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Exterior Staining and Varnishing: Walking a Tight Rope In Baton Rouge, La.
Beautiful exterior wood stained and varnished has a way of captivating the heart and touching the soul on a level where nothing else comes remotely close. There are many, many products in the building/home improvement industry that acts as an alternative to wood but none have the eloquence and subtle richness as real wood. Simply put, wood is in a class all by itself and it stands all alone at the very top when it comes to beauty and elegance.
That's why so many homeowners as well as commercial property owners still purchase exterior wood doors; wood trim; wood shutters; wood decks, and the list goes on and on. No one can deny the beauty of wood; be it, cypress, cedar, red oak, white oak, pecan (hickory), adler, mahogany, birch, beech, pine or any number of wood species that are readily available--no other products make a statement quite like wood.
Even though wood in all its splendor and glory is unapproachable when it comes to elegance and charm; yet wood over the course of time will need maintenance and in many cases a little help in bringing out it's natural richness and attractiveness; especially wood that is exposed to the elements day in and day out.
For example, exterior wood doors have to deal with a lot of challenges each and everyday. In the winter: cold weather, rain, sleet and ice, and in many areas snow...and lots of it. In the summer many of those same exterior doors must endure blithering hot and humid weather and occasional thunderstorms that can prove to be damaging to say the least.
These are real challenges that can all but destroy an exterior door if it is not properly protected. That's the number one reason for applying a protective sealant on your door as well as all of your exterior wood that is exposed to the weather. The great part about protecting your exterior wood door(s) and other wood substrates is the fact that there are so many wood enhancers that not only protect and safeguard but also adds a beautiful finish as well. Herein lies the basis for this article, "Exterior Staining and Varnishing: Walking A Tight Rope in Baton Rouge, La.".
This particular focus will be on exterior doors although the basic concept can be applied to all exterior wood products with the variation mainly being the designated products for a particular need. For instance, refinishing and sealing an existing outdoor wood deck will require different products as opposed to refinishing and varnishing an exterior wood door. However, there are some procedures that are germane to all exterior wood finishing/refinishing that can be successfully implemented and in most cases yield positive results.
If your exterior wood door(s) are being exposed to the elements because your stain and varnish has failed it is time to recoat your door(s) before irreversible damage is done; in fact, the truth is you should make sure your doors are always properly coated to ensure they are protected. When your doors' failed coatings are viable you can be sure that your door(s) have already been exposed to the elements, and an exposed door(s) will succumb to the weather, insect infestation, ultra violent rays, and moisture; it's just a matter of time.
When your exterior doors' coatings have failed and the doors are left vulnerable to weatherization, insects infestion, ultra violent rays, and dry rot; it will not only become an extra added expense in purchasing and having a new door installed and possibly finished but an unprotective door that has succumbed to the elements and other unwanted guests can also proved to be very dangerous and can cause an ugly accident because it is unstable and cannot operate in the manner it should.
If your door(s) is a new door and you wish to stain and varnish it, it is still a good idea to implement some of the same procedures as if you were going to refinish an existing door; that is, even though your door might be a new door you should still lightly wash it down with a degreaser such as trisodium phosphate or some other type of degreaser. The reason for this is to make sure all grease, and oils and even factory ink is removed from the surface of the wood or substrate as well as plain old dirt.
Wipe down your door with denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner to remove any oils, grease, or stains before moving on to the next step which is sanding. Some people might prefer to wipe down the door with denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner after sanding instead of before sanding, either way the objective is to make sure that there is no oil, grease, or anything else that can mar your finish. So whether it's before you sand or after you sand be sure not to omit cleaning the door with denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner after the initial cleaning with trisodium phosphate or some other kind of degreaser. And be very, very careful when using denatured alcohol and/or lacquer thinner because both can be extremely dangerous so be very careful when using one or the other.
