"Billy" wrote in message ...
I want to stain a fiberglass door but having difficulty selecting the best
make and type of stain. I've been given some very conflicting advice (read
on).....

I've found an oil-based Minwax Gel Stain in a honey maple shade that we
like. However, I've been told by some that MinWax is horrible stain, and
that water based is a better option over oil, even though the MinWax Oil Gel
Stain (which I understand the gel is preferred for fiberglass) does not come
in water-based.

The same person that told me the above said to get the stain kit from any
fiberglass door manufacturer instead of buying it from them. They are a Benj
Moore dealer. So I went and bought an oak stain kit sold by Therma-True (but
the fg door is not TT), and found that it is water based, and not a gel.

I thought about the shade that I'm applying too. Since the fibergalss
appears to simulate Oak - is a light maple shade the sensible shade to apply
to get a nice effect of a wood door, or should I restrict the shade to only
oak?

I'm really confused about the water based vs oil and the shade of stain to
use. Remember, I'm staining a FG door, not wood, but it does have solid oak
wood jambs that will also be stained during the same application. Finally, I
don't know if the gel stain is superior either.

I have used the MinWax gel stain on FG doors with attached oak lights.
It does a fine job. If you've tried to stain fiberglass before you
know how important that gel stain is to the job. You have to get the
knack of working the gell and recoating it right away so it matches
the wood that is also being stained. The work goes quickly and looks
great.