Sealing oak front door stoop
 

"TN" wrote in message
...
Our front door has an oak front stoop that I have tried every
possible wood stain and polyurethane sealer on the market. No matter
what I use it starts cracking very spring and I have to sand it down
and do it all over again.

Does anyone have a product that can stain and seal oak so this is
more durable?

Thanks!

Now you know why old surviving stoops are made of stone!

There will not be any finish you can put on a stoop that will stand up
to the weather exposure and foot traffic that a stoop will get. There are
products that have UV inhibitors in them to slow down UV deterioration of
the finished wood. There are also marine products like spar varnishes but
they are not intended to be walked upon.

Stain will not prevent cracking of the finish although it may make the
stoop look nicer by coloring it.

I suggest that you use something that can be easily repaired each year
or two. Keep in mind that boats with film finishes are typically scrapped
down every few years and refinished. This is not an easy or pleasant
experience. You might consider using a non-film finish. This will make the
wood look nice and provide some protection for the wood itself. There are a
number of products on the market and they are considered semi-transparent.
You can still see the grain of the wood but they are not so transparent as
to look like varnish. I would stay away from an epoxy finish since those
are very hard to repair or strip once damaged.

Good Luck.