Front door varnishing woes

[denseflux]

A year ago, I got a new solid hardwood front door put in, and I gave it something like 4 coats of satin outdoor varnish. It looked like this all through the summer:
View media item 42289
This autumn though, I started seeing the wood discolour, and it now looks like:
View media item 42288 View media item 42287 View media item 42286
So I assume, my coats just haven't given it enough protection. Can I recover it?

It's mid-winter, and taking the door off to do, or getting good weather for long enough is going to be challenging if that's what is required.

In the short term, what should I do to stop it getting worse?

Thanks
denseflux

 

[tim00]

Not that i know much about painting etc. but the only reasonably safe method of installing h/wood doors that i've found is a bit of late in the day info for you.
1. leave the unwrapped door on site for a few days if possible.
2. Hang the door and make all cut-outs and shavings.
3. Take the door off its hinges and sand down and dust-off.
4. pre-seal with a light sealant, every inch of exposed wood.
5. lightly sand-down and seal again - all cutots, lock pockests and hinge chops. and the top and bottom edges.
6. Final coat ( s ).
Doing the above might have prevented what's happened with your door

Modern H/wood is inherently unstable and liable to bleed or blue.Once it starts the winter/summer movement cycle you've had it.

We really shouldn't be using any h/woods, we all know why.

 

[wilmer000]

I'm pretty sure it's impossible to completely remove the staining, you'll have to cover it with a paint or stain. My old front door was getting damp in the rain and swelling. I stripped it with Nitro-mors and found it had similar patches of damp wood aty the joins. Sanding did not touch them. In the end I dried it out, put on a couple of coats of wood hardener all over, then used a cuprinol door stain because it was quick drying and easy to apply on a mounted door. Good Luck!

 

[tim00]

wilmer,
the door above has coats of varnish which will be impossible to remove. If you paint over, the finish will be blown off. you cannot stain over varnish.

When did you do your door and what have been the results as of today?

 

[libby lou lou]

Varnish removes like paint, no problem,but your going to struggle because your door is damp, so you cannot really re-doe till it's dry, wait till summer,sand, then do what your doing to it.

Make sure the door is completly sealed or history shall repeat.

 

[JohnD]

the marks are water-staining. If you strip off the varnish, in dry weather, you can try sanding it, but will probably have to bleach it.

I would have been happier with a microporous breathing stain rather than a varnish, it should be slightly flexible so it doesn't crack with changes in the weather. I use the Dulux one, I think it's called woodsheen.