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