On Mar 1, 10:47*am, -MIKE- wrote:

Hmmmm.... maybe I'll paint.

Mike - you seem pretty opened minded, and a pretty sincere craftsman.
This is my opinion, so take it for what it is worth.

I had a contract with a company here in town, and probably removed and
replaced about 250 doors for them before we got tired of each other.
But finishing is something I have done for years, doors included
before my contract with the door supplier I hooked up with, and I can
tell you what I have observed.

Poor finishing, clear, semi transparent or anything else, yields just
that; a poor finish. Paint, ditto.

90% of finishing is in the prep, not in the application. Nor in my
opinion is it in the finishing material. Most quality finishes you
buy these days are quite good, and people mistakenly blame crappy
results on a product instead of themselves. In a pinch, I have used
Minwax OIL (no water based ANYTHING except paint for me!) with
excellent results. Same with other brands that make others here spit
with disgust when their names are mentioned.

Clear finishes will not protect wood (tip of hat to you, Mike!) as
well as paint. Mike refers to a system of finishing where the top
coat of urethane is an integral component of the paint job. Today's
auto paints are formulated and need that top coat. Auto finishes are
not abrasive resistant as most oil based wood finishes, nor are they
as easily applied by the average guy, but for their purpose they are
excellent. (Remember, you can't put on auto urethane with a foam
brush!)

NOTHING protects wood as well as a completely opaque finish. UV
modified clear finishes with all manner of voodoo in them are great
for a few years, but don't last as well as an alkyd finish. I have
refinished a few hundred doors, and and found that to be true.

The old oil based stuff used to last for years, but has been replaced
by latex. Most people are just too lazy to put on oil, and are afraid
of its application. If you have the type of doors I am envisioning,
you can brush or spray alkyd on them easily. With a 2 hour layout
time, not too much to worry about with brush strokes if you brush, and
today's alkyds spray very easily.

You know I will give my usual opinion; if the current surface is
damage, strip the wood, clean it and sand it before application of
anything.

If you spray, prime first with BIN. I use that on doors and cabinets
as it is ready to coat in an hour with paint. Three coats of alkyd
will last for years. Sherwin Williams makes some great stuff, as does
Benjamin Moore.

FWIW, I have never seen any type of epoxy resin finish hold up in
EXTERIOR use. Interior, fine. But on an exterior application, the
theory among my finishing buddies is that the wood and resin move at
different temperatures, and at different amounts. It seems to work OK
in the shade, but not in direct sunlight. But remember, if just a
small percent of the light gets through (UV resistant, not UV
impermeable!) the clear coat, the problem starts with degrading the
wood.

I like clear finishes, though. My solution from time to time where
the bottom of the door is the only thing facing direct sunlight is to
clear coat the door with UV resistant finish, then cover the bottom of
the door with a big brass or nickel kick plate to cover previous
damage and to help protect from future. It isn't a fix, but it stops
the cracking and hides the discoloration of the damaged wood. It also
covers any repairs I might need to make to save the door.

As always, just my 0.02.

Robert