Outside door - varnish hasn't weathered well

[pooksahib]

A couple of years ago my sister had a wooden door replaced. The fitter gave it a few coats of what I reckon is varnish but it now looks pretty awful, especially after it's been raining. I think I'll give it a sanding and then paint. Is there any particular type/brand of paint you'd recommend for an outside door in a harsh weather area?
Thanks.

 

[opps]

I can't tell what he used. The colour in image one makes me think that it was oil based varnish.

Is image number 2 the same door?

A big problem with both varnishes and oils is that they offer the wood little in the way of UV protection. Mahogany goes from red to yellow, cedar goes silver over time.

If you are planning to use solid paint, I would recommend the oil based Dulux Trade weathershield undercoat and gloss. Unfortunately, you only need about 150-200ml of paint for each coat and the smallest tin size is 1L.

 

[pooksahib]

Thanks, opps. Yes, same door - supposed to be a close up. Is there an alternative to 'solid paint'?

 

[opps]

Thanks, opps. Yes, same door - supposed to be a close up. Is there an alternative to 'solid paint'?

You can get coloured varnishes and oils. eg Sadolin

Sadolin Extra Durable Woodstain | Durable Woodstain

Sadolin Extra Durable Woodstain provides advanced UV protection for wooden windows, doors and conservatories. Find your local Sadolin stockist.

www.sadolin.co.uk

It is a good product, but I have a customer that gets me to use the clear version on her brown mahogany windows, after I have sanded away the discoloured timber. I warn her that 5-7 years later the wood will become yellow again but she is happy to pay for the whole lot to be sanded off after that period.

Sikkens make similar oils (also available in a similar range of colours). I last used their ebony oil on newly sanded timber. Coverage was good. After two coats it almost looked black but you could still some of the grain.

Although called "oils", apply them as you would varnish. In my experience, provided that you have sanded away the old varnish, they will penetrate deeper and last longer. They can be very problematic in the winter months. I had a job where the Sadolin stayed tacky for days because of the cold moist air.