Best Exterior Varnish

Rennie Heuer

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While still in Idaho I came across a great deal on a new solid wood mahogany exterior door (slab only) with beautiful cut glass windows in an Arts & Crafts style. I've seen these doors going for around $600, I paid substantially less. :D We purchased it wanting to install it but then decided to sell so it went into storage. We purchased a used fiberglass door in the same style to boost the curb appeal for the sale.

Now that we are getting settled in the new home we want to install the door. Where it will be installed it will face west and there is little to no overhang of the roof and no porch to offer protection. We don't get intense afternoon sun as there are quite a few trees, but the weather here always comes in from the west and southwest so it can get hit with rain and snow.

As noted, the door is mahogany, heavy veneer face. My thought is to give it a light sanding, a couple of coats of dewaxed shellac and then a few coats of a good exterior varnish with a UV inhibitor.

So, is this a good course of action and who makes the best, longest lasting, exterior varnish?
 
...So, is this a good course of action and who makes the best, longest lasting, exterior varnish?

A good marine varnish is what you'll need. One of the best is Epifane - available from boat yards and chandleries, or online from Jamestown Distributors. It's EXPENSIVE(!) but worth it. Directions are on the can - follow them closely for good results.

Also, be aware that no matter how good the varnish, you'll still need to recoat it regularly. Boats in full sun generally need recoating at least annually - maybe even more often in some climates.
 
What Jim said...the true marine spar varnishes wold work well (stay away from anything labeled "spar" in a box store) and Epifine is the most often recommended Brand. Also, what he said about it needing maintenance, true of any outdoor finish. Another choice that works well and might be a little cheaper is paint...dark tint base that hasn't had tint added. It looks very much like varnish once applied (the oil based versions) and really holds up well. Here is a somewhat dated article that explains it's use, the "somewhat dated" is due to the fact that oil based paints are going poof in many areas, and even the ones that remain have maybe been relabeled from the name given in the article. Nevertheless, I've used a couple of gallons of the Olympic and was really happy with how well it held up. You can substitute some of the acrylic bases, though they normally dry water clear.
 
What Jim said...the true marine spar varnishes wold work well (stay away from anything labeled "spar" in a box store) and Epifine is the most often recommended Brand. Also, what he said about it needing maintenance, true of any outdoor finish. Another choice that works well and might be a little cheaper is paint...dark tint base that hasn't had tint added. It looks very much like varnish once applied (the oil based versions) and really holds up well. Here is a somewhat dated article that explains it's use, the "somewhat dated" is due to the fact that oil based paints are going poof in many areas, and even the ones that remain have maybe been relabeled from the name given in the article. Nevertheless, I've used a couple of gallons of the Olympic and was really happy with how well it held up. You can substitute some of the acrylic bases, though they normally dry water clear.

That is a very interesting article. I looked on line quickly at both Menards and Home Depot and it does not seem their searches are set up to allow you to find the base for any given paint line, understandable. I think a trip to a 'real' paint store might be in order as this process seems like a really good bet, better than a good marine varnish. Been thinking about Mahogany for the replacement adirondack chairs and this might be a good solution there as well.
 
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