I m torn between applying a film forming finish such as paint opaque stain or exterior varnish or a penetrating oil finish.
Best exterior door finish.
The best choice for exterior wood paint is acrylic latex.
Pettit marine paint s captain s varnish and epifanes wood finish matte.
These must be applied in multiple coats with meticulous initial and in between coat prep.
Previous varnish only finishes only lasted 2 3 years.
My go to finish system for exterior doors is a combination of two products.
When water gets trapped behind a film forming finish it causes blistering and peeling.
These must be applied in multiple coats with meticulous initial and in between coat prep.
Pettit marine paint s captain s varnish and epifanes wood finish matte.
The best clear finish for an exterior door is 3 coats of clear epoxy followed with 2 3 coats of spar varnish.
Good quality acrylic lasts longer than oil base paint because it has better resistance to uv.
Because its opaque pigments block the sun s uv rays an exterior grade oil or water based paint is the longest lasting and most protective finish you can apply.
My go to finish system for exterior doors is a combination of two products.
Their popularity and effectiveness for finishing the bright work on boats makes them the best choice for protecting exterior wooden doors that are exposed to harsh weather elements year round.
Acrylic latex is also more porous than oil base which lets the wood breathe and shed water.
Sand and reapply every five to six years.
The combination has worked amazingly well for me on a west facing exterior oak door that looks as good today as it did after refinishing 7 8 years ago.