External pine door - what finish?

[Peter Lynch]

My new house has a south-facing external door made from what appears to be pine. The door looks pretty new and seems to be in good condition, so I'd like to improve it's chances of staying like this with a UV and water resistant finish (not paint).

The other doors in the property look like oak, so I'm thinking of staining the wood to blend and then apply many coats of polyurethane, what would people recommend?

[Jim Weisgram]

I was just reading in a mag (probably Woodworker's Journal) about the problems with any clear finish on exterior wood. According to the magazine, the problem is that UV rays degrade the bond between the wood and the finish; many coats won't solve that problem. Get a product with plenty of UV blockers, which will provide some benefit. However even then expect to have to strip and refinish every few years.

[joeljcarver]

to improve it's chances of staying like this with a UV and water resistant finish (not paint).

I use spar varnish on out exterior wood doors. Works Fine.

Joel Jscobson

[Pat Barber]

It's more than likely douglas fir....

Latex primer and finish coat.

Peter Lynch wrote:

[bob.kirkpatrick]

Use marine varnish. This is like spar varnish but with a lot more UV blockers. These are usually available from boat supply companies like

Z-spar Flagship Varnish is a good example although is is a little amber. The idea is to use a lot of coats. The top couple of layers exposed to direct sunlight will degrade with time but if you recoat once a year the layers beneath will protect the wood and prevent breakdown and loss of color.

[Gooey TARBALLS]

Would a MARINE finish suit? Pricey stuff, but designed (to show off the teak wood in) for the harshest of conditions.