I just painted my house in South Florida. The time you take to help all of us is greatly appreciated. About to stain my new doors - the ones in this video are incredible. Thanks for all of your help.
I am a avid DIYer and every time I have a question about finishing anything. I would look to the web. I would spend for ever watching and reading what I hope will be the answer to my questions. It never fails your video pops up and sure enough, it is exactly what I was asking about and more! I have finaly subscribed to your channel I don't know why it took so long! You are awesome, because of you I had the now how and confidence to paint my large two story craftsman house. Saving bookoo $$$!
Man, ur video was the only one on a fiberglass door that has wood grain in it and on how to stain it properly. Thank u very much cuz it was a big help w/ giving me the information I was looking for so I didn’t have to have it hired by a professional and saved me $$
Nice resultsI may I offered some tips. Put your stain on a sheet of cardboard and use it like a pallet to load your brush. Also a short stiff bristle brush moves the stain easier and more uniformly. I’ve literally have done a thousand door in my shop this way for a distributor in 4 states. I have it down pat.
Was the door primed before you applied the gel stain? I have a wood imitation fiberglass door that I tested a small area with the stain on, but I find I can completely wipe the stain off after letting it penetrate for 5 minutes.
We had our new fiberglass door Minwax gel stained by a painter who hadn't done fglas doors. The stain color is splotchy. Do we need to remove the stain, then prime the door? What to use? Also, I don't have a sprayer, can I successfully seal using a brush? Thx
Nice job, good finished product. Having done this method before, I know that it takes skill. There MUST be a better way to do it I'm thinking. Seems thinning the gel stain with some thinner is absolutely necessary to keep it from building up. Wondering if there's anindustrial product that will actually absorb into the fiberglass instead of sitting on top, as gel stain does.
Got any advice, We are about to do a door with the same stuff and is fiberglass too. I've practiced on some extra they gave us but any tips would help a ton. Is there anything I should avoid doing with gel stain? Thanks for your time if you see this. I know it's a old post from 4 yrs ago.
My door was done four years ago and is now quite weather beaten on the exterior. This process can followed for re-finishing as well, or do clear coats etc. need to be stripped off first?
Hi Chris, I have a brand new fiberglass door that I bought for my living room and had it stain. Now that we put the door up we don't like the color of it. Is there a way to restain it and if so how? We love your videos there very helpfull Thanks
Make sure the door is clean, dry, dull before you attempt to redo it. If there's an existing clear coat you need to sand that off. As far as changing the color, are you trying to go lighter or darker? Going darker is going to be significantly easier than going lighter...
Hi Chris, I have a “from the garage into the house” door that has a metal surface and also has a faux wood texture like the fiberglass doors in this video, but it’s painted white. Do you think the gel stain will work well in that case or should we first paint it with a natural wood color? Thanks in advance.
Great video Chris! Few questions...1) Others have said to wipe the excess stain off with a wiping rag, are you just using a clean brush to go back over to wipe it with? 2) You are using a water-base urethane over the oil gel stain, correct? 3) Can you also brush or roll the top coat on? 4) In the video did you only need to use one coat of urethane? Thanks!
Great video, Very detailed, I have been painting for 20+ years and have Gel Stained hundreds of fiberglass doors. Recently I have had a lot of interest in Gel staining Aluminum Garage doors. In my area Gel stain is getting hard to find (Sherwin recently threw out a bunch because it was too old) WOuld you still use Helmsman Spar Urethane still today or would you use another product as this video is nearly 10 years old. Also would this hold up on Aluminum?
Is it staying open long enough when you bring the long strips downso that youre not getting lap? I usually wipe the excess off as i go. But it can be tricky by leaving a heavy line at the edge. I also think using a natural bristle to remove excess works better
This is my second attempt at a refinish. The way you applied it with the brush, did you ever wipe it off with a rag or just use the brush? I have found so many people, manufactures, etc that give different instruction. Even Minwax tell you to brush it on then wipe it off after 3 minutes, but that doesn't appear to be what you have done here. Additionally, the first time i did this, i followed the door mfg direction and saw EVERY point where the brush stopped...HELP
Hi, I bought 7 composite doors. These doors have 6 panels but aren't solid wood. Would you please tell me if gel staining is possible with these type of doors? Please Help.
chris. i have stained alot but next week will be my first time using gel stain on a clients wood railing and steps. what are the differences between regular stain. i know it takes longer to dry. if you can please quickly explain. many thanks.
