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Hello @Bandit-DIYDad
I suggest having a quick look at this discussion - How to protect front door? Need advice choosing water-based stain varnish by @terrywang. I think the most important part of staining your front door is to have an idea of what the stain will look like. I suggest visiting your local store and having a look at the stain and varnish sample board to give you an idea of what they look like once applied to timber.
I've always used a brush when applying stain, my only attempt to use cloth was not very successful. However, I believe that if the stain is diluted properly, you should be able to get a nice uniform finish. I often suggest doing a test run on a piece of offcut timber panel to get a feel on how the stain will behave.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
Hi @Bandit-DIYDad,
Just to add to @EricL's advice, what is the coating currently on the door? If it was purely a stain and you are going a similar colour then you only need to sand enough to remove and deteriorated timber or splinters; it needs to be smooth to the touch. 180-grit sandpaper would be great for this. However, if there were a hard coating varnish on it, you would need to sand it off entirely until you've reached the timber underneath, and a 120-grit sandpaper would cut through the varnish more easily; you can then finish it off with 180 to remove scratch marks. For a stain, you must expose the timber so it can draw it into the pores.
Remember, exterior varnish/stain combo products will not only re-colour your timber but also provide a long-lasting hard coating to protect it from the elements.
Feel free to post an image of the door, including close-ups of any deteriorated sections, so our knowledgeable members can better see what you're working with.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
