# Damn fiberglass doors



## Jtpaintalot

Does Any one know how to get a nice finish on these doors and what's the recipe? I've tried like 3 coats gel stain and just brush it out. Doesn't wipe evenly) and seen them glazed and that turned out alright but wondering if any one has these down to a science?? Help


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## Jtpaintalot

Jtpaintalot said:


> Does Any one know how to get a nice finish on these doors and what's the recipe? I've tried like 3 coats gel stain and just brush it out. Doesn't wipe evenly) and seen them glazed and that turned out alright but wondering if any one has these down to a science!


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## NCPaint1

Take your time and do it in sections. Follow the wood grain pattern. Sometimes you need to let the gel stain tack a bit before wiping. If it dries too much you can use a bit of thinner on the rag.

Sikkens Door & Window is great as a topcoat, especially if you can use one of the tinted clears. It really helps blend everything together.


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## RH

NCPaint1 said:


> Take your time and do it in sections. Follow the wood grain pattern. Sometimes you need to let the gel stain tack a bit before wiping. If it dries too much you can use a bit of thinner on the rag.
> 
> Sikkens Door & Window is great as a topcoat, especially if you can use one of the tinted clears. It really helps blend everything together.


Glad to see you like the Sikkens D&W. Used it to touch up some scuffed fir trim
in a house getting ready to go on the market and it worked great. Kinda spendy but worth it.


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## Boden Painting

I use a foam brush to get in the grooves and then I wipe on the stain counterclockwise with a rag. I let it set for 10 min or so and then I smooth/even it out with the foam brush in light, long passes. After another 20 min or so I take a clean bristle brush and lightly blend the areas where I might have overlapped or it is still on thick. It's tough to make them perfect and there always seems to be a light spot or two that need a little touch-up after it dries and before I topcoat it with a water based poly.


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## Rcon

I have been trying to find a good solution to fibreglass doors for years, but still haven't found anything I like that gives me the results i'm after. Gel stain can work, but don't do a scratch test it'll fail. I've tried some of the best stains I can get my hands on from local distributors and all failed an adhesion test. Even tried a $600 material cost finishing system with ultra top-o-the-line stuff and it also failed. Now I just refuse to do them unless they want paint. I'll let someone else warranty them. 

That said, others have recommended Zar and Wood kote - apparently they have some products for this type of application but I can't get that stuff around here.


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## NCPaint1

Rcon, stains aren't meant to stand alone. They need a topcoat. Once that's applied, adhesion of the stain becomes a non issue.....I figured you of all people would be the guru on this subject. I'm surprised that you stay away from fiberglass doors seeing the quality stain jobs you turn out.


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## Conley

Work in sections. I applied a coat of minwax gel stain on this one and , then i take a rag and wipe with what would be the grain if it were real wood, creating lines in it. then I take a dry china bristle (3in corona cutlass)and blend until i like what i see. Then I move on raging and blending. Usually thats good enough, let dry over night or two days and top coat with a poly. On this particular one after the first staining I went back in the next day with the same color and made some weather effects.
Careful not to spend to much time cause the botoom layer starts to lift and move with the effect. Not a rockstar at it yet. But give me some time. The doors i do come Embroised already and in most cases pre primed or dyed to a natural wood base. Others you have to do a base and then actually wood grain it. Which i am a rookie at but absolutely love the prestige. heres a couple pics before and almost done. I actually worked that one a bit more and did't get the final pic yet. Have fun with it.


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## Jtpaintalot

Ya I do sections and stroke out like three coats, but I've heard of guys spraying them but couldn't see that working either the clear coat def helps but I still hate these doors! Too much work for the money peeps will pay!


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## Rcon

NCPaint1 said:


> Rcon, stains aren't meant to stand alone. They need a topcoat. Once that's applied, adhesion of the stain becomes a non issue.....I figured you of all people would be the guru on this subject. I'm surprised that you stay away from fiberglass doors seeing the quality stain jobs you turn out.


lolz :jester:

Of course I topcoat them. That's what I was referring to when I mentioned the whole $600 finishing system. That included stain, sealer, 2K polyurethane topcoat, and catalyst. 

