Due to the high volume of building in 2021/2022, and our Contractor's multiple commitments, it was taking too long to get a front door. After much back-and-forth about the door we did and did not want, our Contractor tried to help us by going through his door supplier. We ordered the same-day stain ourselves. The painter came to apply it, but didn't allow enough time for the finish to dry. He ended up stripping the entire door...which mars the faux wood grain...and leaving it at our house while he worked on other jobs. We decided to take over. The key to this whole process is putting the finish on in layers; thin and careful. I put too much top coat on the second side, and messed up a good thing. Hopefully there is a solution for that which doesn't involve starting over! Follow the video directions for when to use the foam vs bristle brush. Put the stain on with a cloth as indicated. Wipe up excess topcoat as instructed. This helps with a good faux finish. Watch the video before starting, and before every step of the process. Even the 2nd time of the same process. You always hear another detail that you missed the first time! Put the stain on lightly, and allow it to dry in a warm place. It is not "same-day". We dried 1 day at a time before going to the next layer of stain...if certain it was truly dry. Have a warm/hot area for the door to dry. Use their tape test to make sure the stain is ready for another coat. 2 thin coats with a third touch up was the average. Wipe excess off the brush with a cloth, but avoid too much mineral spirits on the cloth...it lifts the finish of your previous staining, and hard work. Allow time to do a careful, meticulous job. Thin layering is key to creating a wood finish. Would I get this door again? If "yes", I'd have it come with the factory stain. Forget the DIY. The door does look more "life-like" with the stain done properly. But the real answer is '"no". I wanted a wooden door all along, but couldn't source one. I could have bought the same style wooden door for $1,000.00 less at Home Depot and it was pre-stained. Also, I would have rather spent the extra $1000.00 on a solid wooden door. COVID and supply chain issues caused us to have to go through a year long headache that culminated in the availability of the door we had wanted in the first place. By that time, the door jam was installed and the other door purchased...with no returns allowed by the Contractor's supplier.
Thank you for reaching out Heidi. We value your feedback, should you have additional questions on finishing your door. Contact our Customer Care team at (800) 843-7628.
word to those that want to do this. Do as they say and do certain sections, and have PLENTY of spare old t-shirts handy in strips. Like 20 of them. Very lightly glide the old t-shirt over the stain to smooth and wipe it in. Sadly, I had to recoat as the door I was more aggressive with the wiping that the side lights. So when it came time to do the door, I thought I nailed it but this stuff will wipe of almost completely down to the bare fiberglass if you push to hard. So be gentle. Even if you use three fingers behind a wad of t-shirt you'll see three streaks that will need to be smoothed down or restained. I had an area whereas I had finger marks, but didnt notice until after I did the top coat. I wiped off the top coat and reapplied stain - six hours later the stain still isnt dry. This isnt stain fyi, I dont know what it is but it's NOT stain. DO NOT rub it like you would stain, VERY GENTLE and smooth motions.
Should've mentioned that the paint brush sheds like a Maine Coon in spring. For a $150 set, I'd expect a better quality brush. Haven't gotten to the top coat part, so will see how that will go. P.S. The top coat brush is fine, but the paint takes a lot longer to dry than 6 hours. I don't know, maybe if you paint it at 90+ F degree heat, maybe it will dry faster, but at around 65-70 F, it has been over 8 hours, and the paint is still wet (and, no, I did not use a lot of paint).
For small scratches, new stain can be applied easily to touch up the areas. However, for larger areas, newly applied stain may not adhere properly to the existing finish or blend seamlessly. For larger areas, we recommend stripping the door to the bare fiberglass and re-staining the door.
The next door I buy will not be a Thematru door again. I have water getting to the hinge side and it rotted the inner wood core all the way up to the hinge. How can a door with weatherseal all the way around allow water to eat away the wood inner core? Not happy with my door. Why make a fiberglass door and still fill it with a wood product that rots???
Our Customer Care team would be happy to help you with this. Please either reach out to 1-800-ThermaTru or visit www.thermatru.com/project-center/contact-us/.
