The best thing to do of course is to apply the topcoat before the sun wears it off and begins to eat at the stain layer. If you have direct sun shining on the door, apply two coats of clear finish every year and you should never have to stain the door again.

With the Sikkens product it is easier and more durable than stain and varnish, by far. I would never recommend using varnish on exterior finishes again based on my first-hand experience. With varnish, I was having to reapply it every six months and even then it failed miserably with chalking and flaking. Sikkens Cetol window and door stain requires no top coat of varnish. It kicks butt against gel stain and varnish.

Please help! I need the step by step instructions for finishing a new Fiberglas door with Sikkens. Does anyone know where to get this information. It says it works on fiberglass, but the instructions only deal with wood and to contact Sikkens for fiberglass info. There was no contact phone or email. Thanks!

The Sikkens Door and Window Stain is basically an alkyd based varnish with pigment floating around in the varnish. At least two coats are required. It is not a true stain in that no penetration of the surface occurs. The pigment is merely sitting on the surface. As the pigment is in the varnish, each additional coat will make the color darker, and will also tend to even out its appearance. In concept, it is like Minwax's "PolyShades" urethane varnish.

The problem with gelled brushing stains is that a lot of pigment remains unwiped on the surface. This interfers with the adhesion and drying of the top coat of varnish.

anno: Clean the fiberglass door with TSP (trisodium phosphate) and then rinse with water. Do this even if the door is brand new. Let the door dry thoroughly. Then apply the Sikkens Door and Window stain using a high quality natural bristle brush (3" would do well, Purdy or Wooster brand for example ), one coat. Wait 24 hours and apply a second coat. Wait 24 hours more and apply a third coat. You're done. In three to five years, apply one coat which refreshes the finish. Repeat every three to five years (one coat only). Good luck to you!

I got this advice directly from Sikkens. They emphasized following the directions closely, using three coats, not two, not four. David is absolutely correct about it getting darker with each coat and too, it will depend on how thickly you apply. I try to go for an even finish each coat and am less concerned about laying it on thick for color. Applying too thick can lead to drips and that isn't good.

If all else fails, follow the directions! :-) Sikkens actually gives very good instructions. I follow them for even other manufacturer's products, especially for decking stains. If users would follow their instructions to the T, most problems would never occur.

sorry to dig this up, so this sikken stuff is a type of stain or type of topcoat? Oil based?

It is more like a stain than topcoat. Not sure but I think its oil based. I stripped my door and followed the instructions and after a harsh winter I am thrilled with the results! No peeling or fading so far. Good luck!

jcfugle, is your door wood or fiberglass?

Sikkens Door and Window comes in 4 colors and clear satin and clear gloss. If you have already stained up the door, then you just want the clear.

All - back to the procedure (my situation is fiberglass door new, want to use stain). We called Sikkens this AM. For the CETOL Sikkens said do the TSP clean, prime the door with alkyd or acrylic primer, then two coats. We were set to do the TSP and three coats of stain (or clear) before we called SIkkens this AM. Any thoughts?

I am surprised Sikkens recommends a primer.

I did not use primer and I am also shocked Sikkens said that. Don't do that.

Thanks for the responses. We appreciate the help. We will not use a primer.

Anne H, how did your door turn out? I have a door that I did in Miniwax Gel about 6 years ago and it looks really bad. I am trying to get it down to the fiberglass with a powerwasher (most of it just flaked off other parts are really stuck on) and try the Sikkens on it. I do not ever want to have to go through this process with the gel stain again.

ptrinettem, you'll probably have to use a chemical stripper to remove the gel stain completely to get the best results.

