In General:
All exterior woodwork must be finished to protect the product from the detrimental effects of weather. Unfinished wood will oxidize (turn gray), split, warp, shrink, and water-stain. Eventually, adhesives may no longer bind. The door may become useless for its intended purpose.
You can opt to have us finish your door with our established materials and techniques, you can apply the finish yourself, or you can hire a local finish contractor to perform the work.
History:
From 1979 to 1999, we provided our own sprayed, stain/varnish finish using a variety of stain brands and colors covered by Defthane Exterior Satin Finish. We gave it our best shot when a customer would request something unique. From 1999 to 2018, we subcontracted the finishes due to space limitations in our own shop. We were never quite satisfied with the finish contractors for a variety of reasons. In 2018, we chose to re-establish our own spray finish facilities for varnish. In 2021, we resumed spraying paint on our products.
When is it best to order your work “Unfinished”?
- It is not uncommon for a building contractor to order an entryway unfinished, as they may have a finish contractor and/or a need to use a finish compatible with other woodwork in the home.
- Perhaps you are adept at finishing and wish to save the cost.
- You might want to use specific materials that we do not offer.
- You may have a color in mind that we cannot duplicate.
- You may simply want to control the exact color or techniques under your own supervision.
Paint:
The customer has a choice between water-born Acrylic/Latex paint, which is sprayed with an airless sprayer, or oil-based Enamel, which is sprayed with a high volume low pressure system. Typically, three coats of Semi-Gloss are applied. Other sheens may be available by special request from the customer. Not all types of paint are suitable for spraying. Not all manufacturers are available to us. However, we can usually achieve your color choice with those brands that are.
Stain/Varnish:
With rare exception, our finish application process is the same for all doors and entryways we build. We use Minwax products primarily because they are compatible with each other, they are readily available throughout North America, and they are available in small quantities or aerosols in case the customer needs to perform simple touch-ups. We use Minwax Wood Finish stains to seal and color the wood. These are not exterior stains and they do require a protective overcoat. For this, we use Minwax Helmsman Interior/Exterior Spar Urethane, Clear Satin. Again, other sheens may be available by special request from the customer
What are my stain color choices?
It is important to note that, while the general shade of the stain is consistent, the wood species may have some influence on the project’s appearance. Porous woods or end-grain will absorb more of the stain, while dense woods or flat-grain may absorb less, yielding a lighter tone. It is also possible for the natural color of the wood to influence these semi-transparent stains. (For example: a red species like mahogany may cause the stain to appear more reddish than if it were applied to a blonde wood species.) Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that the finish color will match your vision. We can only guarantee that we will use the stain you specify and apply all products according to the manufacturers guidelines and to our satisfaction.
If a glaze is requested, it is applied after the second coat of varnish. Glazes are intended to highlight joints, corners, distressing, carving, grooves, and such. However, they will also darken the overall stain color to some degree.
Our Process:
We begin with fresh hand-sanding to remove any fingerprints or oxidation from the wood’s surface. Stain is applied with a foam brush, flooding the surfaces and avoiding any dry patches. A small bristle brush is used to get into grooves, mortises, and tight areas that cannot be reached with the foam brush. After staining the entire door or jamb, the excess stain is removed by wiping with a clean cotton rag. If the project is moved or flipped over, we are sure to wipe any stain that may drip out of grooves or small recesses. At this point, it is possible that one may find small patches that resist the stain. These can be glue squeeze-out, greasy fingerprints, wood filler smudges, or glue smudges that block the pores of the wood from absorbing the stain. While the stain is still wet, we use a chisel, cabinet scraper, or sandpaper to remove the blemish and re-apply the stain in the affected area, give it time to soak in, and wipe away the excess.
We allow the stain to cure for at least one day before applying varnish. We begin by brushing varnish into grooves and pockets that resist spraying. We brush the top and outside surfaces of door jambs as well as the bottom of the threshold. We brush the top and bottom of the door. When this varnish is dry, we move all the components into the spray room. We then apply three sprayed coats of varnish, being careful to avoid drips or sags. Each coat is allowed to dry thoroughly.
Between each coat, all of the components are scraped and sanded to remove any rough areas and prepare the surfaces for the subsequent coat. If a glaze is to be applied, it is brushed on after the second varnish coat in the same manner that the stain was applied. The excess is gently wiped off to allow highlights to remain and the components are allowed to cure. A final coat of varnish is then applied.
