You want to make the most of your first impression, so how do you choose the entry door that fits your home? There are a variety of types and brands, but fiberglass doors have become a go-to recommendation for exterior doors from most building material suppliers in the Midwest – and for good reason. They are superior in a number of ways to their metal or wood counterparts.

Moisture resistance – shares the wood-grain look of wood doors without being susceptible to moisture damage and rot

Thermal insulation – performs more efficiently than wood and most metal doors for heat transfer

All-around durability – no warping like real wood and no dings and dents like the standard metal door

You might be thinking, it’s a no-brainer at this point….but there are a few additional factors to consider. The first for most buyers is price. Fiberglass doors are more expensive than a comparable metal door, but depending on the wood species of wood door, they can be cheaper than wood. Second is the look of the door. Many homeowners agree that a fiberglass door has a more appealing look than the more economical metal exterior door, but they still wish they could achieve that stunning appearance of a wood entry door. This is the crux of the dilemma with fiberglass doors – can it be stained to give your home the curb appeal of the neighbor’s custom wood entry door?

The short answer is yes, but it’s not as simple of an application as the DIY blog post you read last night. Since the door has a fiberglass skin on the outside, it absorbs very little stain color and the remaining color (or pigment) that gives the door its look remains on the surface of the door. The final color, overall consistency, and realistic look depend on a cumulative number of factors that are not as easy to achieve as staining a wood material which can absorb stain more evenly. Factors impacting the final look include brush selection, the application pressure, the quantity of stain used, the motions in your application technique, the stain colors and sequence used to stain all parts of the door, and knowing how to adjust or remove colors on the fly.

Ultimately, the greatest challenge with keeping a fiberglass door looking great doesn’t arise from the staining of the door (which, in of itself is not easy), the challenge is the longevity and durability of clear finishes in an exterior environment.

This is actually true of doors of all types, metal, wood and fiberglass.

The clear finish is what will go on top of the stain as a clear protective film allowing the beauty of the faux wood grain to show through. There are a number of clear finishes available for this type of application, most of which are a varnish. They range from hardware store options like Old Masters or Helmsman to the professional marine varnish options available from companies like Total Boat or Epifanes, and all of these coatings require routine maintenance. This doesn’t have to be a deterrent, but it is best to understand what you are up against.

In terms of maintenance requirements, there are some installations that will look great for 5+ years without much or any maintenance, and there are some that will require an annual recoat. The primary enemy of clear finishes on fiberglass doors is UV rays from the sun. The sun will break down the UV absorbers in these finishes over time and result in a number of visible issues that range from flaking finish, cracking (allowing moisture into the coating to then cause flaking), dulling of the sheen, color changes in the door – likely a graying look, and sometimes even the appearance that the finish has simply disappeared entirely.

Ideally you’ve done some preventative maintenance by cleaning, lightly sanding, and applying another clear coat of exterior varnish before seeing these issues, but if not, you should act quickly because eventually touchups to the stain color will always look like touchups if the sun has caused damage by flaking some stain off or changing the stain color. Although we apply varnish to fiberglass doors with a spray system, most exterior varnishes can be applied with a brush if that is what is available to you and you want to do-it-yourself.

If you’ve made it this far, then you’re still in the game for staining this door, and there are a few ways you can mitigate the concerns discussed.

For starters, think about how you can avoid the sun. Here in the Midwest, that means ideally this door will be located on the North-facing side of the house. If that’s not the case for you, another way to extend the life of the finish is by providing shade to the door with a covered porch or shade tree. If you find that you have everything working against you, meaning you have a door that is facing directly south with no shade, then know that there is an easy backup plan should you fall behind on the maintenance of applying new clear coats as the years go by. Fiberglass doors are excellent candidates for painting, and painting over a previously stained and varnished fiberglass door is a suitable way to extend the life of your door.

Now that you understand the factors at play when staining a fiberglass door to match your garage doors, shingles, or windows, you can make an informed decision about this critical investment in your home. Although we do believe that a number of painting projects can be completed by a savvy homeowner, we highly recommend that when it comes to staining a fiberglass entry door for your home that you seek out a professional service. Lindsay’s Prefinishing has been staining fiberglass doors for nearly 20 years and stocks the assortment of specialty stains needed to custom color match any component of your house. Through experience, we know which clear coats will last and which ones will fall short, so let us put our experience to work for you and your home. If you would like to explore this topic or any other finishing topic further, please feel welcome to contact Lindsay’s Prefinishing. After all, your door is the first impression to your home.

Fiberglass doors – What’s all the hype about?