Hi. Just wondering if I have to strip a pre-gel stained fiberglass door before I re-gel stain it. I am not sure yet if the clients want the same color or a different one.
My painter recently gel stained the outside of our fiberglass doors and painted the inside. After seeing how the stain turned out on the outside, I wished we had stained the inside. Is it possible to stain over the white semi-gloss that we painted the doors on the inside?
Looks awesome!! The only thing I use differently on front doors is I like a marine varnish as a clear especially one that has the sun bearing down on it most of the day.
Beautiful doors!! We are just finishing sanding our front (wood) door and I will stain this weekend. I was planning on using gel stain like I did on our interior doors which turned out pretty. However you used gel stain only on your fiberglass door and not on the wood trim. Can you tell me why? Thank you.
I have a very cool old role top desk that needs help. The flat surfaces had water damage so I have sanded them to the bare wood. The doors and cubbies all are in good condition but could be recoated. I was thinking Gel stain because of the bare would and the other parts that still have a finish on them. I love the variation of the color tone on the door you glazed though. I am thinking I am going to have to gel stain with a light color all over and then glaze it and then spray it. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations of application and products? I realize you don't do furniture but it is all at the same concept.
Hello idaho painter.God bless.sr How many can i charge for to do gel stain a door?.i live in wichita falls texas.i need to do gel stain a door tomorrow but i dont know how many charge for this job.thanks.
I live in Eagle Idaho, i have a new house, it has a fiberglass front door, with a stain on the outside, and just painted white on the inside, i would love to stain it a wood color over the white, can i do that or do i sand it down a bit?
Chris, the entry fiberglass door at my house was previously painted white. How do I use gel stain process to make the door look like a wood door as shown in your video? Thanks, Z
Help! I have a client who wants her white garage door to be stained to a classic cherry/golden maple. Should I use a exterior base paint color? If so what color? If not, can I just use a gel stain that is a golden maple right on top of the white garage?
Can you tell me more about the product used on the door jambs? Is there a reason you went with something different or could I continue with the same gel stain?
I'm looking at doing the same for my front doors which are fiberglass. But how do you go about it if the doors already have a coat or two of latex paint on them? Does that all have to be sanded off first? Or can you apply a white base coat? The color on them now is a medium gray/green. Thanks!
Love your video. I've got a question. I have a gel stained Mahogany colored fiberglass door. I'd lime to change it to a Golden Oak. Do I need to cover it with a primer first before gel staining the Golden Oak or can I stain over the existing Mahogany color? Much thanks for your great video!
I'm using Old Master's gel stain, which looks a little thicker than what you are using. Is there any way to slightly thin a gel stain to make it more workable?
I'm doing a door much like the one in your video with the blinds inside the glass, it is a fiberglass door no raised grain, what tool would you use to give it that cherry grain look?
Hey Chris Great vid...my problem is I didnt watch it before gel staining my new door. I now have a door with lots of brush strokes and worse, areas that got too much stain and some I tried to fix with min. spirits and now have little/no stain...help!!
Great video, very detailed and informative, just one thing though. You mentioned a water based clear coat and helmsman. I was under the impression that helmsman spar urethane was oil based. Is there a water based alternative? Thanks!
Enjoyed the video. Our new house build is almost finished, and the builder will be finishing the exterior wood grained fiberglass doors. We will direct him to use the minwax gel stain and the water based clear coat. How many coats of spar are recommended? Should we expect the water based topcoat will need annual refinish if in the sun? Any specific instructions that we should provide the builder to be sure things are done correctly? (ie, not the cheap, fast methods)
Hi. thanks for the video. I will be staining one of this doors this week and it will be my first time, do you rag clean the gel stain as you go or you wait till you have covered it all?