Very grateful for the posts sharing your experiences with retaining a fiberglass door. I am overwhelmed by having to redo our front door and sidelights; which is flaking less than two years after I stained it with Old Masters Gel stain and two top coats of Spar varnish .Allowed to dry between applications of both stain and over a week before I applied Spar. Gel stain is not totally coming off door ;can I restain with Old Masters and use the Sikkens as a top coat? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Yes, the Sikkens is compatible with the Spar. If you have a door location that gets a lot of direct sun, you should apply a coat of clear every year. What happens is the sun wears the finish off and then once it has access to the stain layer, that's when peeling and flaking start to happen. If you keep that topcoat there for protection, you should never need to stain the door again.

dweinbergfl,

I understand exactly what you experienced because it happened to my fiberglass door, too, when I followed Pella's recommendation of gel stain topped with spar varnish. It fails miserably no matter how diligent you are. In your situation, I think you need to use a chemical stripper to remove the remaining gel stain before you go any further. It can be done. I disagree about putting Sikkens over top of the gel stain. It might work but it might look terrible with variations in the underlying stain showing through. I encourage you to bite the bullet, go get some good chemical stripper from a paint store, and make another run at removing the old finish.

This is all very helpful. We have a new fiberglass door and sidelight. I bout min-wax, but looks like Sikkens is the way to go. Our door is already hung...any tips, tricks, do’s, dont’s? Totally new to this and want to avoid any issues as possible. I worry about it not drying fast enough to be able to close it without messing up the finish. Tips on that would be great. Thanks in advance!

Sikkens dries fairly quickly but I removed the weatherstripping before staining the door. That allowed me to close and lock the door without the door surface touching the frame. You'll want to do that. Otherwise you risk marring the finish. Leave the weatherstripping off until the staining is complete, all three coats, and is fully cured. About 3 or 4 days after the final coat, depending on heat and humidity.

One other point. Apply the stain in the shade so you keep a wet edge. In my case, that meant opening the door so I was basically staining it indoors. Pick a day of moderate heat, low humidity, if that's necessary to keep your door shaded.

PS: take the minwax gel stain to a Goodwill store or Habitat for humanity reuse store. Don't use it on your door.

So after putting off this project for two years I finally striped the door and side lights of all of the old gel stain. I really want to do the Sikkens but want to ask GEOFF if he is still happy with his door after all these years. Keep thinking painting the fiberglass wood grain door will be easier but will not look as sharp as keeping the wood look. Also, if you are still happy with the Sikkens do you think a quart will be enough for the 3 coats? And what is the shelf life of the Sikkens? Will I need to buy a new quart every 3 years for when I want to do the touch up coat?

Yes, after all this time I remain thrilled with my door. It looks great. One quart is definitely enough and the leftover stain lasts for years. I used it three years later to apply the renewal coat. Congratulations on getting the old gel stain off! That surely was a project.

Thank you so much for getting back to me in such a timely manner. It took a two days to get it off and I hope to never have to do that project again. Will be ordering the Sikkens on Amazon. Thank you again!!!

Did you apply with a brush or wipe on with a cloth?

Brushed it on with a good natural bristle brush.

Thank you. I stripped it late in the season and did not have time to stain it. Will be working on this soon now that I am struck at home with the quarantine.

Oh, wow, I felt bad about not seeing your question until today! Glad my poor timing didn't cause a problem. I've got to renew mine soon with a fresh coat. Good time of year to do it.

I have reading all the comments - we purchased 2 fiberglass thermatru doors that we are finished in a wood look texture and stain. Consider the Classic Craftsman line. We got a great deal on these because they were ordered for someone else and they did the wrong color. What are my options to either stain again or do I paint ? Thx

Are these already factory stained? I would leave them if they are. I had to strip my door of the old gel stain and that was a major pain in the rear. I would like that trying to strip the factory finish would be almost impossible or at least a nightmare. If you do not like the color and can not live with it I guess painting would be your best option as you could probably go over the factory stain fairly easy.

Thanks yes factory stained , my words got corrected in post - ugh . Thanks waiting to the very end of project to see . Hoping that once the stone and other exterior details are completed it will be fine just as they are .

I would ask Thermatrue what they used to stain it. Specifically, I would want to know if it was gel stain with polyurethane varnish top coat. I bet it is. That may mean that you'll need to keep a close eye on the finish as the months turn into a year or two because varnish is prone to getting somewhat chalky or worse, chipping, especially if it isn't under a roof. You'll want to preserve it with a fresh coat or two of varnish when that starts showing.

Alternatively, they may tell you they used some other products, like that Sikkens door and window stain which requires a completely different renewal procedure every few years.

