House in Progress Diary

Wow. Nice door.

I refinished our wooden front door this past summer with glossy enamel and was *shocked* when it started to crack this Spring from the heat/humidity changes causing the wood to swell slightly.

So I did some research on what I *should* have done. Hopefully this will help you avoid the same mistake I made...

The American Wood Products Institute that all outdoor wood be treated in the following way:

1) Find some paintable waterproofing liquid. They make both paintable and non-paintable versions--make sure you get the right one. Waterproofing is not the same as rot-proofing. The waterproofing is meant to keep the moisture content of the wood from changing with the seasons.

2) Apply *one* liberal coat of waterproofing to *all* 6 sides (and edges) of the wood. Follow the directions carefully -- it may say to wipe down the wood after 30 minutes.

3) Wait. And wait some more. Follow the directions on the waterproofing for drying time. It could be as long as six (!) weeks if you're using a water-based top coat or as little as three days if you're using a solvent-based top coat.

4) If urethaning, go ahead and apply many light coats.

5) If using paint, use a good *latex* primer (e.g. Zinnser Bulls-eye 1-2-3). Don't make the mistake I did and use a (non-stretchy) oil-based primer -- it will crack over time.

Hope this helps. I'm going to have to strip down our door and do it all over again this summer :-(

.../j

Wow! Great door. It is soooo nice to see someone go the extra mile and do it right. Congratulations.

Grex

Did you get the beveled glass, too?
As you may remember, I got the same door about a year ago. Mine is stained on the outside with an orange gel-stain (which is oil based) to bring out that fir color and even out the panels (some were blonder than the others and that bugged me). I Kilzed the inside side and the top and bottom, which was to be painted white (also oil based). Then on the outside, 3 coats of UV-proof varnish (which added a little yellow tone). My door is protected from sun under a porch, as I know yours is, too. I would worry a little about using a waterproofer, which could impair the ability of the wood to take up the stain (the fir seemed a little more resistant in the first place to staining than other woods I have tried). If you are painting it, I would say waterproofer is a good idea. Stain and I would worry.

Another data point: My last front door was also fir and got finished in the same way as my new Simpson door. Looked good for 1 year, then the yearly barbecuing by a West-facing blast of summer sun for 4 hours every day- eventually the wood turned BLACK from underneath, but did not expand or bubble (and its humid here in the South). It was ugly and many stained doors in my treeless new subdivision did the same thing.
Good luck.

I just got my Simpson Bungalow door delivered. I ordered it pre-hung, and I was a bit surprised to see that it came with an aluminum threshold. Advantage to that is less maintenance and adjustability, but I don't like the look. Did yours also come with an aluminum threshold? Also, our new door says "Brosco" on it, even though we ordered a Simpson. Apparently Brosco just bought up Simpson. Yes?

Thanks!

-- Kip