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Wood Tone Front Door Color

16 years ago

We have a brand new fiberglass wood grain Pella door that I need to find a color to paint. I would like a color that looks like wood but I don't want the upkeep of stain. Any suggestions? Thank You!

Featured Answer

mimi_2006

16 years ago

I just posted this same pic in a thread about door wreaths but they are gel stained fiberglass. If I had it to do again I'd go with real wood but they don't look bad. I kept saying like you are, if I don't like them I can always paint them later. It's new construction and we've been here just over a year. I'm still not ruling out painting them down the road. I know the upkeep is so much easier with fiberglass but there's just something about a pretty REAL wood door *sigh*. I think I'm too critical because I know they're fiberglass. Anyway, here's the pic, it's a sort of light to medium stain just to give you an idea of the look.

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Comments (6)

backsweat
16 years ago
A picture of your entry and front elevation would be helpful in giving recommendations. Also, which way does your home face?

To really get the look of wood, stain will give the best results. On fiberglass you'd have to use a gel stain and then cover it with valspar or urethane. Good quality products and application should last as long as any decent paint would. Getting Gel Stain to look good though is an art, particularily at the corners if you have any panels in the door.

A pic would help with giving guidance on specific colors.
oceanna
16 years ago
Very timely! I just read this and I think you should read it too... this is from an expert faux finisher, and I'd been reading the other articles on the site and enjoying them when I stumbled across this. If you go to the Therma-Tru site they even have a video of them doing it, plus color charts, and a store locator (it's at my Lowe's). It doesn't sound or look difficult.

BUT I would say examine the wood graining on your door first, and be sure you like it... and that it looks like real wood would look. I was out looking at my garage doors today and they are grained side to side -- the whole door -- which isn't right. So if I do them I may well override the embossed graining on the panel edges.

As far as which wood tone to use, please post a picture. Are you repainting your house exterior? Or just doing the door?

Here is a link that might be useful: Woodgraining a fiberglass door
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The window grilles are appropriate to the house style. Remove them, but only if you can put them back if you prefer the look. I think the extra detailing is good here. (If they look cheesy up close, however, that would be more important than how they look in this view.) A white fence would be perfect (especially with the grilles 😁) because of all the nice white trim details around the porch, but painted white fences require so much upkeep that a natural stain is too practical to not do. I'd choose something wood colored and let it melt into the background. The front door should be a pleasant color, and an interesting one. Not brown. Perhaps look into navy blues and pine greens. (I would not replace it as it is, again, correct for the house. It also matches the garage door.) You might be able to add windows to the existing garage door. Some have panels that can be popped out. I don't know if that would improve it any. Painting it to match the house would probably improve it, but matching paint to siding can be challenging--it's perfectly fine as is, really.
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oceanna
16 years ago
No fair asking a question and then running away!
bpalmerc21
Original Author
16 years ago
I'm sorry, I didn't bail on you, I havne't been near my computer. Thanks for the Therma tru info. I looked at their site and watched the video. Our door is a pella but I assume we can use their stain kit - I would prefer to stain rather than paint. If i end up not liking the way the stain looks, we can always paint later. We are builing, so this is a new door. I looked at the wood grain, it looks good to me? I am looking to do a dark stain. Thanks again for your advise!
bpalmerc21
User
16 years ago
We have a fiberglass woodgrain door that I stained myself. It looked great at first, but I'm so not liking it now. I wanted a real wood door, but hubby talked me into the fiberglass for insulating purposes. We worked hard to build our home as energy efficient as possible. Someday we'll replace it with a wood door.
If you have the chance to change now to a real wood door, I certainly would do so.

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