Door refinish - sorta/not wood

[Mark W Pugh]

OK, my fiberglass front door has faded over the years. It doesn't look bad from a distance, but you can tell it needs some help up close. Now, it's from ThermaTru and they use a waterborne poly top coat. Not getting in to steps the company says to use, I need some advice on how to proceed.

What I would like to do is tint a top coat, and apply that vs stripping all the way down to the fiberglass. I went to Woodworkers Supply today and they said I could tint General Finishes 450 and apply that. Can a tinted poly work? Just need to add a little color and add protection. Comments?

Thanks for any help.

[Scott Holmes]

Poly is a terrible choice for outside. UV really tears it up. Down here in the Houston area 6 months in the sun is a long time for poly to last.


Best choice is a non poly varnish or a water borne that is made for exterior applications.

[Mark W Pugh]

Best choice is a non poly varnish or a water borne that is made for exterior applications.

Any suggestions? It will be brushed on. Techniques/best product for tinting it.

[Scott Holmes]

I would suggest appling a gel stain to color it, then top coat it. Adding color to the clear finish creates a toner, which are sprayed 99% of the time.

Minwax polyshades is technically a toner and they recommend brushing it... I have heard hundreds of horry stories with people using polyshades. It dries too slowly to produce good results. Toners usually are lacquer or shellac based and are dry to-the-touch in a few minutes. Ployshades takes hours, which gives it time to run, drip, sag, and pool. The color really highlights these flaws. Brush strokes also show up very well in slow drying toners.

As for the best exterior non poly varnishes; go to a marina or boat supply house and look at the varnish they sell. Epifanes is one of the best. Don't let the price (~$60/qt) change your mind these products are worth every penny.

[Mark W Pugh]

I would suggest appling a gel stain to color it, then top coat it. Adding color to the clear finish creates a toner, which are sprayed 99% of the time.

Scott, this assumes I have stripped the door? I was trying to not strip the door. I'm trying to work over the top coat, which is probably mostly gone.

[Scott Holmes]

Actually I meant to have you apply the gel stain as a "glaze coat" which as a toner, should be done between clear coats.

So, no stripping the old finish is needed. Apply the gel stain, work it to the look you like.. you can use an old brush to add "grain" then after it has had a day or two to dry you can top caot it. If you will be brushing the top coat it would be best to spray a light coat of Zinsser Shellac (aerosol can) to seal it in.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mark,

If you decide to go with Epifanes, check the prices at Jamestown Distributors. They were 1/2 of what I paid at Amazon. http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/main.do

Though I ordered my finish from Amazon, then discovered JD....I ordered my stainless steel boweyes and other needed hardware from JD and had excellent service from them.