The best clear finish for an exterior door is 3 coats of clear epoxy followed with 2 3 coats of spar varnish.
Best exterior door finish.
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.
As soon as it begins to crack or peel it s only going to get worse.
However the initial application does take longer then exterior varnish.
Exterior paints are sold in flat matte eggshell satin semi gloss and gloss sheens in order of the lowest to the highest.
It s got to be semigloss.
When it comes to painting your front door there are a million colors to choose from but only one real option for the finish.
Go for a semi gloss finish which is as durable as it is attractive.
High quality formulations have finely ground pigments that block uv rays while allowing the grain to show.
Water repellent preservatives wrps are a great choice on wood decks.
My go to finish system for exterior doors is a combination of two products.
Water repellents wrs.
A storm door would also be a big help in protecting the door form the elements.
For a natural look penetrating oil finishes might be your best bet.
In my opinion spar varnish will give you the best clear coat protection against water.
Previous varnish only finishes only lasted 2 3 years.
An exterior oil finish is definitely the simplest quickest way to treat an outdoor project.
Pettit marine paint s captain s varnish and epifanes wood finish matte.
Teak oil tung oil and tung oil finishes.
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.
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.
The same goes for exterior trim.
My go to finish system for exterior doors is a combination of two products.
Water repellents and water repellent preservatives.
Whether it s a marine grade spar varnish or otherwise a film forming finish such as varnish only truly seals the wood when the film is intact.
The best protection for an exterior door is opaque paint all clear finishes will need constant maintenance.
They shed water for a year or so before requiring reapplication.
Prior to applying new finish scrub the surface with a cleaner containing an oxidizing agent such as bleach.