The problem with fibreglass is that the stain itself doesn't adhere to the plastic, and since the topcoat goes over the stain - if the product underneath won't adhere then even the best topcoat won't either. That's why i'm passing on these. I just cant find a system that works while giving me the finish I want. 

I've tried Sikkens D&W and it adheres great. But it takes 12 hours to dry, needs three coats and doesn't brush out well. Of all the products i've tried, it has been the best, but it's still not providing the kind of finish I want to be associated with. Again why i'm passing on them.


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## Ultimate

Conley said:


> Work in sections. I applied a coat of minwax gel stain on this one and , then i take a rag and wipe with what would be the grain if it were real wood, creating lines in it. then I take a dry china bristle (3in corona cutlass)and blend until i like what i see. Then I move on raging and blending. Usually thats good enough, let dry over night or two days and top coat with a poly. On this particular one after the first staining I went back in the next day with the same color and made some weather effects.
> Careful not to spend to much time cause the botoom layer starts to lift and move with the effect. Not a rockstar at it yet. But give me some time. The doors i do come Embroised already and in most cases pre primed or dyed to a natural wood base. Others you have to do a base and then actually wood grain it. Which i am a rookie at but absolutely love the prestige. heres a couple pics before and almost done. I actually worked that one a bit more and did't get the final pic yet. Have fun with it.


Pretty much on target with what you are saying and the results thus far I think. If you have some you are currently doing will you make a vid doing that in action and post it here? 

I have seen the effect you created here done on smooth metal doors quite a bit with a 'graining' tool. First time I have really noticed an attempt at what you did here on a fiberglass door which has 'grain' already there using a brush and rag only. Would like to see that process in action. Seriously to me I think you did pretty good especially if you are just starting this kind of thing.

My experience with fiberglass doors already texturized with grain like this is to apply the gel in multiple coats ragging off based upon the 'grain' already there. The effect I get is a wood grain look, but different altogther than this one. Would like to see a clearer picture of this one you did to decide which I like more. I think if the textured grain that comes with the door does not clash with the grain you created with your doings, I will like your method far more than mine. So, make a vid pls.. 

I'll look for a pic of mine.


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## Conley

Yea it's not a great picture. I'll try and shot a video on the next one. The house i'm doing now is getting the real deal Knotty Alder. So it will be the house after that one. The one in the pic was for an interior designers house. She was stoked with it as was the contractor.
There is a little clashing going on. A trained eye could detect, but could live with.

Zar stain works really well on these too.


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## johnthepainter

most of the fiberglass doors i stain are therma-tru doors,,,,,and they have a kit that i use.

it contains everything you need to stain the door.

they can come out flawless if you pay attention to detail. 

i dont follow the directions in this kit,,,ive just perfected my own techinque.

ill shoot eh door with my hvlp, and tip it off with a wide chip brush. you can lay on enough material, and tip it off just right, and they look flawless.

for mainenance coats, i use a waterborne uv protective finish,,,,,and this should be done every year or two on a sunny side. if not stripping them gets COSTLY,,,so inform your customers.


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## Ultimate

high fibre said:


> most of the fiberglass doors i stain are therma-tru doors,,,,,and they have a kit that i use.
> 
> it contains everything you need to stain the door.
> 
> they can come out flawless if you pay attention to detail.
> 
> i dont follow the directions in this kit,,,ive just perfected my own techinque.
> 
> ill shoot eh door with my hvlp, and tip it off with a wide chip brush. you can lay on enough material, and tip it off just right, and they look flawless.
> 
> for mainenance coats, i use a waterborne uv protective finish,,,,,and this should be done every year or two on a sunny side. if not stripping them gets COSTLY,,,so inform your customers.


Pictures say a thousand words.


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## aaron61

Not sure if I like that "knotty"look???


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## straight_lines

I agree I think it needs more variation to look natural. However I will add that he did a much better job than I could have. 

