Refinishing exterior door polyurethane vs marine varnish?

A handyman has offered to refinish our exterior door.  We live in a house built in 1860 and the door is all wood and although warn is in pretty good condition.  The HM is suggesting hand sanding staining and then polyurethane . . . other neighbors who have refinished their door themselves by hand used a marine varnish and I don’t think they polyurethaned the door.  Which would you recommend?  Thanks . . . PS- The handyman had never heard of marine varnish??

oldhome

in Wood Restoration 13 years and 10 months ago

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brownstone89 | 10 years and 6 months ago

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our outside doors get NO SUN. but they do get ALOT OF RAIN. any idea whats the best exterior clear coat for WET WINTER CONDITIONS? thanks!!!

stevecym | 13 years and 10 months ago

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You can also check out Abbot Paint on Eagle Street in Greenpoint.  See Charlie Hoey, the manager, and he will be able to recommend some product for doors, though not unlike what the others have already said.  

Steve

daveinbedstuy | 13 years and 10 months ago

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I’ve got both a wooden boat and a woodie automobile.  The ONLY product that the professionals use when they want the best. longest lasting finish is Epiphanes Spar varnish.  Cheapest supplier is Jamestown Distributors

talock | 13 years and 10 months ago

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Spar Varnish for sure.  Basic polyurethane will peel off much more quickly than you want to be re-finishing.  I really like Cabot’s spar varnish (and all their exterior products actually), but as southslope mentioned, there are many brands at many price ranges.

southslope | 13 years and 10 months ago

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Short answer: Marine (Spar) Varnish. It must state for exterior use on the label.Long answer: “Polyurethane” has become a very generic term that describes a multitude of finishes, just like “lacquer” has.  You get what you pay for. The less expensive products are made from linseed oils and the more costly products are made from the superior tung nut oil. The polymerization occurs when the oil is heated (boiled) and a long chain polymer is formed in most cases this is where the urethane is introduced.Exterior finishes are subject to stresses form seasonal movement and need to remain flexible to maintain their adhesion to the wood.  The outside surface of your door is subject to the heat of the summer sun and the cold ice of a winter blizzard. Woodwork on the interior of your house probably only experiences a 20 degree range of temperature. An exterior varnish must remain more flexible. Another huge factor in the longevity of a finish and more importantly how it protects the wood underneath  is photo degradation. UV light needs to be absorbed by the finish before is reaches the wood surface. UV absorbers work much like sunscreen.  This is one of the biggest differences between interior “polyurethane” and exterior  “spar varnish” .The less expensive brands like Minwax and Mcloskey’s are availaible at the big stores.Mazzone’s on Court Street carries Sutherland Welles products which are much bettter.West Marine is a marine supply store in midtown that carries PROFESSIONAL finishes for boats.Remember- you get what you pay for, the sun gets worse every year, how often do you want to do this?Buy the best product that you can afford.