First coat is on and drying... Cedar is the color. It went on thickly and the color is more solid than woodgrain. Disappointed in how difficult it is to create realistic looking wood color variation. We'll see how it goes.
if you want your door to look this good, buy it already done or buy from another company. there are several problems with the process shown here. remember this video is edited. -1 you cant get behind the hinge all the way without taking it off. otherwise there is a noticeable unfinished spot -2 if you have exterior bar grills(come installed from distributor) the stain will get behind it since there is a small gap between the glass and the back of the bar grill and you see it whenever you look through the glass. this happens even if you tape it off. after watching this video several times and following the instructions in the box. i cleaned my brand new door as recommended, stained it in correct conditions, and it took several days to dry and still had small bubbles in it. now i have to strip a brand new door and buy new bar grills since the originals once have stain all over the back of them. thermatru should not have there doors delivered fully assembled if they are not fully finished. im very unhappy with this product and now i have to spend more money to fix an expensive new door. thermatru door, thermatru stain, thermatru process= disaster.
wow, terrible situation. I wouldn't stain by hand for grills that don't remove b/c too much could go wrong. Also, I wouldn't stain if the door couldn't be removed off hinge. Not sure if those options were available to you (we aren't doing ball bearing hinge or grills).
Hi, +derekjlight . Therma-Tru recommends stripping the existing stain with a paint stripper prior to refinishing. You can find details on how to strip your door on page 3 of our Same-Day Stain instructions which can be downloaded here: www.thermatru.com/pdfs/StainInstructions.pdf
What if I bye it white from lowes to save on the factory $300 special order charge! Since its white from factory, what extra caution should I take if I want it Mahogany??
The darker the stain, the more coats you will need! I did English Walnut - took four coats! Be patient, it takes a while but the end result looks great!
Hi, Liz. Same-Day Stain and Topcoat is specially formulated for Therma-Tru fiberglass doors and Fypon stainable polyurethane. Because of this, we do not recommend using Same-Day Stain and Topcoat on other surfaces and materials. If you have any other questions, our Customer Care team is here to help at 1-800-THERMA-TRU (843-7628).
Hey man quick question! I watch your channel and fan of yours on TH-cam. So got a new door and want to gel stain it but need to cover screw holes up. What kind of sparkle I use and do I prime it with what after? Thanks man!!👍😊
Hi Michael, You can use any stainable hardening wood putty to fill the holes. Your local hardware store or lumber yard should be able to help you chose something! Hope that helps!
Therma-Tru charges a little over $300.00 to stain a fiberglass door ... really? One would think a company can stain a fiberglass door for way less then that. So I just refinished my old door and wood grained it.
I had the same sticker shock. When I asked about this, the reply was that factory stain is "baked" on and so lasts longer. ... hmmm, the skeptic in me wasn't aware any stains required stuffing the wood/fiber into an oven. :) And this their official video and says that this staining should happen at max 90F. So no oven baking is done.
Hi J L, this definitely can be used on a door that needs a face lift! If you would like to speak with one of our Customer Care reps, they can walk you through the process and recommend how to prep your door. 1-800-ThermaTru
Pay for the pre finished. 1000% worth it and you will have a nicer door in the end. I went cheap arse diy, if you can afford a therma tru then pay them to prestain.
We are sorry to hear you are having trouble with the instructions. Our Customer Care team would be happy to talk with you about the issues you are having. Please give us a call at 1-800-ThermaTru.
What a joke.... wished I just bought a pre finished door. 1 day my ass, to get this door mahogany took 3 coats of stain. With at least 6 hours dry time between each. 👎
I painted house for 10 years….what a pain. The grille fiberglass came as a different shade than the fiberglass glass frame from the factory, so the finish came out different. Taped off everything but the glass frame to try and darken it to match the other material. Pine wood was used on side glass interior trim????? Don’t stain it like the fiberglass or it will darken much more than the fiberglass leaving it almost impossible to lighten. Not to mention the door frame comes primed white, needs painted not stained. Got it to look good but no where as simple aa the video. If you silicone or caulk around grills/glass be sure not to get any on where you want to stain as it will not allow the fiberglass to absorb the stain. Pay the $900 for factory stain.
I work for a company we build you're doors. I am a stainer. I am about 5 months into this job. I am pretty desperate to figure out how to actually stain you're doors. This video did not make any sense and you hardly showed the man stain the door. Most shots you showed he was already done. The only thing I found that made sense to us staining you're doors was when you said to never use the 3 inch brush to remove the extra stain for it will dry out fast.... 😂😂😂😂. That's our freaking problem 😂😂😂😂😂 wtf. But we also have big heaters the doors go through surrounding our staining area closing us in this hot area. Our main problems are with shale being #1 then Lynx then bark as you can tell it's all with stain B. We use a wet 3 inch brush to apply and a dry 3inch brush to clean off. Doing a 2-sided frame with a 3 inch brush is a nightmare. Try doing it as a shale 😂😂😂😂 for real though we need yall or something because our staining keeps getting rejected by our quality control and it's nonsense because they themselves don't know how to stain and they are telling is it needs to be better.
