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Outdoor projects encounter a variety of conditions. The project is only going to last as long as its finish does. Here’s my approach for finishing this set of exterior doors.
The mahogany that these doors are made of has a beautiful grain. However, variation in boards lead to different colored parts. To mask this, I started with a high-quality stain. The stain I used for these was “Rich Mahogany” oil-based wiping stain from Old Masters. This stain looks like a paint when you apply it —but let me tell you. If you’ve never used a quality stain, you’re in for a treat.
1 A quality stain is necessary for a good-looking finish. This wiping stain is loaded with pigment, and looks like paint when you apply it.
2 After a soaking period, wipe off the excess with a rag.
After applying the stain, I let it soak in for about 15 minutes, then wiped it off. At this point, you’ll still be able to push color around, so wipe with the grain, and mind your finger prints.
3 The water-based finish can be applied over the oil stain after a sufficient drying time. It will brush on milky-white, but dry clear.
4 Test the dryness by lightly sanding—the finish is cured when sanding produces a white powder. With a water-based topcoat, several coats can be applied in a day.
After allowing the stain to dry for 48 hours, I applied a top coat of Old Masters Ascend Exterior water-based polyurethane. It applied easily (spraying is my favorite, but brushing works), and dries quickly. I sand with 320-grit between coats, and apply 4 coats in total.
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