Bob F wrote:

If you want it varnished, use spar varnish. Or, you could paint it, or
try an exterior stain.

I like the spar varnish idea.

Can I just add stain to the spar varnish to make it match the dark?
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/ojz5l

On Fri, 7 Dec 2012 01:48:51 +0000 (UTC), Tony Palermo
wrote:

Bob F wrote:

If you want it varnished, use spar varnish. Or, you could paint it, or
try an exterior stain.

I like the spar varnish idea.

Can I just add stain to the spar varnish to make it match the dark?
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/ojz5l

There's no reason to match the dark unless you like that on the
outside.
It's very nice wood, so take your time and see what looks best to you.
Sometimes nice wood grain show best with a light stain.
I had a similar entryway door and never touched it in the 14 years I
lived there, and it still looked good.
That peeling (I've heard it called "cellophaning") probably means
water-based, and you don't want to use that.
As other have said, use an oil-based "marine" varnish.
I've read that a scraper and heat gun can help to remove cellophaning
varnish, so you can minimize sanding work.
That wood still looks to be in good shape so it looks like a fun
project. You should be very pleased with the results of your work.

Tony Palermo wrote:
Bob F wrote:

If you want it varnished, use spar varnish. Or, you could paint it,
or try an exterior stain.

I like the spar varnish idea.

I wouldn't use spar varnish as it is softer. I mentioned Z-Spar varnish but
that is a brand name, not a type.

Can I just add stain to the spar varnish to make it match the dark?
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/ojz5l

You could add universal coloring material to give color to the varnish but I
wouln't add stain, too much cance for incompatibility.

In fact, I wouldn't stain at all. If you do and if you ever have to repair
an area you will wish you had not stained. Varnish itself will darken the
wood and give a lovely color.

You have a couple of black areas on the outside casing near the bottom.
That is because the wood pieces are wicking up water; eventually (if not
already) they will rot. Cutting off 1/8 - 1/4" from the bottoms will keep
them from wicking up water.

Your sill is always going to be a problem as the constant wear from goings
and comings will wear the finish much faster than the finish on the door and
trim. If you ever get a chance, I'd replace the sill with tile as you have
in the entry. That would be a fairly major job so not one you should
undertake; if you ever need/want to change out the door and side lights,
consider doing it then.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

dadiOH wrote:
Tony Palermo wrote:
Bob F wrote:

If you want it varnished, use spar varnish. Or, you could paint it,
or try an exterior stain.

I like the spar varnish idea.

I wouldn't use spar varnish as it is softer. I mentioned Z-Spar
varnish but that is a brand name, not a type.

I changed my mind...a marine spar varnish may give you some benefit. Any
finish tends to crack at joints between boards going different directions
(up/down - side/side) because the boards expand and contract in different
directions. Spar varnish is more flexible so it *may* help that.

FYI, "spar" and "marine" are not synonymous. You can have spar varnish that
is not marine and vice versa. The thing that makes a varnish "spar" is a
greater amount of oil. More oil equals more flexibility and less hardness.
The primary purpose of spar varnish was for - surprise - spars so that they
could bend without cracking the finish. Somehow, with the help of certain
manufacturers, people have come to believe that it is a superior varnish for
all things. That is not true.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

dadiOH wrote:

More oil equals more flexibility and less hardness.
The primary purpose of spar varnish was for - surprise - spars

I had not thought of the word but this is what wikipedia says.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varnish#Spar_varnish

Spar varnish (also called marine varnish) was originally intended for use
on ship or boat spars, to protect the timber from the effects of sea and
weather. Spars bend under the load of their sails. The primary
requirements were water resistance and also elasticity, so as to remain
adhering as the spars flexed. Elasticity was a pre-condition for
weatherproofing too, as a finish that cracked would then allow water
through, even if the remaining film was impermeable. Appearance and gloss
was of relatively low value. Modified tung oil and phenolic resins are
often used.

When first developed, no varnishes had good UV-resistance. Even after
more modern synthetic resins did become resistant, a true spar varnish
maintained its elasticity above other virtues, even if this required a
compromise in its UV-resistance. Spar varnishes are thus not necessarily
the best choice for outdoor woodwork which does not need to bend in
service.

Despite this, the widespread perception of "marine products" as "tough"
led to domestic outdoor varnishes being branded as "Spar varnish" and
sold on the virtue of their weather- and UV-resistance. These claims may
be more or less realistic, depending on individual products. Only
relatively recently have spar varnishes been available that can offer
both effective elasticity and UV-resistance.