Painting a Faux Wood Front Door

10 years ago

I have a 90 year old solid wood front door which I repaired by stripping and filling splinter cracks with epoxy, then painted it with SW Emerald satin. While the door looks in good repair now, I miss the stained wood look and want to replicate that now. Just so you know, there is an awning over the door, as well as a storm door, so the door has good protection from the elements.

I'm hoping to do a faux wood door look with paint and stain. I think I want a medium dark color door--not too light or too dark and I want to use a wood graining tool. It's a tudor style door with long vertical panels and small v-groves. I've watched several videos online for the technique of using a wood graining tool and I think I have the skills to do a good job with a little practice.

Questions: What paint/stain should I use for this project. Are there any recommendations on what graining tools are best? Can you recommend a base coat paint--brand, sheen and color? Stain--brand, type and color? What kind of top coat would be best to protect my finished project?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

theresa2
Original Author
10 years ago
Ok, I've done some more research since posting this morning, I'm leaning towards using Old Master's exterior graining base in walnut followed by using special walnut gel stain, and 2 coats of Zar water based exterior top coat. Has anyone done this?
OKMoreh
10 years ago
I saw Debbie Travis do this once on her original TV series, painting a metal door to match its wood frame. She didn't use a graining tool, just four or five colors of paint and an ordinary brush, with a satin varnish at the end. From what I've seen elsewhere, this is feasible if you're imitating a fine-grained wood, not if you want the effect of, say, oak.

The key, she said, is to look closely at some wood you want to match, and identify all the separate colors in it, then apply the paint in those proportions. The colors that there is the least of would be applied with a nearly dry brush.
Related Professionals
Alexandria Painters · Grayslake Painters · La Quinta Painters · Lakewood Painters · Petaluma Painters · Redford Painters · Syracuse Painters · Forest Hills Cabinets & Cabinetry · Short Hills Cabinets & Cabinetry · Fort Walton Beach Flooring Contractors · Fort Pierce Flooring Contractors · Lakewood Flooring Contractors · Pepper Pike Flooring Contractors · Raytown Flooring Contractors · Sachse Flooring Contractors