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Hello All,

We were unable to have a custom Mesquite rustic door made, and after 5 months of being patient and listening to excuses, my wife and I paid a surprise visit to the artisan in San Miguel de Allende, only to find out the truth that the door had not even been started. We got our money back and found a new tradesman who could construct our heavy duty thick door and door frame not out of Mesquite but out of a hardwood called “Encino”, I can’t testify to the correct spelling but the phonetic spelling, I think is correct.

I want to finish the door with a Minwax product. As long as I am in the USA, I thought it would be a perfect time to buy the product.

A little more information on the door and frame. The door is an exterior main entry door, that is 40 inches wide and is 3 inch thick solid wood for the door and a door frame of 4 inches thick solid (not thinner pieces glued and 8 inches deep (from front to back – due to the thick cantera stone walls) all around using the same hardwood. Where we live we do not have the salt air problem that a lot of Baja folks have but we do have exceptionally wide variences in temps at this time of year. My wife tells me it was minus -2 C last night and tocdfay at 11:30 it is +30 C degrees, nice spead, huh!!!! Although the door is semi protected from rain as it is under a portico, the sun and some strong rain may at times reach it.

My questions are few.

Has anyone ever used a Minwax poly stain on an exterior hardwood door and frame?

A good product or not?

A better product available on the market or not?

A different choice of product for this type of wood?

Where is "carpentero" when you need him !!!???

Responses appreciated.

Regards,
Robt65

Our thick wood door is exposed to rain and sun and is direct oceanfront. It swells a bit when it is raining and shrinks during the Santa Ana's. We used minwax stains for the interior and Behr house paints for the exterior. Then we sealed the whole door with Varathane Spar Urethane (green label). So far so good

We used a Minwax satin polyuerthane on all the doors in our house including exterior. It is not a stain so the wood must be stained to you liking first. They seem to be holding up pretty good although after 2 1/2 years we may need to touch up some of the exterior doors. We are on the beach so they get a lot of exposure. This product is available in Home Depot Mexico (cheaper the same product in US, probably because of EPA regs).

In my neck of the cardons, Encino is the Spanish word for Oak.

I don't know if oil-based paint products hold up better or worse in this harsh environment for wood. What I do know is my dogs are always the color I am painting that day- so water based works for us.

Minwax colored stain with Polyurethane sealer over it (door interior)


Behr (Home Depot brand) exterior paint with Polyurethane sealer (exterior). Note how the daily sun separates the wood at the joints over time. I fill them and then re-paint.

If it's in the sun, stain it with whatever, then varnish it with a good Spar Varnish. Then...plan on sanding and revarnishing it about once a year just like a boat.
Clear finishes need to be maintained, but it's worth it.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

If it's in the sun, stain it with whatever, then varnish it with a good Spar Varnish. Then...plan on sanding and revarnishing it about once a year just like a boat.
Clear finishes need to be maintained, but it's worth it.

Yup, house maintenance is a full time job. Stainless steel is not stain-proof... just stain-less. The boat analogy is a good one. Wise to chose the right finishes and materials the first time.

Here I am! Sorry I didn't see your post before...

MinWax poly is a good product that I use all the time...even on doors.

Encino is Oak as stated by Legs.

Spar varnish would be a good choice but has a down side...it takes at least 8 hours to dry. This means a couple days to put on 2 or 3 coats and lots of time for dust, bugs, hairs etc. to collect in the finish.

Poly will work fine for the doors and dries fast. It should be waxed 3 times a year to help protect it from the sun and elements. Use a carnuba wax if possible. If you do this, spar varnish or poly should last much longer than one year or season. Just how long depends on the severity of exposure.

I would also recommend using a foam brush with long overlapping strokes with the grain and on a flat surface. Put a light source at a sever angle to the work to help you see that it is covered. Check for missed spots on each stroke and apply again if needed. If you wait too long the varnish will pile up and sit on top of the previous application. If this happens you will need to sand it flat after it thoroughly dries and before you apply the next coat. Sanding between coats with 320 paper will give the best finish but is not necessary.

Good Luck!

Is this your door, Woooosh? It's amazing! I'm drooling.

Originally Posted by DebMer

Is this your door, Woooosh? It's amazing! I'm drooling.

Thanks. Yes it is. Alonzo's cousin made it for us. Sadly many of the craftsman like him have closed their shops for lack of business. He's now a butcher but still does projects when he can get the work.

My dogs drool on it all the time, and worse.

Originally Posted by Woooosh

Our thick wood door is exposed to rain and sun and is direct oceanfront. It swells a bit when it is raining and shrinks during the Santa Ana's. We used minwax stains for the interior and Behr house paints for the exterior. Then we sealed the whole door with Varathane Spar Urethane (green label). So far so good

Thanks Woooosh,

Appreciate the feedback.
Robt65

Originally Posted by DENNIS

If it's in the sun, stain it with whatever, then varnish it with a good Spar Varnish. Then...plan on sanding and revarnishing it about once a year just like a boat.
Clear finishes need to be maintained, but it's worth it.

Thanks Dennis,

I figured on the sanding process with 220 grit.I would probably need 4 to 6 coats, "just like a boat"!

Regards,
Robt65

Originally Posted by BajaCarpintero

Here I am! Sorry I didn't see your post before...

MinWax poly is a good product that I use all the time...even on doors.

Good Luck!