I can't imagine it being cheaper to pay someone the time it must take to produce finishes like Michael Trust does instead of buying the wood doors you are trying to mimic.


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## Rob




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## poet-1

high fibre said:


> most of the fiberglass doors i stain are therma-tru doors,,,,,and they have a kit that i use.
> ...


yes, therma-tru stain is easy to work with --can be brushed on, then wiped off with a rag to achieve desired shade/patterns. A lot of rags be needed.

___________________

A small staining job done last month. Therma-tru products, Cherry color. 1 coat stain + 2 water-based poly. 2 coats of stain would look better, yet client wanted that light color look after the 1st coat. 

(time: 1 day -all exterior sides, 1 day --interior sides)


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## TJ Paint

Rob said:


> Gel Stain a Fiberglass Door - YouTube


holy **** you had a brush!


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## AztecPainting

Quick Question... Why does anybody want to make a fibreglass door look like wood? Is it really that much more expensive to buy a wood door? I've never bought a door in my life, everywhere I go it's either fibreglass to be painted or wood to be stained (sometimes painted) neither a client asking me to stain a fibreglass.

I'm just curious and wondering...


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## RH

AztecPainting said:


> Quick Question... Why does anybody want to make a fibreglass door look like wood? Is it really that much more expensive to buy a wood door? I've never bought a door in my life, everywhere I go it's either fibreglass to be painted or wood to be stained (sometimes painted) neither a client asking me to stain a fibreglass.
> 
> I'm just curious and wondering...


Won't contract and expand, insulated, and will hold up better under adverse conditions. Probably cheaper overall - especially if you're comparing it to a high quality wood door or if you want fancy glass inserts (which are more expensive in a wood door). With that said I've always painted the ones I've had rather than try and make them look like wood.


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## RCP

Out here in the Southwest, the hot dry summers and cold wet winters can wreak havoc on a door. Wood doors have to be maintained every year here. The fiberglass don't warp. we do a lot of them. I think only 2 of these doors are wood.


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## TJ Paint

Rob said:


> Gel Stain a Fiberglass Door - YouTube



Looks good btw:thumbsup:


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## straight_lines

RCP said:


> Out here in the Southwest, the hot dry summers and cold wet winters can wreak havoc on a door. Wood doors have to be maintained every year here. The fiberglass don't warp. we do a lot of them. I think only 2 of these doors are wood.


Nice door portfolio. Good idea to write about?


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## RCP

straight_lines said:


> Nice door portfolio. Good idea to write about?


Funny, check this out! We've come a long a way baby!


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## MixMaster

We probably do 250-300 Fiberglass Drs in the course of a year. Most are Therma Tru a few have been Pella (stainable steel). Therma Tru's stain is the easiest to use, brushed on and dry brushed off, panel at a time with the embossed grain. Old Masters gel stain also works but a little tougher to work with. Both can be intermixed to match trim if needed. Top coats, usually 2 are Zar Ext Waterbase Poly satin sprayed. Wood Kote used to make a stain that worked that wasn't a gel but that is no longer available, you can contact Therma Tru and buy their stain. Practice and patience is the best advice, we have had to strip a few and start over again.


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## AztecPainting

RCP said:


> Out here in the Southwest, the hot dry summers and cold wet winters can wreak havoc on a door. Wood doors have to be maintained every year here. The fiberglass don't warp. we do a lot of them. I think only 2 of these doors are wood.


It makes sense to me now, awesome work Chris.


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## aaron61

MixMaster said:


> We probably do 250-300 Fiberglass Drs in the course of a year. Most are Therma Tru a few have been Pella (stainable steel). Therma Tru's stain is the easiest to use, brushed on and dry brushed off, panel at a time with the embossed grain. Old Masters gel stain also works but a little tougher to work with. Both can be intermixed to match trim if needed. Top coats, usually 2 are Zar Ext Waterbase Poly satin sprayed. Wood Kote used to make a stain that worked that wasn't a gel but that is no longer available, you can contact Therma Tru and buy their stain. Practice and patience is the best advice, we have had to strip a few and start over again.


250-300 in a year!:blink: Every year!!:blink::blink:


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## vermontpainter

RCP said:


> Funny, check this out! We've come a long a way baby!


 Holy time capsule!


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## JNLP

Why do people wipe it off? Atleast with Minwax, you just put it on in thin coats and let it be, as many needed to get the darkness desired, and it comes out pretty nice pretty easy. Just have to work the proper order and care for the lines so you don't have lap marks. :blink:


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## Mike's QP

the door on the left i stained to match the interior hemlock doors we stain/lacquered


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## MixMaster

Aaron, along with field painting we also have a 12,000 SF warehouse facility, specializing in UV and booth spraying of millwork, window, and misc piece work. If you have seen any fiberglass doors finished in some of the big box stores chances are we did them. It has now moved into a option we offer with some of the builders we do work with. Quantities are done with door and window manufacturers in our area. Doors drop shipped to us, finished in the shop, and delivered to the jobsite. Nice option to offer.


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## johnthepainter

poet-1 said:


> yes, therma-tru stain is easy to work with --can be brushed on, then wiped off with a rag to achieve desired shade/patterns. A lot of rags be needed.
> 
> ___________________
> 
> A small staining job done last month. Therma-tru products, Cherry color. 1 coat stain + 2 water-based poly. 2 coats of stain would look better, yet client wanted that light color look after the 1st coat.
> 
> (time: 1 day -all exterior sides, 1 day --interior sides)


 
now thats a nice looking stain job! you have perfected this technique, and they are flawless.


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## poet-1

I'm still an amateur.. 



JNLP said:


> *Why do people wipe it off?* Atleast with Minwax, you just put it on in thin coats and let it be, as many needed to get the darkness desired, and it comes out pretty nice pretty easy. Just have to work the proper order and care for the lines so you don't have lap marks. :blink:


Anything that requires wiping requires more time.. :jester:

It depends on products used i guess. Therma-tru stain, specifically developed for fiberglass doors, is highly pigmented (esp dark colors). Therma-tru recommends wiping --which brings out the embossed grain & evens out the color better. Not wiping would look fine too (somewhat solid-stained look).


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## jbradley

*Tips on Stripping*

Mixmaster (or any others with experience) - It sounds like you've got quite a bit of experience finishing Thurma-Tru fiberglass doors. I'm about to tackle my first stripping job of a double set of Classic Craft doors with sidelites and I was wondering if you can offer any tips. 

The homeowner applied too much stain and called to have us refinish them. The stain was applied less than 24 hours ago and they have not applied any top coat. I tried wiping a test spot with mineral spirits but I had to rub very hard to remove any of the stain. From what I've found in my research, stripping these doors can be a real pain but I'm hoping this might not be the case since the stain is so fresh and there's no top coat. 

Therma-tru recommends a few strippers. Have you found any to work better than others? How long do you leave on the stripper? I've read about being careful not to damage the factory primer coat, any tips on this? Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

JB


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## Mike's QP

laqcuer thinner, just rub off the old stain


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## MicawberSchism

If you are looking for a painted finish, just wash with water and mild detergent, prime, sand, and paint (2 coats) with exterior semi-gloss paint (latex) or use an oil based alkyd paint- better protection and durability. I have done this with my fiber glass replacement doors installed five years back.
The main thing you should consider that, never ever sand the bare fiber glass door because you can have loose fibers show in the finish paint.
:thumbup:


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## woodcoyote

I still need to experiment more, I just haven't had the time to actually figure it out. But I've developed a stain application method that gives somewhat decent results. I wouldn't call them perfect or flawless or full-proof, but it's a start and I think I know how to improve on it, just need the time. 

The #1 mistake I see is that a lot of people apply the gel stain right onto the fiberglass. You have to prime the fiberglass first and not with 'white' primer. It has to be tinted.

I detail a spray technique in a thread awhile back:
http://www.painttalk.com/f29/spray-only-composite-fiberglass-faux-wood-doors-23888/

As of right now, brushing is the only way to get that "real" authentic look. But I have my fingers crossed for a spray method. Makes 16+ doors per house go A LOT faster than brushing. 

P.S.
For the poster who said why do it? Because it costs less money than buying a real wood door. Fiberglass doors start anywhere from $350 to $550-ish depending on style/glass etc. and of course the ceiling is the limit for super fancy stuff.

Around here they charge anywhere from $100 - $300 per door to gel stain/top coat. Garage doors typically around $350-450. 

Whereas a wood door is going to run right around $1,000 starting.


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## The McJones

*fiberglass doors*

Applying over six very thin coats of gel stain following the grain, making highlights blend softly will make that mastergrain fiberglass door look awesome. The clear coat protects the door from sun's uv as well as rain and snow. In an area where it gets very cold winters and very hot summers, especially having very high humidity with very low humidity changes constantly, wood just does not hold up to weather, where as fiberglass does exceptionally well. The real look of wood without rotting, splitting, warping, expansion and contraction, are the reasons for choosing fiberglass doors. Price is much less than wood as the final added incentive.


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## bbair

Ah, yes, gel staining a door. Those take some skill. I prefer the therma tru brand gel stain because it has a longer open time than most.


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## Slopmeyer

I explain about the yearly maintenance and try to steer them towards painting and nine out of ten will paint it. We live in a "maintenance free society" nobody wants to deal with the maintenance and it works for me. Staining fiberglass is a PITA.


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## mattpaints82

We just finished up a NC house with a stained fiberglass door. We had really nice results with zar stain. http://www.zar.com/#menu-item-111


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## 604style

Sorry to bump an old thread.

First time staining a Plastpro Fir Grain Craftsman style door. I used Zar oil-based "Provincial" stain and applied it with a foam brush and worked it in with a circular motion with a stain cloth. I then brushed it with a foam brush.

If I try to wipe it off with a stain cloth, the stain comes off the raised texture portion mostly while settling in the grooves. So instead of doing this, I didn't wipe off but tried to feather off excess stain with a dry bristle brush.

In the end it looks like it went on too thick now. 48 hours since I stained and it's still a bit tacky and has a high sheen.

Should I have stuck with the wiping off method?

https://goo.gl/photos/2T9zgLnmw3CQR1pA8

Thanks


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## Gwarel

Old Masters works best for me, I brush it on and dry brush if needed. Hard to find but worth the effort.


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## woodcoyote

Honestly.

The fiberglass staining issue is easy. 

In fact we regularly stain both steel and fiberglass doors. Most of the time it's about a half day process, 1 full day at the most. If we come back a second day it's because we need to put additional top coats and just need that dry time in between.

I might make a thread on this subject since it seems like it's giving people a harder time than it should.


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## Paintgirl46

I have done these doors for years using artist oils


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## getrex

woodcoyote said:


> Honestly.
> 
> The fiberglass staining issue is easy.
> 
> In fact we regularly stain both steel and fiberglass doors. Most of the time it's about a half day process, 1 full day at the most. If we come back a second day it's because we need to put additional top coats and just need that dry time in between.
> 
> I might make a thread on this subject since it seems like it's giving people a harder time than it should.




Prime then paint or stain?


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## Jessica777

AztecPainting said:


> Quick Question... Why does anybody want to make a fibreglass door look like wood? Is it really that much more expensive to buy a wood door? I've never bought a door in my life, everywhere I go it's either fibreglass to be painted or wood to be stained (sometimes painted) neither a client asking me to stain a fibreglass.
> 
> I'm just curious and wondering...


I can answer this. I’m a homeowner on this forum researching the process of staining a fiberglass door. I just had four sets of French doors and a single full glass door installed. My home is log and high maintenance. The beautiful wood doors that were installed 15 years ago were completely rotten despite regular staining and maintenance by a professional. And I mean rotten and leaking within a few years. They simply cannot take the weather of south Alabama! Too much moisture and heat on a exposed north facing front elevation. We had a choice to go back with wood and replace again down the road or use fiberglass. It was a no brainer for us. And of course we want them to blend with the rest of wood theme, therefore we need to stain them.


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