Staining a Composite Door
If you've had a composite door for a while, you might consider giving your tired composite front entrance a new lease on life. This article will examine staining composite doors, whether doing so is possible and whether it's worth it.
Is It Possible To Stain Molded Composite Doors?
Staining a composite door is possible, although staining a composite front door is not as easy as doing so to a wooden front door.
A composite front door is substantially more resistant to different weather conditions, thus meaning that the material is much less permeable when compared to wood.
If you choose to do this, you'll need a stain that's more than just your average exterior stain.
How To Stain A Composite Door
When you're ready to add some curb appeal to your composite front door by giving it those highly sought-after wood stain look, here's how you can go about staining it:
Step 1
Dip a lint-free cloth in mineral spirits, ensuring that it's dry before doing so. Wipe down the surface of your composite door with a damp cloth. Reapply mineral spirits if need be.
Step 2
Put painter's tape around the areas you don't want to be touched, such as the doorknob, hinges, windows, and the peephole if it has one.
Step 3
Place a drop cloth in front of the door to protect your porch or stoop.
Step 4
Open the container of stain and mix it with a paint mixer. Be sure to mix it well to ensure an even application.
Step 5
Dip a natural bristle brush in the stain mixture. Remove any excess stain from the brush, and avoid getting it on yourself.
Step 6
Apply a thin coat of stain to one side of the door. Ensure your strokes are vertical and even. Allow the coat to dry before you prepare and stain the other side of the door by repeating the same steps.
Step 7
After staining your door, apply a thin coat of protective polyurethane with a 5-centimetre-wide foam brush. Your composite front door should have those beautiful wood tones in no time.
Staining Tips
Here are some things to take into consideration before and after staining your composite door:
- You may need more than one coat - Sanding is not an option when staining composite doors. Achieving the desired colour depth often requires the application of multiple stain coats.
- Go for a solid colour - Apply a solid-colour linseed oil that's richer than your door's tone, making your old door look as good as new.
- Use the power of symmetry - Symmetry and a black-gelled stain can easily make the entrance of a light-coloured home much more enjoyable.
- Apply a top coat - Composite doors typically do an excellent job resisting rainfall and the sun's harsh rays, so you can expect them to maintain their aesthetic appeal for years. However, the stain coat will fade over time. After staining your composite door, seal the stain with a top coat.
- Restoring - Composite polish doesn't exist, so if your composite front door starts to fade and lose its good looks or your composite door is scratched, you can use multi-surface plastic restorers to bring it back to life.
Should You Paint Or Stain A Composite Front Door?
Composite doors can either be painted or stained and are usually supplied ready for either. Which one you pick primarily depends on what you'll find easier or cheaper and your preferred look.
When you spray paint a composite door, the finished product will resemble painted timber. When you stain moulded composite doors, the stain seeps into the texture, bringing out the grain.
Final Thoughts
Staining your composite front door is a great way to make it look like a wooden front door while retaining the benefits of a composite door and making it more attractive than an aluminium door.
Always take the necessary precautions when doing this, or hire an expert if you don't know what you're doing. Before you start staining your doors, look at the composite door options we offer.