@@thermatru I will be calling. Understand I am a new employee who finds a burning yurning sensation to learn truth in staining a door. I am not out to expose my employer or show how dumb they are. I want truth only. If I can learn truth in staining I can learn how to help my employer grow bigger to be the best staining company. Just Understand that before I call.
good lord it's 4 minutes in and this guy is just yammering through the liability checklist, they should just keep panning around this guy reading the pamphlet for 20 minutes
Dan, We are sorry to hear you are unhappy with our Same-Day Stain and would like to speak with you to better understand your issues. Please reach out to us at 1-800-843-7628 (1-800-THERMATRU). Thank you.
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Do you have instructions for refinishing an already stained door?
Due to the high volume of building in 2021/2022, and our Contractor's multiple commitments, it was taking too long to get a front door. After much back-and-forth about the door we did and did not want, our Contractor tried to help us by going through his door supplier. We ordered the same-day stain ourselves. The painter came to apply it, but didn't allow enough time for the finish to dry. He ended up stripping the entire door...which mars the faux wood grain...and leaving it at our house while he worked on other jobs. We decided to take over. The key to this whole process is putting the finish on in layers; thin and careful. I put too much top coat on the second side, and messed up a good thing. Hopefully there is a solution for that which doesn't involve starting over! Follow the video directions for when to use the foam vs bristle brush. Put the stain on with a cloth as indicated. Wipe up excess topcoat as instructed. This helps with a good faux finish. Watch the video before starting, and before every step of the process. Even the 2nd time of the same process. You always hear another detail that you missed the first time! Put the stain on lightly, and allow it to dry in a warm place. It is not "same-day". We dried 1 day at a time before going to the next layer of stain...if certain it was truly dry. Have a warm/hot area for the door to dry. Use their tape test to make sure the stain is ready for another coat. 2 thin coats with a third touch up was the average. Wipe excess off the brush with a cloth, but avoid too much mineral spirits on the cloth...it lifts the finish of your previous staining, and hard work. Allow time to do a careful, meticulous job. Thin layering is key to creating a wood finish. Would I get this door again? If "yes", I'd have it come with the factory stain. Forget the DIY. The door does look more "life-like" with the stain done properly. But the real answer is '"no". I wanted a wooden door all along, but couldn't source one. I could have bought the same style wooden door for $1,000.00 less at Home Depot and it was pre-stained. Also, I would have rather spent the extra $1000.00 on a solid wooden door. COVID and supply chain issues caused us to have to go through a year long headache that culminated in the availability of the door we had wanted in the first place. By that time, the door jam was installed and the other door purchased...with no returns allowed by the Contractor's supplier.
Thank you for reaching out Heidi. We value your feedback, should you have additional questions on finishing your door. Contact our Customer Care team at (800) 843-7628.
word to those that want to do this.
Do as they say and do certain sections, and have PLENTY of spare old t-shirts handy in strips. Like 20 of them. Very lightly glide the old t-shirt over the stain to smooth and wipe it in. Sadly, I had to recoat as the door I was more aggressive with the wiping that the side lights. So when it came time to do the door, I thought I nailed it but this stuff will wipe of almost completely down to the bare fiberglass if you push to hard. So be gentle. Even if you use three fingers behind a wad of t-shirt you'll see three streaks that will need to be smoothed down or restained. I had an area whereas I had finger marks, but didnt notice until after I did the top coat. I wiped off the top coat and reapplied stain - six hours later the stain still isnt dry.
This isnt stain fyi, I dont know what it is but it's NOT stain. DO NOT rub it like you would stain, VERY GENTLE and smooth motions.
This gel stain. But more of a liquidy form. Not sure why they recommend not to use gel stain.
Should've mentioned that the paint brush sheds like a Maine Coon in spring. For a $150 set, I'd expect a better quality brush. Haven't gotten to the top coat part, so will see how that will go. P.S. The top coat brush is fine, but the paint takes a lot longer to dry than 6 hours. I don't know, maybe if you paint it at 90+ F degree heat, maybe it will dry faster, but at around 65-70 F, it has been over 8 hours, and the paint is still wet (and, no, I did not use a lot of paint).
