The wait is over! It's finally time to make your new screen door look exactly how you want. With our help, you can count on your custom screen door looking new for years to come.
Before finishing your door, we recommend you install and fit (trimming as necessary), then immediately remove it before finishing. This way you won't need to do "touch-ups" later on if you needed to make adjustments for the door opening. Remember to finish your door within 15 days of receipt to prevent warpage/splitting. Any way you finish your door, remove any decorative panels to ensure even coverage, reinstalling them afterward. Without all areas of the decorative panels being covered, you may run a higher risk of the panel warping.
Painting
Our screen doors arrive ready to prime and paint. Or, we now offer the option of a factory prime that will save you time!
Painting your wood screen door requires at least one coat of a quality primer, followed by a color coat of either oil- or water-based exterior enamel paint. Only use a high-quality, exterior-specific enamel paint to finish your door. Interior paint types are not designed for outdoor applications and will not properly seal your door from moisture, resulting in damage that will void our warranty.
Note: Using dark colors (black, especially) has the potential to cause excessive deterioration of our solid wood screen doors and can accelerate warping or create cracking.
Be sure to paint all sides of the door, even the bottom, and give extra attention to tight areas that might be missed. Remove any decorative panels to ensure even coverage, reinstalling them afterward.
Staining
If you want to stain your door, you may wish to do a light sanding with 150 grit, followed by 220 grit sandpaper to remove any scratches. Surface scratches will often absorb more stain, resulting in an uneven color.
Staining your screen door only changes the color of the wood and does not seal your door from the elements. All stained/unpainted screen doors must be sealed with several coats of Spar varnish. This will fill all of the tiny pores in the wood to block out moisture. It also contains UV blockers that offer fade resistance and limit damage from exposure to sunlight. You can find Spar varnish at your local home improvement store. Remove any decorative panels to ensure even coverage of all surfaces, reinstalling them afterward.
Varnishing
Marine Spar Varnish is the only finish coat we recommend. All other finishes over raw wood or compatible stains will void our warranty. Spar varnish can be applied over raw wood or complimentary stains as recommended by the manufacturer. It takes between 5 and 6 light coats to get a good finish, using sandpaper or steel wool between coats. We recommend reapplying a coat of varnish every year to maintain a protective finish.
Be sure to varnish all sides of the door, even the bottom, and give extra attention to tight areas that might be missed. Remove any decorative panels to ensure even coverage, reinstalling them afterward.
| Note: Use a dry brush on the final coat of spar varnish to get a smooth finish, free of brush strokes. Be careful not to apply too much varnish on the final coat, which can cause the finish to run. |
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Maintenance
Because wood is a natural product, it is in your best interest to inspect your door every year. Adding touch-ups to worn areas or completely refinishing when necessary will extend the life of your Montana Screen Door and maintain the beautiful finish that you chose.