Clear oil finishes come in two basic flavors.
Best finish for front door.
The best clear finish for an exterior door is 3 coats of clear epoxy followed with 2 3 coats of spar varnish.
Most door companies apply a paint or poly finish before delivery or you can save a few bucks by ordering the door unfinished and coating it yourself.
While you can choose any finish glossy paints are typically preferred for doors and trim because they stand out and highlight these architectural features.
For use on an exterior door waterborne finishes are getting better but oil finishes still rule.
Either penetrating or film forming and each has its pros and cons.
Penetrating oils are beautiful and easy to maintain but they aren t as durable as film forming coatings.
Just be sure to seal all edges so that the wood doesn t wick up moisture.
Exterior paints are sold in flat matte eggshell satin semi gloss and gloss sheens in order of the lowest to the highest.
When it comes to painting your front door there are a million colors to choose from but only one real option for the finish.
Previous varnish only finishes only lasted 2 3 years.
It s got to be semigloss.
The combination has worked amazingly well for me on a west facing exterior oak door that looks as good today as it did after refinishing 7 8 years ago.
No other clear finish matches its durability and moisture resistance.
The same goes for exterior trim.