Suggestions for treating pine doors

[Nige]

I've just completed rennovations on a small cottage which included fitting new four-panel, knot-free pine doors throughout. I don't particularly want to paint these but I'm not at all keen on varnished pine (or pine in any form, for that matter).

I wondered if anyone had any suggestions for treating the doors so that the grain can still be seen, but avoiding using standard varnish treatments which leave the door 'yellow' and later deepen to that horrible 'orangey brown' that pine seems to turn over the years.

A lighter, more neutral colour would be fine - something that gave the doors a 'bleached, washed' effect. Any suggestions...?

Nigel Lord

[TMC]

Not an answer to your question but I seem to recall that there can be problems with untreated pine doors where the humidity on one side of the door is different to that on the other e.g. the bathroom door and that the doors would need to be very carefully sealed to prevent wood movement

However I'm sure some one more knowledgeable will be along soon

Tony

[sm_jamieson]

The one I got from B&Q had a warning saying something like "WARNING: paint this door on all sides including the bottom edge before you even think about putting this door onto your trolley, you have been warned", but I guess it was very poor quality pine that would warp if it dried out or subject to humidity changes. Simon.

[The Natural Philosopher]

All pine is poor quality.

The more grain you can see, the crappier it is.

If you want a 'natural pine' look (and lord nows why you would when you can use other better woods at nearly the same price) bleach the bastard first and paint on clear acrylic varnish. It will of course warp like a bastard - but that's pine, Varnishing it merely slows it down - and Age horribly - and look like crap. But there you go. Fashion is everything.

[Steven Campbell]

Probably a disclaimer because their doors are of such poor quality. My mate who is a joiner got to the stage that if a customer asked him for a quote on fitting doors, he would politely tell them that he wouldn't price for B&Q doors as they aren't worth the hassle. He said he must have fitted about 30 B&Q doors for 6 different families over the space of a few weeks and all were happy with them at the time. 2 weeks later he started receiving calls saying the doors weren't shutting properly or sitting properly in the frame!

Steven.

[Stuart Noble]

Quality varies from superb to s**te depending how far north it's grown and which species you're talking about. Siberian redwood commands a higher price than most hardwoods. Welsh redwood is used for pallets.

That much is generally true. Faster growth, more open grain, cheaper product.

Yes. Use 2 part woodworking bleach. I can't swear that this prevents the orange look developing, but I'm 90% sure. Not everyone likes hardwoods. I for one find them bland and dull but, if you've never seen a decent softwood, you wouldn't understand.

and paint on clear acrylic varnish. It will of course warp like a

Movement is usually down to bad preparation and kilning. The latter is a lengthy process if done correctly, which is why it usually isn't.

Varnishing it merely slows it down - and Age

All this crap about finishing the door both sides is just another way of saying it's the customer's fault if it warps, and invariably it isn't. Moisture goes in and out through the end grain so the faces don't matter that much.

[Steve H]

Use a 'diamond hard' (ie not a cheap and tacky - literally!) 'eggshell' varnish, in whatever colour you like. Apply in several thin (very or it will drip and leave nasty run marks) coats, smoothing with 400 emery paper in between. With the hard varnishes this is easy: with the cheap ones, impossible.

I have redone half the 'yellow' antique pine doors and skirting boards in a friend's house like this, and it looks and feels great. Getting the old tacky varnish off was a major effort though and needed a great number of changes of grits on a selection of sanders, but it was worth it. (Don't even think about 'stripper' solutions!)

On the other hand, depending on how much bashing about your new doors are likely to receive, you might get away with just several coats of linseed oil/french polish or other wood oil (teak oil). Probably they will need some harder protection though, as it is doubtful that modern pine will be very fine grained and tough.

S

[The Natural Philosopher]

No it isn't. No wood is stable over the normal range of humidity from summer to winter. Unless you completely fill its pores with something that inhibits water uptake COMPLETELY, or seal it in something totally impervious, which most varnishes are not. Pine is probably one of the worst in this respect. Especially with respect to differential expansion.

The T&G boards in my house move by about 1.5mm PER BOARD between summer and winter. I've screwed em down hard to prevent warping.

All varnish does is make sure that the rate of change is a bit slower, but over a period of weeks it happens.

It goes in every which way, its just faster along the grain from end grain - very fast..thats how you split rocks with wooden wedges..drive em in to the cracks and douse with water.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Linseed is VERY yellow and french polish is almost orangey brown: Neither are the right color for the OP.

[Stuart Noble]

About 1% over 150mm then? Most joinery and furniture is designed to accommodate that. Decent timber shouldn't twist. It's what you're paying for with the higher grades.

[robert]

Tradionally pine doors(and furniture) would have been painted, I really think in a cottage painted doors and skirting looks far better than stripped pine.

But its your cottage ! Robert

[The Natural Philosopher]

more like 2% over 75mm

Decent timber anything but quarter grain cut, will cup.

All timber swells..

[meow2222]

google messing up again. brush emulsion on, wipe off immediately and you get a thin white film. You can see the grain, but it keeps the colour light.

NT

[The Medway Handyman]

I assembled a 'pine' wardrobe for a customer yesterday, purchased from Argos. Doors made from el cheapo pine in strips with alternating grain. No frame, doors were 5' high x 18" wide. One of them was twisted to the point that the bottom edge was half an inch out of kilter.

Customer said she was surprised it had warped. I said I would have been surprised if it hadn't warped.

Doors were treated with a dark stain, all the knots (legion & manifold) had white residues around them, you could feel the resin just by running you hand across the face of the door. A note in the box claimed this was entirely normal because 'wood is a natural product & still alive' and suggested that a light wipe over with cooking oil would solve the problem.

Argos flatpack is complete crap IMO.

[Stuart Noble]

Sounds like the Chinese haven't quite got the hang of softwood furniture production. Ikea's bare wood range isn't stripey or knotty and seems pretty stable, but then the Swedes do know a bit about wood. The idea that all pine is crap and all pine warps is silly. There are so many species and so many locations that it's a bit like saying all wine is crap because it isn't brandy.

[spamlet]

Dye it whatever colour you like. I like walnut or teak.

S

[Pete C]

Australian doors twist the other way...

cheers, Pete.

[cerberus]

Depends how far you want to go really. You could start by buying them a nice bouquet & perhaps a box of Belgian chocolates before taking them on for a candlelit dinner or even a romantic weekend in Venice.

Personally, being a cheapskate, I'd just varnish 'em ;-))

Don.