For a natural look penetrating oil finishes might be your best bet.
Best exterior door finish.
A storm door would also be a big help in protecting the door form the elements.
An epoxy sealer with an exterior varnish topcoat is the most durable outdoor finish and can last for many many years.
In my opinion spar varnish will give you the best clear coat protection against water.
Pettit marine paint s captain s varnish and epifanes wood finish matte.
Water repellent preservatives wrps are a great choice on wood decks.
It s got to be semigloss.
The best protection for an exterior door is opaque paint all clear finishes will need constant maintenance.
Whether it s a marine grade spar varnish or otherwise a film forming finish such as varnish only truly seals the wood when the film is intact.
Previous varnish only finishes only lasted 2 3 years.
The best clear finish for an exterior door is 3 coats of clear epoxy followed with 2 3 coats of spar varnish.
They shed water for a year or so before requiring reapplication.
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.
An exterior oil finish is definitely the simplest quickest way to treat an outdoor project.
My go to finish system for exterior doors is a combination of two products.
Prior to applying new finish scrub the surface with a cleaner containing an oxidizing agent such as bleach.
Their popularity and effectiveness for finishing the bright work on boats makes them the best choice for protecting exterior wooden doors that are exposed to harsh weather elements year round.
Their popularity and effectiveness for finishing the bright work on boats makes them the best choice for protecting exterior wooden doors that are exposed to harsh weather elements year round.
Water repellents wrs.
High quality formulations have finely ground pigments that block uv rays while allowing the grain to show.
However the initial application does take longer then exterior varnish.
Go for a semi gloss finish which is as durable as it is attractive.
Teak oil tung oil and tung oil finishes.
When it comes to painting your front door there are a million colors to choose from but only one real option for the finish.
Water repellents and water repellent preservatives.
From the original questioner.
The same goes for exterior trim.
My go to finish system for exterior doors is a combination of two products.