# entry door behind a storm door



## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

Im looking for some advice from the pros here in the painting world.

What is the best treatment for a wood door with a southern exposure behind a full glass storm door?

Finishing is not my normal thing nearly every entry door I do is fiberglass or steel.........I dont want the finish peeling off or blistering from the heat between the doors. 

Thanks!


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

id consider pullin the weatherstrip off the head of the storm


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## goneelkn (Jan 9, 2010)

put a vent in the storm door. www.gerkin.com offers one


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

Thats it! omg do you know how many people stress about minor little air holes or daylight cracks and my solution is to create a draft.


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## Gough (May 1, 2010)

For a clear finish on exterior wood doors, we've been using Sikkens Door and Window for years. Like every clear exterior finish I've encountered, it still needs to be maintained, but it's a lot easier than anything else we've tried. Wash it down, let it dry, and re-apply.


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## NAV (Sep 5, 2008)

This is what happened to a westerly facing wood door that had a glass storm door sealing it in. 

bubbled on the inside too!


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## alanbj (Feb 19, 2009)

tom m said:


> Im looking for some advice from the pros here in the painting world.
> 
> What is the best treatment for a wood door with a southern exposure behind a full glass storm door?
> 
> ...


 use a gel stain or a semi transparent stain


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## windowman736 (Jul 2, 2010)

As a manufacturer of Steel and Fiberglass Replacement doors we recommend that if there is a full view storm door existing that the color of the replacement door be a neutral color. We recommend that the screen be installed in the summer and that the door be treated with a wax as you would do to your car. It is extremely rare that we ever have a blistering problem.
In your case it appears from the blistering that the finish was applied without the door being cured. There must have been moisture in the wood when it was painted over or the wood was treated with a wax before it was painted. You will have to scrape it, sand it, prime it, and repaint it. I have seen that same condition on wood doors that were recently painted.


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## Faron79 (Nov 29, 2007)

*Auuughhh...Gel stain...?!??!?*

Dear Lord...a gel stain or S/T is doomed, as many things will be, if that door area doesn't get some ventilation!!

The heat AND UV will destroy a wood door in that kind of exposure...what stain is used is IRRELEVANT. The coating-layers ON TOP OF the stain is what's relevant here, along with ventilating that space so the door doesn't literally "Cook" off any finish.

Even the best coatings, like an FPE Varnish or Sikkens Door & Window will require a maintenance coat every couple years to STAY AHEAD OF the destruction.

>>> Can a small awning/shade or Arbor/Pergola be designed to give that HOT door some protection?

Faron


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## Gough (May 1, 2010)

Faron79 said:


> Dear Lord...a gel stain or S/T is doomed, as many things will be, if that door area doesn't get some ventilation!!
> 
> The heat AND UV will destroy a wood door in that kind of exposure...what stain is used is IRRELEVANT. The coating-layers ON TOP OF the stain is what's relevant here, along with ventilating that space so the door doesn't literally "Cook" off any finish.
> 
> ...


Absolutlely. Around here, I tell clients that fully exposed (south or west) varnished wood doors need to be scuff-sanded and recoated at least twice a year: spring and fall. They agree and, in 30+ years, no one has ever come even close to keeping up. Even with Sikkens, we try to wash and recoat every year.

I've been an "expert witness" in several court cases. In one of them, one issue was the deteriorating fully-exposed wooden entry door. After I explained that the problem was lack of maintenance, the attorney asked me for my professional recommendation for what the client should put over the door in its current condition. I told him "an 8-foot deep porch roof".


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

tom m said:


> Thats it! omg do you know how many people stress about minor little air holes or daylight cracks and my solution is to create a draft.


 
maybe its time to tell your customers who the expert is


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

Drill 1/8" holes in top and bottom of storm, on wood door use Linseed oil wipe door down in later part of the day, let dry over night, get early start before sun is high in the sky, then use marine spar varnish.:thumbsup:
then every 4 years come back at extra charge and treat door with swedish oil, apply even coat then let dry, then buff out.:thumbsup:


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