes. Wipe-on Oil finishes are ok as long as you keep on applying them from time to time. Protection against infestation should be addressed before any finishing takes place. Do you have any way of checking the Door if it is really dried to the ideal MC (moisture content = 9-14% MC) other than the manufacturers claim? Try not to mix different bases of finishes (oil stains + solvent sealers & topcoat, etc.) Stick to all solvent or go oil all the way.

Re: Main entry door....

wonderful suggestions all. Big Thanks to Admin for spotting the american. As for the dryness of the wood. I do not know the exact dryness but from the doors he has his work is quality and little separation at the seams, Having stopped at many door places it was easy to see the difference in quality from those shops to this one. The name is Timberland supply or something like that on the road from novaliches to trinoma, As for stains and others i saw a brand bronco or something like that? it seemed to have the separate stains, sanding finishes and urethane features. The main door is shaded by a tree if i can convince the wifey to not cut it down. Think the only way i can convince her is to tell her we have to cover it with an awning or something. Thanks again for all the advice, If you guys get a chance and need a door this guy does amazing work, edges are sharp and seams are tight. Price is reasonable also. Keep all ideas and lessons learned coming please... Oh wait, anyone know where i can source some small pieces of reflective glass for the inserts on this door? they will be about 1.5 inches by two or two and a half feet, not sure yet will know for sure tomorrow, maybe six or seven piece this size.

Re: Main entry door....

@nomas

I'd think twice about varnishing a sun-exposed door. Apparently no varnish lasts long under the sun:
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Clear_Finish_for_an_Exterior_Door.html
http://www.woodworking.org/WC/GArchive99/9_19mcnamara2A.html

With that in mind, in your shoes i'd consider either an awning or painting the door. If the wood were too gorgeous to cover up, maybe tung oil or linseed oil's the best choice. It's not the toughest, but you wont' need to scrape it off when the sun causes it to crack and flake - you just keep adding more oil. It also penetrates the wood well, and thus helps against moisture. I'm not sure what stains and grain fillers can be used under tung oil, although if the wood's already gorgeous, why paint the lily?

Re: Main entry door....

Just got a new phone with a better camera and direct link for load to pc, door arrived yesterday will take a photo of it in present state and post it. Although having seen some other doors am thinking now its not as special as we had thought although i stand by my assertion that the craftsmanship on this door is better than any i have seen at other sellers. I am hoping to do justice to the door as it will be a focal point of the house since we both seem to be leaning towards a minimalist approach to the exterior design it will stand out very much, am thinking some sort of exposed beams, concrete or wood 2x4 extending over the entrance and supported by simple columns or something, I had another idea of a flat concrete slab maybe 1 meter by 1.5 meters witha raised edge of about 3 inches so that i could put a japanese zen rock garden in it, from below would look like a simple slab to cover the door but from the terrace it would be much more pleasant to view.

Re: Main entry door....

I assume the door would be exposed to rain so you'd need to water proof it. Best way to "seal" the wood would be to saturate it in epoxy. Polymer Products sell them in gallons. But epoxy is not UV protected so you'd need to cost it with some clear polyurethane or spar varnish (Ace or Sadolin are good). Epoxy also does not stick well to wood that's been oil-stained so, if you wish to stain before sealing, you should use water-based stains. In this country, that virtually means using aniline dyes, locally called jobus, available at National Bookstores.

Try searching this forum on "epoxy". I've made some suggestions in the past about this.

Good luck!
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Re: Main entry door....

epoxy the door? i know that's how they waterproof boats, but they cover that with paint. i doubt that any clear coat will totally block uv: it's just like sunblock - it reduces uv exposure but you still get a tan.
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Re: Main entry door....

epoxy the door? i know that's how they waterproof boats, but they cover that with paint. i doubt that any clear coat will totally block uv: it's just like sunblock - it reduces uv exposure but you still get a tan.
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I am a wood supplier and a finishing specialist. I am also one of those contractors who use epoxy as a primer sealer and then apply Polyurethane sealers and topcoats on these polymer coated films. We manufacture our own industrial strength marine grade epoxy and high build Aliphatic Polyurethane products. We give a minimum of one year warranty on our products plus an extension warranty of 3 years for those clients who choose to let our company contract the application of these products. There are UV blockers or controllers incorporated both in our epoxy formula as well as our Polyurethane top coats and sealers. I can show you several projects we have done in the past 3 years to verify our claim. I stand by [COLOR="Blue"]Balarila's claim of the effectiveness of polymers and resins as good wood preservatives and at the same time suitable aesthetic finish. I can show you a project we are about to work on that have been treated w/ Linseed oil and applied w/ oil preservatives / finishes and failed. I have yet to encounter a company / supplier of Oil based finishes that can give full warranty such as ours. The only thing they can claim is warranty against infestation not against elemental exposure or wood rot. That is why we invest a lot in finishing researches w/c for the moment rests on Epoxy and Polyurethane products as the [COLOR="Red"]CURRENT best choice because our business provides warranty. Wood doesn't get a "tan" w/ sun or UV exposure. It turns into a discolored state or a color somewhat resembling white gray or yellowish white depending on the species of wood and eventually turns in to a rotted dark color as a result of the tissues over exhausted expansion and contraction due to its open grain state. Up to now our studies on finishes are on going as we are forever going to be exposed to gradual climate changes that may go from bad to worst so no one can claim an absolute film protection or treatment but can only adapt to it for a limited time till the next development of climate or formula happens. I can only give views on my current successful treatments but who knows, in 5 years it may have to be modified again, but at least we try to help in anyway we can to adapt. I do not claim that ours is the absolute way but at least this is another way of working on this problem.

some oil finishes start like this....

then after a few months (around 3-6 months) they change into this....

But eventually they call us to transform the finish into this....

We can even use Poly & epoxy combo for veneer post cladding....

Re: Main entry door....

wow.. ok so now i understand why these guys sell the doors unfinished... I am sorry i havent posted pics of the door yet, other more pressing issues have arisen, contractor i am using is well... a nice person, but shaky as to knowledge and design. Also they installed a wall yesterday between the mom's room and the living room, forgot to install the door frame.... I will consider all inputs regarding the door, also regarding stains.... the one i purchased is a penetrating stain from bronco...? what if any info or thoughts does anyone have regarding this brand and product? Specifically balarila, your epoxy sealer and the penetrating stain? I assume its not oil based as its penetrating... Thanks again guys and will post pics soon.

Re: Main entry door....

I suggest you use spar urethane varnish... you can leave it under the sun and rain, getting good coverage is all you need, Spar urethane is designed for outdoor use... out... door... you get it:apple:

Re: Main entry door....

I guess the comments above have dealt with the epoxy + clear coating (poly or spar varnish) sufficiently.

IF you want a bright finish (i.e. clear finish), then you will never get a 100% sunblock. My suggestion to use epoxy was for waterproofing. You can then use whatever (semi) clear coating you wanted in the first place that has the max UV protection available.

FYI, I am building a 22-23ft sailboat in bright finish.