Wish you had been in my neighborhood in Southwest Florida does not look like the result you have ...disappointed by a pro who was not a pro at staining...did not have ur finesse would like to make some corrections on my own if poss . thx
Great video!! so useful. I have a fiberglass door however when we got it they had primed the casing and trim. I have been told we can use the gel stain to make the door and trim match however the test patches on scrap pieces I have tried show the white primer through. Do you have any tips? We are using Minwax gel in Walnut.
Do I have to spray on the urethane clear coat? I'm attempting to try and stain my doors that are in-between my 3 season room and den, so I'm worried about spraying everywhere! I have hardwood floors on both sides of the door. This is my first project ever like this. I believe the steps are prime in a tan color, gel stain, wipe, clear coat. Here goes nothin!
Can you stain a door that does not have the wood grain? I have a cheyenne fiberglass door and was planning on staining them but it does not have a faux wood grain in it.
Your videos are very helpful. I have two questions though. First, I noticed the hardware was reinstalled before the urethane was applied. Would it be easier to install them afterwards? Second, does the door have to stay partially open (overnight) while drying so it wouldn't stick to the jam or weather stripping?
I just painted my house in South Florida. The time you take to help all of us is greatly appreciated. About to stain my new doors - the ones in this video are incredible. Thanks for all of your help.
I am a avid DIYer and every time I have a question about finishing anything. I would look to the web. I would spend for ever watching and reading what I hope will be the answer to my questions. It never fails your video pops up and sure enough, it is exactly what I was asking about and more! I have finaly subscribed to your channel I don't know why it took so long! You are awesome, because of you I had the now how and confidence to paint my large two story craftsman house. Saving bookoo $$$!
Man, ur video was the only one on a fiberglass door that has wood grain in it and on how to stain it properly. Thank u very much cuz it was a big help w/ giving me the information I was looking for so I didn’t have to have it hired by a professional and saved me $$
Your painter knows what he's doing looks good .And leading edge done 👍
I was checking your video as a part of my training as a Home Depot associate...Good job!!!!!!!!!!! you are an excellent painter Cris...
Thank you I'm a contractor in the PNW and have doors that will need staining new fiberglass great video thank you
Glad to help
Once again everything looks flawless. Great job 👍
Nice resultsI may I offered some tips.
Put your stain on a sheet of cardboard and use it like a pallet to load your brush. Also a short stiff bristle brush moves the stain easier and more uniformly. I’ve literally have done a thousand door in my shop this way for a distributor in 4 states. I have it down pat.
Can you tell me what type brand brush you use?
@@frankierodriguez4782 lol
Great job! This is the best video I've found after scouring youtube on staining fiberglass doors! I found your video very helpful.
I love how all the old videos had a double introduction. You've come a long way
What color gel stain by Minwax did you use here?
Great job my friend
Purdy white bristle works great for this. If anything it can almost be to soft. Great job as usual Chris
Agree. Or carona ox hair
That was an amazing finish great job!!! Do you have a video about prepping an older fiberglass door before the stain and poly process?
Was the door primed before you applied the gel stain? I have a wood imitation fiberglass door that I tested a small area with the stain on, but I find I can completely wipe the stain off after letting it penetrate for 5 minutes.
Thank you for the very informative video.
Any recommendations on clear coating if I do not have access to a sprayer?
Thanks!
BEAUTIFUL WORK.
Doors look awesome guys, I'm Johnny a painter from Ohio.
We had our new fiberglass door Minwax gel stained by a painter who hadn't done fglas doors. The stain color is splotchy. Do we need to remove the stain, then prime the door? What to use? Also, I don't have a sprayer, can I successfully seal using a brush? Thx
Nice job, good finished product. Having done this method before, I know that it takes skill. There MUST be a better way to do it I'm thinking. Seems thinning the gel stain with some thinner is absolutely necessary to keep it from building up. Wondering if there's anindustrial product that will actually absorb into the fiberglass instead of sitting on top, as gel stain does.
