Replies

1. 
   EricPaulson | Oct 03, 2004 03:42pm | #1

   Read the directions...........probably calls for a specific type of stain or product.

   Eric

   I Love A Hand That Meets My Own,

   With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.

2. 
   mdresimprov | Oct 03, 2004 04:47pm | #2

   Pella recommends a gel-like stain product and for an upcharge will provide it with the door.

   MES

3. 
   RW | Oct 03, 2004 08:55pm | #3

   Been there. After I got over the migranes and the suicidal thoughts, (yeah, I was slow to learn on finishing FG doors) . . .

   Gel stain is the way to go, but all are not created equal. Some go pretty well, some not so much. Minwax, for instance, might be grand on pine but it will send you to the head shrink on fiberglass. Old Masters thus far is the one I prefer. You can do it yourself if you have a little artistic inclination.

   You have to keep in mind - break things into sections of work, work that section quickly and evenly, and leave it alone. Brushing over something five minutes later makes things infinitely worse. On something like a 6 panel, work inside out - so do the center first, then do the recess of a panel, then the flat. Try to keep inside the "lines" established by the fake grain, i.e. where a stile and rail meet.

   The gel is thick and doesn't spread extremely easily; I prefer to keep a cup of thinner and some rags nearby. Every couple of passes, I dip the brush to wet it, then tap it on the rags a couple of times so there's just a little left. Use the stain sparingly. And use a couple of different brushes - a little inch job for inside the profiles, a wider 2 1/2 or 3 for the flats. China bristle, and flexible, not stiff like the short white Purdys.

   When the stuff is dry (24hr), poly or lacquer - whatever your top coat is going to be. If EVERYTHING goes wrong, before the stuff has a chance to set, pour the thinner on and wash it completely off. Then go grab a phone book and call someone else to have the headache for you. Some have the knack, some dont. Then there's the guy in the middle like me that can learn it given adequate time.

   Oh, and dark colors tend to end up looking much more realistic than light - that is to say honey maple won't get you too far or too happy.

   "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain

4. 
   WorkshopJon | Oct 03, 2004 09:14pm | #4

   James,

   As others have said, gel stain is the way to go (been there), but it will never look like wood.  Just like vinyl siding doesn't look like cedar, if you want a wood look, buy a wood door. R-values aside, the heat loss and maintenance issues of wood vs. something else don't offset the natural beauty of wood, IMO.

   WSJ

5. 
   gdavis62 | Oct 03, 2004 10:15pm | #5

   I don't work there any more, but Therma-Tru has the best stain and finish kit, bar none, for fiberglass doors.

   All the stuff everyone else is recommending is for wood.  The gels, Minwaxes, UGLs, etc.

   Therma-Tru makes their own.  You would be shocked to know how much R&D money they put into the product.

   The key to application of the stain is the use of the brush TT includes with the kit.  The brush is for brushing out the stain, moving it around and taking it off, not for putting it on.  A rag is the way to put it on.  The brush is worked dry, and a clean rag is held in your other hand while working the stain, for cleaning the bristle ends, so they are always as dry as possible.

   TTs topcoat is a clear waterborne, and will outperform anything else you can find, by a factor of two or three.

1. 
   jonblakemore | Oct 03, 2004 10:20pm | #6

   I just stained a FG door and was very pleased with the outcome. A little blotchiness is evident, but that very well could be applicator error.

   It might not look like wood if you are critical, but I wouldn't be surprised if I saw a similar door from 8' away and swore that it was wood. 

   Jon Blakemore

1. 
   jeepster | Oct 05, 2004 10:22pm | #7

   Thanks, all, for your replies. I will read the manufacturer's instructions (duh) and consider the other options you mentioned.