How to protect timber front door from the sun?

Ready2go

the front door on this unit gets direct and reflected sunlight all summer and the clear coat hasn't lasted 12 months. I don't know if the original was water based or oil based so I'm looking for some direction on how to tackle this before we hit summer again. Can I just paint some Cabots exterior satin over the top or do I need to strip the whole door back to bare timber? or is there something else I could use?

thanks team!

EricL

Hi @Ready2go 

Thanks for sharing your question about your front door restoration. I don't recommend painting over the old sealer on your door. If the old sealer fails or peels off, it will take the new seal with it. I suggest sanding down the door back to timber and recoating it with a fresh new sealer. If you've noticed that two coats are just not lasting long enough, I propose adding a third coat for extra toughness. 

Here is a handy step-by-step guide:  How to stain and varnish a timber door 

I also suggest having a look at these discussion - How to restain a front door? by @Bandit-DIYDad and Varnish advice for exterior doors and windows by @Schur.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric