mahogany front door

5 years ago

Had the door re-stained last year... this is what it looks like now! It has a spotty white haze! I have never seen this happen before. It also turned yellowish.

Had the door installed in 2007. I am so upset over what it has become.

Anyone have any ideas? Advice? thank you.

Featured Answer

PRO

Avoree Ferreira-Dunlap

5 years ago

Wood is a living, breathing entity. With sunlight & moisture comes changes to the look and sizing of the door. It may have been bad material on the contractor's part, but it could simply be to the nature of the wood. Or, some combination of both. To me, it looks like sun and water damage.

I work in cabinetry not doors (just to be 100% transparent), but the same concepts apply... stains and wood fade and change over time, no matter what material or product is placed on them. Better products (higher quality, or factory finishes) will last longer, but will eventually suffer the same fate.

If it gets a lot of light and/or deals with regular weatherization, this is not far out of the realm of possibilities. I would call the company that restained the door and ask if this is normal this early on - but prepare yourself for the answer either way. It is hard to say whether or not this is normal, not knowing the area you are in, how much light hits the door, etc.

I would reread your warranty, if they gave you one, and see if this would fall within those parameters; not knowing the specifics, a year does seem very soon to be experiencing this.

Although I do not work with doors, I share an office with those that do, and for areas with harsh weather and/or a lot of sunlight, my company always suggests fiberglass doors - actually scratch that, regardless of weather or sun, my company still always suggests fiberglass doors. They can come in smooth or textured - so you can paint them, or stain them just as you could with a wood door. They look very realistic, and are able to have much better warranties.

But short of replacing the door - my best suggestion would be to call the company and ask for your options. Within a year, they may agree to come out and redo for free, or split the cost for you (depending on specific warranty info, or other factors). If possible, ask for the products that they used, that way you can get a more accurate look at why this is happening.

I wish you the best of luck!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

Sylvia Gordon
5 years ago
Not sure, but my suspicion is that you should be upset with your contractor rather than your door.
LISA
Original Author
5 years ago
I am not upset with the door itself- the guy that did this is someone I had not used before and will not again. But the fact remains, this is what I have now and I am hoping that someone in the houzz community can help me understand why or what could have caused this so that I can be sure the next contractor does the right thing.
Related Discussions
Exterior mahogany door finish
Q
Comments (5)
Here are photo's of ours. The stain is Min Wax Red Mahogany and the poly is high glosss poly, called Last and Last. The Last and Last was purchased at a Benjamin Moore paint store. I'm not sure where else you can buy that brand. The first photo is the finished door. The second one is with just one coat of poly. It took 2 coats of stain and 3 coats of poly to finish.
...See More
Meranti vs. Mahogany front door
Q
Comments (1)
See the page listed below for a very knowlegeable opinion. Here is a link that might be useful: The expert's opinion
...See More
X-Post: My 'reclaimed' Mahogany Door
Q
Comments (28)
I hadn't thought to bleach. Hmmm. But really, I like the fact that it looks like I took an old door and stripped it. Gonna wait until it's not 105F and find my darned detail sander. oldbat2be, if you sand, yes, you're going to have to restain. Even if you fill them, depending upon your wood, you're still going to have to restain, because a 2nd coat will be darker -- unless you've sealed the other parts of the door. Timbermate and pore-o-pac work really well and are stainable. Do NOT USE MINWAX WOOD FILLER. I learned the hard way on my butcher block, maple countertop that it does not stain. emaineer, what detail sander do you have? I have one of those Ryobi triangle ones. New. If I can find it.
...See More
Protecting mahogany door from sun
Q
Comments (2)
Or you can use paint. Clear paint. Most paint manufacturers make an ultra deep tint base that is actually paint with no color. (I use Sherwin Williams Ultra Deep Tint base). It is milky white when applied, but dries clear. Here is a walnut cross I built and installed two years ago. Applied two coats of SW A100 Ultra Deep Tint base(cannot use primer), installed the cross in March of 2015, took this picture a year later, and recoated this April. Full southern exposure. There is a little degrading on the top surface of the right cross piece due to moisture/sun. I simply hand sanded the entire surface of the cross and applied a coat of the paint. This is what the paint looked like when first applied(before installation).
...See More
houssaon
5 years ago
Looks like water damage.
LISA thanked houssaon
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
5 years ago
You'd have to know what was used and if they stripped the door before they applied the finish. No matter, this door has to be stripped, sanded down, prepared correctly and then stained.
LISA thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
User
5 years ago
Where to start? Number one----staining over another stain or finish will not work. Stain has to have bare wood to work. Stain over stain makes a mess---especially if someone tries a lighter stain over the original.

Two----Wood and stains tend to change color because of UV(sun's) rays. To minimize that change, a UV inhibitor is added to the finish.

Three---an exterior finish MUST be used for exterior woodwork. Period. I know, someone would not be that uneducated-----sadly, it does happen.

Four, to maintain the look, once achieved, means occasional cleaning and inspections. If a finish starts deteriorating, it must be corrected NOW, not next month.

Finally, there are a lot of folks out there who claim to know what they are doing. I know woodworkers who can put a finish on a turned vase/dish that will make you drool. They cannot begin to finish a flat work box. Two different processes and techniques.

Your door will need to be cleaned and stripped. You might find someone willing to strip the door in place(probably a two to three day job because of all the detail). It will not be easy or quick.
LISA thanked User
houssaon
5 years ago
My neighbor has a wood screen door from the mid 1930s. When they had it refinished they used a professional. It looks wonderful. Their house faces west. So a wood door, properly finished can withstand weather and sun for many years.
LISA thanked houssaon
arokes726
5 years ago
Front door, 1901. Actually, it could use a refinishing, but I’m busy replacing the ropes on my 117 year old wood windows, so the door can wait. There’s nothing wrong with it. Find someone who knows what they are doing - google “door refinishing (your location)” and you’ll find someone who does door and millwork refinishing for a living.
LISA thanked arokes726
PRO
User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago

Front Doors · More Info

strip sand and restain. Finish with four coats of FPE yacht varnish. Lightly sand and revarnish one a year.
LISA thanked User
LISA
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
the contractor did strip the door prior to doing what he did... I really do not know what he used. Now I am much more educated about 'what not to do' and I will question what is being used/ put on the door. Thanks for the very useful information and pictures too!
LISA
Original Author
5 years ago
arokes726 that is great to see your door looking so good after so many years- thank you! and good luck with the work you are doing.
LISA
Original Author
5 years ago
MS Colours Inc that is a beautiful door - thanks for sharing

mahogany front door

Avoree Ferreira-Dunlap

Comments (12)

Sylvia Gordon

LISA
Original Author

Related Discussions

houssaon

BeverlyFLADeziner

User

houssaon

arokes726

User

LISA
Original Author

LISA
Original Author

LISA
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mahogany front door

Comments (12)

LISAOriginal Author

Related Discussions

LISAOriginal Author

LISAOriginal Author

LISAOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

LISA
Original Author

LISA
Original Author

LISA
Original Author

LISA
Original Author