Just put on the first top coat, and it looks terrible. I think I put it on too thick, any suggestions of what I can do now??
Hi Alan, our team would love to help, please call 1-800-ThermaTru so they can give you the best suggestion for your situation.
Can I restain my door using the same Therma-Tru color I originally used without stripping it?
For small scratches, new stain can be applied easily to touch up the areas. However, for larger areas, newly applied stain may not adhere properly to the existing finish or blend seamlessly. For larger areas, we recommend stripping the door to the bare fiberglass and re-staining the door.
The next door I buy will not be a Thematru door again. I have water getting to the hinge side and it rotted the inner wood core all the way up to the hinge. How can a door with weatherseal all the way around allow water to eat away the wood inner core? Not happy with my door. Why make a fiberglass door and still fill it with a wood product that rots???
Our Customer Care team would be happy to help you with this. Please either reach out to 1-800-ThermaTru or visit www.thermatru.com/project-center/contact-us/.
Looks great
Hi Sara, Yes we do. On pages 2.8 and 2.9 of this instruction manual: www.thermatru.com/Downloads/prod/Site2_Finishing.pdf
Is this an oil based or water based stain? Also, what is the sealer coat? oil based or water based?
@robincanha The stain is oil based and the topcoat is water based - hope this helps!
Is there a way to make fiberglass look like worn/weathered wood?
Ive seen a weathered wood stain in big box stores. Maybe try that.
Just a note: if your fiberglass door is white, paint it a flat tan color .....then stain.
What kind of caulk are you using to seal any gaps between the glass and the wood before staining? Is it latex or silicone, or what? Thanks.
Therma-Tru recommends using an elastomeric or polyurethane sealant during this process.
First coat is on and drying... Cedar is the color. It went on thickly and the color is more solid than woodgrain. Disappointed in how difficult it is to create realistic looking wood color variation. We'll see how it goes.
@bryan how did it turn out?
if you want your door to look this good, buy it already done or buy from another company. there are several problems with the process shown here. remember this video is edited.
-1 you cant get behind the hinge all the way without taking it off. otherwise there is a noticeable unfinished spot
-2 if you have exterior bar grills(come installed from distributor) the stain will get behind it since there is a small gap between the glass and the back of the bar grill and you see it whenever you look through the glass. this happens even if you tape it off.
after watching this video several times and following the instructions in the box. i cleaned my brand new door as recommended, stained it in correct conditions, and it took several days to dry and still had small bubbles in it. now i have to strip a brand new door and buy new bar grills since the originals once have stain all over the back of them. thermatru should not have there doors delivered fully assembled if they are not fully finished. im very unhappy with this product and now i have to spend more money to fix an expensive new door. thermatru door, thermatru stain, thermatru process= disaster.
wow, terrible situation. I wouldn't stain by hand for grills that don't remove b/c too much could go wrong. Also, I wouldn't stain if the door couldn't be removed off hinge. Not sure if those options were available to you (we aren't doing ball bearing hinge or grills).
nice shade ! what is the name of this shade.
We have a Therma Tru door with a cherry finish. If we are refinishing the door, does it have to been stripped first?
Hi, +derekjlight .
Therma-Tru recommends stripping the existing stain with a paint stripper prior to refinishing. You can find details on how to strip your door on page 3 of our Same-Day Stain instructions which can be downloaded here: www.thermatru.com/pdfs/StainInstructions.pdf
What if I bye it white from lowes to save on the factory $300 special order charge! Since its white from factory, what extra caution should I take if I want it Mahogany??
+hhova29 You can use one of our Same Day Stain kits to do it yourself. Here's a link: www.thermatru.com/products/stain/index.aspx
The darker the stain, the more coats you will need! I did English Walnut - took four coats! Be patient, it takes a while but the end result looks great!
Could you use this stain over latex paint? Wanting to stain over my king size bed frame
Hi, Liz.
Same-Day Stain and Topcoat is specially formulated for Therma-Tru fiberglass doors and Fypon stainable polyurethane. Because of this, we do not recommend using Same-Day Stain and Topcoat on other surfaces and materials. If you have any other questions, our Customer Care team is here to help at 1-800-THERMA-TRU (843-7628).