Hey BajaCarpintero,

I hadn’t thought about using a Carnauba Wax or the lighting from Various Directions. I was thinking about 220 to 280 grit, but after seeing your finishes (in photos) I will indeed buy a bunch of 320 instead.

I came across this on another blog about varnish finishes and thought I would share this with everyone. Using the two screws is a pretty bright idea. I remember well peeling those thick skins off from inside the can and then having to strain it. What a messy task that was!

“As one that has varnished acres of oak, mahogany and teak in four decades of
boat ownership and maintenance, I feel qualified to add my two cents worth.
Epiphanes has its advocates but it is expensive and takes a long time to
dry. My favorite is International Flagship varnish. I have tried Bloxygen,
propane, wax paper, storing the can upside down and a million other things.
My favorite way to preserve varnish from year to year is to NOT remove the
lid. I punch two holes in the lid. One is to pour through, the other is a
vent. Pour the varnish through a disposable strainer into the bucket
(disposable paper) you plan to use. The holes in the lid can be sealed with
#10 self tapping sheet metal screws. Invert the can briefly to coat the
threads and that’s it. I have made a holder for the strainer and can because
varnish flows through a small hole about like honey does......SLOWLY. This
method saves varnish; you can use the whole canful! If anyone has a better
way, let me know.”

Thanks again for the tips BajaCarpintero. Appreciate it.

Regards,
Robt65

I also have an insiders tip on preserving varnish...

Varnish coagulates or goes bad due to oxidation. No oxygen, no oxidation.

So, after opening a can and taking what I need (I don't varnish directly from the can) I place the lid on top leaving a small space and blow a lungful of air into the can and quickly seal it tight. As you know your exhale is carbon dioxide CO2, replacing the oxygen in the can with my bad breath works well 95% of the time and it's free, easy and I have a limitless supply.

The other suggestions I have is to sand the surface to no more 220 grit. I mostly sand to 180. I only use the 320 to sand between coats of varnish.

Oak is what they call an "open grain" wood. Using a nitrocelulose sealer will help to seal the raw wood and prevent bubbling. As the varnish penetrates, the open pores of an open grain wood can sometimes emit very small bubbles that do not pop in the varnish as it dries. Caoba, Mahogany in english, is very prone to this. The sealer will make a big difference and should produce a better finish for you.

Originally Posted by BajaCarpintero

I also have an insiders tip on preserving varnish...

Varnish coagulates or goes bad due to oxidation. No oxygen, no oxidation.

So, after opening a can and taking what I need (I don't varnish directly from the can) I place the lid on top leaving a small space and blow a lungful of air into the can and quickly seal it tight. As you know your exhale is carbon dioxide CO2, replacing the oxygen in the can with my bad breath works well 95% of the time and it's free, easy and I have a limitless supply.

The other suggestions I have is to sand the surface to no more 220 grit. I mostly sand to 180. I only use the 320 to sand between coats of varnish.

Oak is what they call an "open grain" wood. Using a nitrocelulose sealer will help to seal the raw wood and prevent bubbling. As the varnish penetrates, the open pores of an open grain wood can sometimes emit very small bubbles that do not pop in the varnish as it dries. Caoba, Mahogany in english, is very prone to this. The sealer will make a big difference and should produce a better finish for you.

Good tip and free. If you don't want to blow CO2, you can buy this "oxygen replacement" called Bloxygen that blows Argon:

http://www.rustbullet.com/productcar...idcategory=123

Good stuff, thanks

Originally Posted by Woooosh

Good tip and free. If you don't want to blow CO2, you can buy this "oxygen replacement" called Bloxygen that blows Argon:

http://www.rustbullet.com/productcar...idcategory=123

Now that sounds like a great product, not a bad price either. I have a bottle of Argon that I use with my TIG welder, maybe I'll rig up a way to use it to blow into my paint cans. I like the idea that Argon being heaver than Oxygen, it will sink and cover the top of the liquid. Not sure about the relative densities of CO2 and Ox.

.

Originally Posted by ncampion

Now that sounds like a great product, not a bad price either. I have a bottle of Argon that I use with my TIG welder, maybe I'll rig up a way to use it to blow into my paint cans. I like the idea that Argon being heaver than Oxygen, it will sink and cover the top of the liquid. Not sure about the relative densities of CO2 and Ox.

.

I didn't know either so I looked it up. Here is what I found:
Gas Molecular Weight

Air 29
Argon 39.948
CO2 44.01

It would appear that the CO2 you exhale is actually more dense than Argon.

Hey...we did science!

Originally Posted by BajaCarpintero

I didn't know either so I looked it up. Here is what I found:
Gas Molecular Weight

Air 29
Argon 39.948
CO2 44.01

It would appear that the CO2 you exhale is actually more dense than Argon.

Hey...we did science!

Yeah, but not very well. We don't exhale 100% CO2 gas. "Expired air typically is composed of: 78% nitrogen, 13.6% - 16% Oxygen, 4% - 5.3% Carbon dioxide, and 1% Argon and other gases". So no matter how much you blow into the can- you are blowing about three times as much O2 into it as you are CO2. Buy the BlOxygen.



Breathing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It appears Professor Woosh is correct but I won't be buying that product because my stanky breath works great.

You northern folks are spoiled with all your fancy fancy products...down here in the stickers we have to make our own gas, so to speak.