Got any advice, We are about to do a door with the same stuff and is fiberglass too. I've practiced on some extra they gave us but any tips would help a ton. Is there anything I should avoid doing with gel stain? Thanks for your time if you see this. I know it's a old post from 4 yrs ago.
@@ephenj basecoat the door close to your desired background color . use old master wiping stains . this door looks even but one dimensional.
My door was done four years ago and is now quite weather beaten on the exterior. This process can followed for re-finishing as well, or do clear coats etc. need to be stripped off first?
Looking AMAZING, btw I'm a sick obsessed perfectionist when it comes to whether wood looks like real wood or not. Has to be Perfect ,👌 nice job
I totally agree!
🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣 chris the funniest start to a video by far.. look like you was holding your breath 😂😂🤣🤣
Hi Chris, I have a brand new fiberglass door that I bought for my living room and had it stain. Now that we put the door up we don't like the color of it. Is there a way to restain it and if so how? We love your videos there very helpfull Thanks
Make sure the door is clean, dry, dull before you attempt to redo it. If there's an existing clear coat you need to sand that off.
As far as changing the color, are you trying to go lighter or darker? Going darker is going to be significantly easier than going lighter...
Great job on the doors
Hi Chris, I have a “from the garage into the house” door that has a metal surface and also has a faux wood texture like the fiberglass doors in this video, but it’s painted white. Do you think the gel stain will work well in that case or should we first paint it with a natural wood color? Thanks in advance.
I also have the same question
The doors look beautiful
Great video Chris! Few questions...1) Others have said to wipe the excess stain off with a wiping rag, are you just using a clean brush to go back over to wipe it with? 2) You are using a water-base urethane over the oil gel stain, correct? 3) Can you also brush or roll the top coat on? 4) In the video did you only need to use one coat of urethane? Thanks!
Yes you should wipe excess off
Wow great work
those turned out beautiful! thanks for the video!
Thanks for watching Jonathan!
Why a different stain for the door jams and how did you get them to match. Nice job BTW
Great video, Very detailed, I have been painting for 20+ years and have Gel Stained hundreds of fiberglass doors. Recently I have had a lot of interest in Gel staining Aluminum Garage doors. In my area Gel stain is getting hard to find (Sherwin recently threw out a bunch because it was too old) WOuld you still use Helmsman Spar Urethane still today or would you use another product as this video is nearly 10 years old. Also would this hold up on Aluminum?
Is this over paint ? I have a previously gel stained door that needs re-staining. Do I just clean and re-stain?
Is it staying open long enough when you bring the long strips downso that youre not getting lap? I usually wipe the excess off as i go. But it can be tricky by leaving a heavy line at the edge. I also think using a natural bristle to remove excess works better
This is my second attempt at a refinish. The way you applied it with the brush, did you ever wipe it off with a rag or just use the brush? I have found so many people, manufactures, etc that give different instruction. Even Minwax tell you to brush it on then wipe it off after 3 minutes, but that doesn't appear to be what you have done here. Additionally, the first time i did this, i followed the door mfg direction and saw EVERY point where the brush stopped...HELP
Great video! What color of Mineax Gel stain did you use?
Hi,
I bought 7 composite doors. These doors have 6 panels but aren't solid wood. Would you please tell me if gel staining is possible with these type of doors? Please Help.
Amazing job! I love the doors. Btw, good job from the Mexican guy that did it 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👍🏽
How do you know he is not brazilian? Why does it matter that hes mexican? Or not.
Great video. My doors are in the middle of my kitchen. Can the urethane be brushed on instead of sprayed?
Did you ever brush them?
can I do this with General Finishes Java Gel?
I try too use drop cloths anywhere I’ll be walking or ever setting my tools down…. In my experience customers always greatly appreciate it!!!
What about the people don’t that don’t have a sprayer can we safely apply the clearcoat with a brush?