Thanks that is what I am trying to get my supplier to find out ! Thanks

one year ago I used old masters gel stain and three coats of Zar ultra exterior polyurethane on our 3 south facing fiberglass garage doors that had been painted by the builder. (One year before) They looked great till about one month ago and I am noticing a dull fading in some areas. I touched up one area with the Zars to see if it needed another coat. But it didn't do a thing. In looking at it closely I think being its the wood grain texture that it's the top part of the texture where the thinnest of gel stain must of been. I so don't want to think that I need to strip these doors, but I do want them to look like wood to match the cider beams. What's a gal to do? I was thinking of another layer of gel stain and more poly. One more thing I noticed. I used satin finish and as the year went on it appeared to look like gloss finish much shinier then when it was first done. Then suddenly I noticed the dulling, which seems to get worse each day. looking for suggestions to get that great looking look! Thanks

I

The Sikkens/PPG ProLuxe i got is transparent, and i have a textired fiberglass door did i order the wrong thing? im two coats in and it still looks so pale

Are you sure it's not labeled translucent? That's what I used. Yes, it goes on lightly and the third coat darkens it up.

This is after the second coat. i just want to make sure im not screwing up!

This is the product. i know Sikkens was purchased by PPG.

Looking good to me! You are using a different color and transparency than I used which is less opaque, I guess, than the translucent that I used. The oak color is going to be less dark, too, than the mahogany color that I used. Beautiful door glass, too!

All i coild find was this transparent! its a bit splotchy; i did a fourth coat to darken (i know, i kmow) bit im still jusy not convinced. im just going to go wih it for now and see what i think in a few weeks. thanks!

I just bought a new can to rejuvenate my door and they apparently don't make the translucent version anymore because my paint store said he only has the clear version now. At any rate, it worked just as well as the translucent.

@geoff is the mahogony really red? i am looking for a cherrywood color and dont know which one to pick. thanks so much

It is not really red. Here’s a photo of mine.

That's exactly what I'm wanting! thank you so much for the pic that helps a lot!

Chiming in here, as we're in the thick of a remodel and I am feeling desperate for help with 3 fiberglass doors we have inside our home that lead to outside. We're replacing all other interior doors with white shaker doors, however these 3 have me stumped. They are wood grain, stained doors, 1 is our front door with 2 side panels with windows, 1 is a French patio door, and the final has a window panel middle. Is it possible to just gel stain them? Do I have to strip them bare? If I don't stain, is there a painting process? We have just finished the awful sanding and stripping process of our entire staircase and it was a miserably filthy dusty ordeal. I am so dreading any additional stripping, but I also know we want to do things correct the first time. Help please!

OK since this thread has helped me decide to use the Cetol Window and Door Stain, I wanted ya'lls input. This is our new door and it is a Thermatrue Fiberglass door with texture. My problem is the above window. I wanted to stain the door Dark Oak--the only color I see without a red tint. Should I just paint the window and the white primed strips a brown color close to match the door? I like the look of a cohesive all the same color door and side lites.

First two pics are ideas I like.

Last pic is our new door. The whole house is painted Shoji White just FYI. The door and side lites that got removed were obviously a red.

@Shannon It's a beautiful door. If it were me, I'd paint the trim around the transom and the door with white paint or whatever color other trim is on your house although the trim on door #1 & 2 is really sharp, too. Wash the door with TSP and rinse thoroughly, let dry completely, and check outdoor temps before you start (I think you need moderately warm weather, check the can for that info).

@Heidi Agee York, wish I had seen your post sooner. I definitely don't recommend gel stain based on my experience with it. The varnish chips every year and has to be reapplied and you get to a point where it chips all the way to the fiberglass, making it impossible to correct.

Yes, go to a paint store and get advice about stripping the doors down to the fiberglass.

Absolutely don't sand it or you'll lose wood grain and you'll never be happy with results. There are stripping products that work; you may have to apply it, cover with plastic sheeting, and let it work 24 hours. Might have to rinse and repeat. I don't envy you but my neighbor did this and it turned out great. Hope this helps.