It is imperative that all wood surfaces are coated to retard moisture vapor exchange with the environment, even if those surfaces are not visible on the installed entryway.
Having your finish application applied prior to delivery has distinct advantages:
- After the construction of your project is complete, we remove all hardware and strip down the unit into its wood components.
- Whenever possible, glass is installed after the finish application to avoid masking errors and finish leakage.
- All components are detail sanded immediately prior to finish application.
- All visible surfaces are stained, including tops, bottoms, under the screen track, and under hinge leaves or hardware.
- All surfaces are varnished to retard moisture exchange, including the outside surfaces of jamb units. Thus, ensuring compliance with warranty.
- While stains are brushed on and the excess wiped off, all varnish is sprayed, eliminating brush marks.
- A typical project will have four coats of finish. All work is sanded between coats. Any flaws identified during the process are rectified and re-sprayed until we are satisfied with the result.
- When finish is complete, the project is reassembled for delivery.
Maintenance:
Polyurethane varnishes break down when exposed to ultraviolet light (sunlight.) The more light, the faster the finish breaks down. If the entryway faces south with no roof overhang, the entryway may need to be refinished every year. We suggest this be done in the Fall for best protection through the winter months. If the entryway faces north with a good roof overhang, then several years may pass before the entryway needs refinishing.
When your entryway is new, it has a satin luster to it. The “plastic coating” is apparent. The breakdown of this coating occurs gradually over time, so slowly that it is not noticeable on a daily or even monthly basis. It is wise to stop and examine the finish on your door from time to time so that you don’t accidentally wait too long and turn the simple refinishing process into a major restoration project.
The lower, exterior surface of the entryway (the bottom rail) will always deteriorate at a faster rate than the upper areas. This is because it gets more direct and reflected UV radiation than the upper portions. So always check your finish application low on the exterior side of the door, not at eye height! The interior side of your entryway may never require refinishing if it does not receive direct sunlight.
The first symptom of varnish breakdown is that the luster of the varnish appears dull. As the breakdown continues, the stained wood may appear as though it has no overcoat at all. This is the “point of no return.” The entryway must be refinished at this point to avoid more lengthy processes. Do not put it off. The sun will not stop shining just because you don’t have time to refinish your door this weekend!
In addition to visually checking you door from time to time, you can simply wipe your bare hand over the surface of the door. Examine your hand for a fine, white powder. This is the varnish after the long-chain polyurethane molecules are broken. While it is wise to dust off your door occasionally, and even use mild cleansers to remove smudges, make sure you wipe off any chemicals that may react with the varnish. Do not use thinners, acetone, or other harsh chemicals as they may destroy the varnish finish.
When you have established that it is time to refinish, lightly sand the varnish to etch the existing varnish and re-establish a smooth surface, free of dust and other contaminants. Follow the instructions on the can for application of the new varnish. Prop the door open until the varnish dries. If additional coats are necessary, repeat the process of sanding and varnishing.
If you have allowed the deterioration to progress beyond the “point of no return”, there may be some loss of color from the original staining. Since the door has no overcoat, water vapor molecules can enter the wood causing expansion which may affect joints. If the humidity is dry, wood shrinkage can occur, also affecting joinery. If a given component cannot shrink, it may develop cracks (called “checks”). These checks may close up again as the wood returns to a more humid environment, but they do not go away permanently, and may continue to get worse over time.
This becomes a restoration project rather than simply refinishing. You must make a choice. Do you want to re-establish the door’s original appearance? Or are you willing to accept an aged patina on the entryway? If the aged look is acceptable, use wood putty to fill any checks, sand it, re-stain the affected areas, and re-varnish the entire project using the techniques described above. There will likely be some color and texture variances between the new and old surfaces. Stain will not penetrate through the existing varnish.
If you choose to restore the new appearance, the entire door must be scraped and sanded down to raw wood. Then, checks can be filled, stain re-applied, and varnish re-applied in a similar manner to that described when the door was new.
If you feel that this labor of love is beyond your capacity, go with your gut feeling. Most paint contractors can perform these tasks. There is more labor with the removal of the old finish, so the cost will likely be more than the cost of the original finish.
