Mahogany door finish

[jcz]

We changed out our painted front door and vinyl side windows for an all mahogany entrance into the house. One coat of stain has been applied to darken it up a bit. Now I need to apply a finish to it. I was originally thinking a few coats of spar would do the job but am wondering what you all thought was best. I’ve used spar, poly, and teak oil on various projects in the past so I know how to go about those finishes.
Opinions please, those with wood doors how often do they need to be refinished?

Our front door has a full front porch over it and sees very little direct sunlight.

 

[Jeff]

I'd use Epifanes marine spar varnish, definitely not poly. The door will still expand and contract with the seasons so you want a flexible finish that'll give and take.

 

[zdorsch]

This method is tedious, but seems very durable:

https://www.finehomebuilding.com/20...erior-door-ep-1-sanding-and-prepping-the-door

 

[Phil S]

The only product I would use is Sikkens Proluxe Cetol Door & Window, available in Gloss or Satin. I have it on two mahogany exterior doors at my neighbors. One still looks great after 5 years and the other is going on three. I forgot to mention that I work for my neighbor, so it was sort of important that I used the best.

 

[mlzettl]

Down here on the coast, the choice of boat owners who have mahogany bright work is Epiphanes. That is what I used on my mahogany front entry. I have also used Sikkens Cetol Door and Window for outdoor furniture, and it is also a superior product. I don't know that you would go wrong with either. They are both expensive to buy, but cheap in the long run, as they will outlast other products by far. Don't even think about poly, penetrating oil of any kind, big box spar varnish, etc. This is not the occasion to try to save a few dollars on material, or skimp on prep and application. Follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly. Just my opinion.

Matt

 

[jcz]

Thanks for the help so far. I know not to use poly. I mentioned it before just to say I had experience using it on another project. Indoors.
I had not heard of the finish Phil suggested and will look into it and epiphanies also. I used spar on a cedar swing for the back porch 4 years ago. It still looks good in most places. The side closest to the railing that gets wet and the most sun has peeled and faded. That is what caused me to question if it was the best thing to use on our door.

 

[Jeff]

I used spar on a cedar swing for the back porch 4 years ago. It still looks good in most places. The side closest to the railing that gets wet and the most sun has peeled and faded. That is what caused me to question if it was the best thing to use on our door.

I'll bet you used a spar varnish from a local store. Epifanes is the best of the best, it remains flexible and won't crack and peel; enhanced uv protection too. BTW, 1000ml = 1 qt.

https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=92

Sikkens Proluxe Cetol Door and Window Finish

https://www.perfectwoodstains.com/p...ransparent-satin-cetol-door-window-wood-finis