Next, sand the door thoroughly with a medium girt sandpaper or 150 grit. If your door has profiles in it be sure to sand carefully to avoid damaging the profiles. These profiles gives character to your door so be ever graceful and sand with patience and be extremely astute to avoid destroying your door's profiles. After sanding, dust the door off or remove the dust by using a shop vac or even some type of blower, whatever you use just make sure the door is free of all sawdust and other debris before moving on to the next step. It wouldn't hurt if you used a tact cloth to wipe the door off as a final measure before you begin applying the wood conditioner.
Now that the doors are clean and free of all sawdust and debris you are ready to begin your next step--wood conditioner application. Whether your door is made of hardwood or especially softwood I recommend using a quality wood conditioner to help prevent the door from absorbing the stain differently in different places; meaning, it is important to acquire a uniform look when staining but the truth is wood will absorb stain/varnish differently from one area to the next on the same door.
For example, the top section of your door might absorb the stain you intend to use at a much more heavier rate than the sides or bottom of your door, or the situation could be just the opposite with the bottom and sides of your door absorbing stain at a much greater rate or consistency as the top. My point is this, whether it's the top of the door; sides of the door, or bottom of the door--wood absords stain differently and to avoid that type of appearance you should apply a wood conditioner that is designed to help your wood absord the stain in a more even and uniform manner regardless of where the stain is applied. The objective is to have a uniform looking door from top to bottom without the effects of blotchiness and uneven spots that look unprofessional and amateurish.
Once the wood conditioner has been applied it is a very good idea not to wait too long (less than two hours) before applying the stain. If you choose not to apply a stain than you're ready to begin your sealant application or varnish. But for those who choose to apply a stain application I would like to continue with instructions on how best to go about doing just that. Applying a stain can be accomplished in several ways or a combination of ways if you desire to do it that way.
First of all, you can apply stain with a brush; it's best to use a natural bristle brush such as china bristle as opposed to a synthetic bristle brush like nylon or polyester or a blend of both; instead, I personally prefer a white china bristle brush for staining and varnishing when using oil base products. Personally, I only use oil base products when it comes to staining and varnishing but you might prefer a water base product(s) and in some states using an oil base stain or varnish is no longer legal to do.
In addition to using a brush (natural or synthetic) to apply stain you can also use a wiping rag; that's right; you can use any clean lint free rag to wipe on the stain. I prefer applying the stain with a white china bristel brush followed by wiping the excess stain away with a clean white lint free rag; for me it's a combination of both as opposed to using one or the other. If you are experienced at using a paint sprayer that is also an option but be extremely careful.
If you're not experienced using a paint sprayer, be it the conventional paint sprayer with the gun and air compressor; airless paint sprayer, or hvlp paint sprayer (high volume low pressure) you must take all precautions to avoid what could turn out to be a major disaster. My advice would be to avoid the spray equipment all together unless you're very experienced at this sought of thing. Some of the worst disasters that have ever happened to painting contractors involved spray equipment and in particular "overspray".
Although I mentioned only three ways of applying stain there are more I would imagine and of course there's the "homemade" variety, but I believe if it works for you then by all means have at it. In other words, if it feel comfortable to you then why not? After all, what works for one might not be the best choice for another, so find out what works best for you and go at it. Okay? Okay.
Whatever means you choose for applying stain just make sure that you try to apply the stain as uniformily as you possibly can. Make sure every square inch of the door is evenly covered with stain. Although it's true you applied a wood conditioner to help ensure a uniform stain application, but you still should do everything in your power to help achieve a even finish by applying a uniform coat of stain. Once the stain has been uniformly applied you should check to see if there are any excess stain anywhere on the door and if so remove it with your brush or wiping rag.
Generally, I allow anywhere from fifteen minutes to forty-five minutes before I begin the process of removing excess stain from the door. Here's a key bit of information you should know and that is the longer the stain is left on the door the darker the wood will appear, so if you don't want your wood to be as dark as it can get from the stain application you applied remember not to leave it on the wood too long. In other words, after your initial application you should begin the countdown on how long it will be before you begin wiping off the excess stain.
