Refinish mahogany exterior door

by Chuck
(centereach ny)

The door has been stained and poly 2x since 2004, door faces south. I stopped at a local paint store and they advised to paint not to stain and poly.

My client would like to have a faux finish like an antique look. Is there a product that will hold up to the southern exposure?



Hi Chuck,

Spar varnish is considered to be the best clear coat for exterior woodwork especially if it has a southern exposure.

It needs to be a top of the line product though something like Epifanes Clear Varnish is what I would use.

With that said, it's not cheap by any sense of the word. Also, if Spar is left to lift or peel it's almost impossible to sand away and re-finish.

A top quality spar varnish looks good, lasts a very long time and comes in different gloss levels but it does need to be re-coated as soon as it starts to fail.

Shawn.