Hi there! What do you use as base? Can I do it in top of a white door?
chris. i have stained alot but next week will be my first time using gel stain on a clients wood railing and steps. what are the differences between regular stain. i know it takes longer to dry. if you can please quickly explain. many thanks.
Hi. Just wondering if I have to strip a pre-gel stained fiberglass door before I re-gel stain it. I am not sure yet if the clients want the same color or a different one.
My painter recently gel stained the outside of our fiberglass doors and painted the inside. After seeing how the stain turned out on the outside, I wished we had stained the inside. Is it possible to stain over the white semi-gloss that we painted the doors on the inside?
Looks awesome!! The only thing I use differently on front doors is I like a marine varnish as a clear especially one that has the sun bearing down on it most of the day.
Most exterior poly have adequate uv protection now. Even the newer latex products. But if it was my door id go marine too
Beautiful doors!! We are just finishing sanding our front (wood) door and I will stain this weekend. I was planning on using gel stain like I did on our interior doors which turned out pretty. However you used gel stain only on your fiberglass door and not on the wood trim. Can you tell me why? Thank you.
I have a very cool old role top desk that needs help. The flat surfaces had water damage so I have sanded them to the bare wood. The doors and cubbies all are in good condition but could be recoated. I was thinking Gel stain because of the bare would and the other parts that still have a finish on them. I love the variation of the color tone on the door you glazed though. I am thinking I am going to have to gel stain with a light color all over and then glaze it and then spray it. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations of application and products? I realize you don't do furniture but it is all at the same concept.
Hello idaho painter.God bless.sr How many can i charge for to do gel stain a door?.i live in wichita falls texas.i need to do gel stain a door tomorrow but i dont know how many charge for this job.thanks.
I live in Eagle Idaho, i have a new house, it has a fiberglass front door, with a stain on the outside, and just painted white on the inside, i would love to stain it a wood color over the white, can i do that or do i sand it down a bit?
Great Video! Thank you for all the information! Huge help for my DIY project.
Chris, the entry fiberglass door at my house was previously painted white. How do I use gel stain process to make the door look like a wood door as shown in your video? Thanks, Z
Can you stain over an existing stained door using a different color stain?
I wonder if this product would work on plywood that won’t take stain evenly? It looks more like paint than stain.
Do you still recommend the Helmsman spar urethane for metal doors in high humidity (Florida)?
Do u have to clear coat over the gelstain or is that preference?
Help! I have a client who wants her white garage door to be stained to a classic cherry/golden maple. Should I use a exterior base paint color? If so what color? If not, can I just use a gel stain that is a golden maple right on top of the white garage?
Jump from ready to clear coat to finished??
Nice work how much per door.
What if the door has already been stained and now it’s discoloring and wearing off and client wants me to redo it how would one go about doing that?
Can you tell me more about the product used on the door jambs? Is there a reason you went with something different or could I continue with the same gel stain?
..
Robert Senneff bf
HI,
Wondering why you sprayed the top coat vs. brush? do you get a better look or just preference.
Thanks
I'm looking at doing the same for my front doors which are fiberglass. But how do you go about it if the doors already have a coat or two of latex paint on them? Does that all have to be sanded off first? Or can you apply a white base coat? The color on them now is a medium gray/green. Thanks!
Is it OK to use the water based clear over the oil based gel? I'm actually doing one tomorrow.
Love your video. I've got a question. I have a gel stained Mahogany colored fiberglass door. I'd lime to change it to a Golden Oak. Do I need to cover it with a primer first before gel staining the Golden Oak or can I stain over the existing Mahogany color?
Much thanks for your great video!
Nice video question how do I stain brick molding and door trim if its been painted.
I'm using Old Master's gel stain, which looks a little thicker than what you are using. Is there any way to slightly thin a gel stain to make it more workable?
Is there a way to get the wood grain if the fiberglass doors is smooth? Also what should i expect to pay for a job like this ?
can i use this gel stain to change the color my kitchen wood cabinets?