Hey man quick question! I watch your channel and fan of yours on TH-cam. So got a new door and want to gel stain it but need to cover screw holes up. What kind of sparkle I use and do I prime it with what after? Thanks man!!👍😊
Hi Michael, You can use any stainable hardening wood putty to fill the holes. Your local hardware store or lumber yard should be able to help you chose something! Hope that helps!
what color stain is this??
Therma-Tru charges a little over $300.00 to stain a fiberglass door ... really? One would think a company can stain a fiberglass door for way less then that. So I just refinished my old door and wood grained it.
Just bought a new Therma Tru door with sidelights from Lowes. $1,000 to have it prefinished with their new colors.
I had the same sticker shock. When I asked about this, the reply was that factory stain is "baked" on and so lasts longer. ... hmmm, the skeptic in me wasn't aware any stains required stuffing the wood/fiber into an oven. :) And this their official video and says that this staining should happen at max 90F. So no oven baking is done.
Leads me to believe that this can only be used on a new door. What if my door is 9yrs old and needs a facelift??
Hi J L, this definitely can be used on a door that needs a face lift! If you would like to speak with one of our Customer Care reps, they can walk you through the process and recommend how to prep your door. 1-800-ThermaTru
Pay for the pre finished. 1000% worth it and you will have a nicer door in the end. I went cheap arse diy, if you can afford a therma tru then pay them to prestain.
I guess nobody actually showed this video to a homeowner to see if they could do the job based on the instructions?
We are sorry to hear you are having trouble with the instructions. Our Customer Care team would be happy to talk with you about the issues you are having. Please give us a call at 1-800-ThermaTru.
Good jo
What a joke.... wished I just bought a pre finished door. 1 day my ass, to get this door mahogany took 3 coats of stain. With at least 6 hours dry time between each. 👎
Snap your fingers next time and just get it done!
Spend the extra money and get it pre-stained! I’m not a lazy person, a complainer, but this is a pain in the ass lol, you will see.
I painted house for 10 years….what a pain. The grille fiberglass came as a different shade than the fiberglass glass frame from the factory, so the finish came out different. Taped off everything but the glass frame to try and darken it to match the other material. Pine wood was used on side glass interior trim????? Don’t stain it like the fiberglass or it will darken much more than the fiberglass leaving it almost impossible to lighten. Not to mention the door frame comes primed white, needs painted not stained. Got it to look good but no where as simple aa the video. If you silicone or caulk around grills/glass be sure not to get any on where you want to stain as it will not allow the fiberglass to absorb the stain. Pay the $900 for factory stain.
I work for a company we build you're doors. I am a stainer. I am about 5 months into this job. I am pretty desperate to figure out how to actually stain you're doors. This video did not make any sense and you hardly showed the man stain the door. Most shots you showed he was already done. The only thing I found that made sense to us staining you're doors was when you said to never use the 3 inch brush to remove the extra stain for it will dry out fast.... 😂😂😂😂. That's our freaking problem 😂😂😂😂😂 wtf. But we also have big heaters the doors go through surrounding our staining area closing us in this hot area. Our main problems are with shale being #1 then Lynx then bark as you can tell it's all with stain B. We use a wet 3 inch brush to apply and a dry 3inch brush to clean off. Doing a 2-sided frame with a 3 inch brush is a nightmare. Try doing it as a shale 😂😂😂😂 for real though we need yall or something because our staining keeps getting rejected by our quality control and it's nonsense because they themselves don't know how to stain and they are telling is it needs to be better.
Our team would love to help with recommendations. We can be reached at 1-800-ThermaTru.
@@thermatru I will be calling. Understand I am a new employee who finds a burning yurning sensation to learn truth in staining a door. I am not out to expose my employer or show how dumb they are. I want truth only. If I can learn truth in staining I can learn how to help my employer grow bigger to be the best staining company. Just Understand that before I call.
good lord it's 4 minutes in and this guy is just yammering through the liability checklist, they should just keep panning around this guy reading the pamphlet for 20 minutes
this is the worst stuff I HAVE EVER WORKED WITH . DO NOT BUY IT
Dan, We are sorry to hear you are unhappy with our Same-Day Stain and would like to speak with you to better understand your issues. Please reach out to us at 1-800-843-7628 (1-800-THERMATRU). Thank you.
i have stained and polyurethaned my fiberglass door,problem is it got scratched,what is the best way to repair this problem?