And there will be excess because when you were applying the stain you were instructed to apply enough (liberally) stain to cover the door well; that in itself will usually mean that it will be some excess stain that will need to be wiped off--but not always. If you're comfortable with what you see and feel that there is no excess that needs to be wiped off at all then you are free to move on to the next step; however, in almost thirty years of staining I have never had a situation where I didn't need to remove some excess stain from the door.
After the stain application is completed and you're satisfied thus far you are ready to begin your varnish application but before you do that allow me to say a couple of things concerning varnish. A quality varnish will definitely enhance the look of your stain work. Whether its satin, semi gloss, or gloss finish varnish is the key to bringing your stain work to life, plus a quality varnish will act as a sealant that protects and shield your door as well. Applying multiple coats of varnish is a great way of protecting your door and all the while giving it a beautiful finish that will help safeguard your door from one season to the next and from one year to the next, but remember to lightly sand with a fine grit sandpaper between each successive coat of varnish you apply on the door.
If your door previously had a finish on it or had a finish on it that has failed it is important to remove the existing finish before implementing the protocol (for refinishing doors) described above. Whatever type finish that is on your door it must be removed in order for the door to be stained and varnished. Removing existing finishes can be quite challenging to say the least so it's important to understand that this process could indeed involve a considerable amount of effort on your part. However, there are strippers on the market that will help remove the coatings from the door; some are caustic some are not, but with all you should wear the proper protective gear necessary to work safely and efficiently to avoid any type of injury or worst.
Always follow manufacturers' directions and instructions to a letter to avoid undesirable results and never attempt to do this type of work without safety goggles along with the proper type gloves and all other recommended apparel needed to work safely. When it comes to using strippers safety is the operative word, and don't neglect to use the correct tools to remove the coatings once the stripper is ready to be removed from the door. Dispose of the material properly to avoid any local, state, and federal penalties that could arise from improper disposal of the waste.
After the doors have been completely stripped of all coatings you are ready to begin sanding. As stated earlier avoid damaging profiles in your door by sanding manually and when using electric sanders or power sanders be extremely careful to avoid gouging your wood. Sanding is really an art in itself and it takes time and practice to really do it correctly; in my opinion it is a skilled craft in and of itself and it should be recognized as such because if it is not done correctly a beautiful door can be completely ruined in minutes.
I have many different sanders that are designed to do different type sanding on different types of substrates; each one has its own purpose. My point is this: don't try to force a sander or any other type of tool and/or equipment for that matter to do something other than what it was designed to do, doing other wise could result in damages to your door and/or cause serious injury to you or someone nearby. So be smart and operate the tools/equipment according to the manufacturer's instruction.
In conclusion, exterior staining and varnishing can really beautify your exterior wood in a way nothing else can; however, with exterior staining and varnishing there are some noticeable precautions that must be observed in order to avoid disaster.
Feel free to contact us at American Painting and Pressure Cleaning, Inc. for all staining and varnishing work. We are a full service painting/home improvement contractor as well as interior residential (house) painters and exterior residential (house) painters. In fact, plaster and drywall (sheetrock) repairs plus popcorn removal is just some of what we do and have been doing for almost thirty years. Thanks.
| American Painting and Pressure Cleaning, Inc. also provide quality craftsmanship along with down home friendliness to the following areas: Stonewall, Keithville,Frierson, Caddo Parish,Mansfield, Vivian, Blanchard, Oil City, Plain Dealing, Bossier Parish, Athens,Benton, Haughton,Springhill, Cotton Valley, Cullen,Sarepta, Shongaloo, Webster Parish,Haynesville, Homer, Arcadia, Bienville Parish, Lisbon, Claiborne Parish, Gibsland,Grambling, Ruston, Simmsboro, and all of Lincoln Parish. |
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