I'm doing a door much like the one in your video with the blinds inside the glass, it is a fiberglass door no raised grain, what tool would you use to give it that cherry grain look?
How ya get grain loom with fiberglass
Hey Chris
Great vid...my problem is I didnt watch it before gel staining my new door. I now have a door with lots of brush strokes and worse, areas that got too much stain and some I tried to fix with min. spirits and now have little/no stain...help!!
Did you prime it first?
Chris, did you put a white primer on the door? My door is like a mahogany dark red and we want to change it to minwax dark roast.
Does Gel Stain work for touch up on a fiber glass door the has a few bad spots in the mullens?
What brush are you using? I thought I heard "glide "
Premier Brooke
Great video, very detailed and informative, just one thing though. You mentioned a water based clear coat and helmsman. I was under the impression that helmsman spar urethane was oil based. Is there a water based alternative? Thanks!
go to sherwin williams. water based helmsman spar urethane in satin. ask for that. you can also get gloss.
Did you primed the door before put in the gel stain?
Enjoyed the video. Our new house build is almost finished, and the builder will be finishing the exterior wood grained fiberglass doors. We will direct him to use the minwax gel stain and the water based clear coat.
How many coats of spar are recommended?
Should we expect the water based topcoat will need annual refinish if in the sun?
Any specific instructions that we should provide the builder to be sure things are done correctly? (ie, not the cheap, fast methods)
+The Idaho Painter Thanks
Hi. thanks for the video. I will be staining one of this doors this week and it will be my first time, do you rag clean the gel stain as you go or you wait till you have covered it all?
Cover it all then rag it off.
@@Idahopainter hey buddy, do you have an idea how much it cost to stain both sides?
I think my door is metal clad not fiberglass. Would it work the same way?
What if the door is weather with the sun
Hello - so you do not wipe off the stain? Just paint it on evenly and let dry?
Looks great
Correct
Wish you had been in my neighborhood in Southwest Florida does not look like the result you have ...disappointed by a pro who was not a pro at staining...did not have ur finesse
would like to make some corrections on my own if poss . thx
Ok! Thanks
So, you primed then your based coat was a latex acrylic base before your gel stain?
Me today: I have a paint related thing I need to do. Chris@PLTV: I already did a video on that 10 years ago. Thanks dude you 🪨!
glad to help
If the door is painted do you have to remove the paint first?
Great video!! so useful. I have a fiberglass door however when we got it they had primed the casing and trim. I have been told we can use the gel stain to make the door and trim match however the test patches on scrap pieces I have tried show the white primer through. Do you have any tips? We are using Minwax gel in Walnut.
Do I have to spray on the urethane clear coat? I'm attempting to try and stain my doors that are in-between my 3 season room and den, so I'm worried about spraying everywhere! I have hardwood floors on both sides of the door. This is my first project ever like this. I believe the steps are prime in a tan color, gel stain, wipe, clear coat. Here goes nothin!
What do you do to prep the door?
How much you charge for the door?
That is beautiful!!
Can this technique be done on an interior primed embossed hollow core door?
Can you stain a door that does not have the wood grain? I have a cheyenne fiberglass door and was planning on staining them but it does not have a faux wood grain in it.
If I mess up is there any way to remove the stain?
Hi Chris, thank you for all the great videos. Actually I want to ask you one thing, what if you use this gel staining for the wall what would happen?
Your videos are very helpful. I have two questions though. First, I noticed the hardware was reinstalled before the urethane was applied. Would it be easier to install them afterwards? Second, does the door have to stay partially open (overnight) while drying so it wouldn't stick to the jam or weather stripping?
It was my first time using gel stain there's couple spots that the stain couldn't get it's lighter how do I fix that
Just started doing side jobs on my own how much can i charge for this kind of work? Is 300 to much?
Too cheap on my book. But I'm from cali. Everything is expensive here mate.
If charge way more then that the one I’m doing I’m charging 875
Those Doors look great. I am a Contractor as well exactly how much did you charge per door for something like that?