How to Stain a Front Door to Look Like Real Wood (FOR LESS THAN $20!)

[@CP-nf9my]

I have a wooden front door under a porch that faces west and still looks great after painting it over 20 years ago. I previously had a fiberglass with a stained look that faced west. It faded in less than 5 years. I'm changing the color and wanted a stain over paint technique. Thanks for the video.

[@CollinsCountry]

+@CP-nf9my Oh nice. Yes, weather and direction makes a very big difference. This one will probably look good for over 20 years because it’s under a covered porch so it doesn’t get wet and doesn’t get sunlight:) But I did this on my moms door that did get rain and sun and it still looked good 5 years later. I hope this helps. Good luck!

[@Traderhood]

Awesome. I watch bunch of the videos on the same theme and most of the results looked horrible. This seems to be working. You did a great job.

[@pushmotivation-__asher1335]

Wow I’m impressed, thanks for sharing

[@CollinsCountry]

+@pushmotivation-__asher1335 welcome!

[@elizabethdavis3417]

I want to do this to my deck doors and garage!

[@CollinsCountry]

+@elizabethdavis3417 do it. It’s been 5 years and hasn’t started chipping yet:)

[@shazadhussain4204]

That’s nice and seems a lot better than the “hit or miss” wood look kits. Thanks for the 18 months update because that was on my mind.

[@CollinsCountry]

+Shazad Hussain thank you! I really appreciate your nice comment:) I am not artistic at all! If I can do this than honestly anyone can!!!! I’m very proud of how it turned out. The door has been stained for over 2 years now and no issues! Nothing has chipped or faded:)

[@Irisseesall]

Beautiful Job! Thanks for the tutorial ❤

[@joyce9857]

I did something similar on my concrete patio floor....I used 3 different colors and used a stiff dried out paint brush....I thought it was crazy looking but I wasn't going to do it over...🤣😂🤣 I received tons of compliments ☺️ 😊

[@CollinsCountry]

Hey there! I have never thought to do that on concrete... I bet it looked AWESOME! I might try something similar in the storage room of our basement. If it turns out bad I'll just throw a rug over it haha! But if it turns out awesome I will enjoy it:)

[@joyce9857]

@@CollinsCountry yasssssss share it if you do...

[@reginaschell5349]

Absolutely beautiful! Thank you

[@CollinsCountry]

+@reginaschell5349 thanks!

[@bobbg9041]

That looks great. Wow what curb appeal. If your garage doors face frt you might do them also, and window frames as well as trim work. Man that pops. Looks like mognany

[@CollinsCountry]

+bobbg THANK YOU! Our garage doors are similar to this but came finished from the factory. I picked this color stain to match and it matches perfectly! :)

[@Alchemize_Me]

Fasting is also good to do on new/full moon. Thank you for sharing and confirming. Our 10 year old daughter explained the new earth to us as you had. We are truly gifted and grateful to know that the Divine has lead our family, and so many others, into the 5D. Until all are there with the rest of us, Much love.

[@CollinsCountry]

+@AveaLonni Thank you. Have a great evening! :)

[@cindywilliams3222]

Thank you so much for this tutorial .. I am the process of making board and batten shutters and want a dooor to match.. now I know what to do !!!

[@CollinsCountry]

+Cindy Williams You are so welcome. That will look great. Good luck!

[@amyw2182]

Door os gorgeous!

[@CollinsCountry]

+Amy W THANK YOU! :) We really like it! And 3 years later it still hasn’t chipped at all!

[@nene1964]

This is absolutely incredible ive never heard of this product until now 😅

[@CollinsCountry]

+Nene Thank you! And I love gel stain. Been using it for years. It’s kinda like stain mixed with polyurethane. It’s awesome! Gets everything done with one step!

[@efrenmoreno7706]

That looks Awesome

[@CollinsCountry]

+Efren Moreno thanks!!!!

[@Lauricella71]

Stunning!

[@CollinsCountry]

+KZbin User Thank you!!!!!! 😊

[@marydawnpafford9969]

Nice job!

[@CollinsCountry]

Thanks!!!

[@mzdemetria8332]

Beautiful Door

[@CollinsCountry]

Thank you! 😊 I can definitely say it was worth the work:)

[@samreigel8645]

looks great!

[@SamsShed]

Love the recap, appreciate the details on your door definitely a route we’ll consider for our build when the time comes! Thanks Courtney!

[@CollinsCountry]

+Sam's Shed Morning! Thank you so much for these encouraging words:) We really appreciate it! :) Doing this saved us $2,000 so it was definitely worth it! Plus, the manufacturer only offered 2 stain options. Since I stained it myself I had over a dozen options and I was able to get it to match our garage doors perfectly!!! :)

[@robseale17]

Looks really good. Thx for sharing this. Gonna try my garage and front door.

[@christinamattos155]

Can this method be used on a garage door 😮it came out beautiful!!! Great job thank u for sharing 😊

[@CollinsCountry]

Yes you can!

[@4rdF1Hunny]

Beautiful doorway!

[@CollinsCountry]

+brettwrb Thank you very much!!!! :)

[@samanthagunn4988]

Wow thanks for sharing this is beautiful!

[@CollinsCountry]

You are so welcome. And thank you for your nice comment! :)

[@KidSavage04]

It's been so long since I got a notification from you

[@CollinsCountry]

+KidSavage04 Well here it is I guess ha :)

[@KidSavage04]

@@CollinsCountry I guess it is

[@allangilfoil1648]

Very nice work something to be proud of for sure.

[@CollinsCountry]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I try to be humble, but I am definitely proud of this project:) it's nice to have a project turn out right ever once and a while haha! Have a great weekend!

[@Sadiaanjum007]

Thanks for your help ❤❤❤

[@CollinsCountry]

+Sadia Anjum No problem! Anytime:)

[@wendys2605]

You did this on an aluminum or steel ( not wood) door? I just bought a wood look kit to do this to my steel painted door but your method seems so much easier (and I know how to use gel stain!) If successful, I may attempt my garage door.

[@CollinsCountry]

Hello! My door is fiberglass. It was really easy to use!I have never used a gel stain on metal. I honestly don’t know if it will work or not. My gut tells me that it would go on fine but would chip off overtime. You could try it on a small piece of metal and see how it holds up… Make sure you prime the metal first with a tan or beige primer:)

[@NetSystemDesigns]

It will work, just make sure you use an oil primer first

[@davidtolentino7990]

Will there be a need to put polyurethane at the end to better seal it?

[@babyblazeme]

Thank you so much for the video🙏🙏🙏😍Can I add an over paint if I already painted a door??

[@CollinsCountry]

Hello! You can definitely put the gel stain over existing paint:) If your door is already brown or tan the. it would work perfect! I will add a suggestion though- if your current door paint has a high gloss/shine to it, the gel stain will still but will rub off over time. You can buy a tan primer spray paint to paint over the paint and then add the gel stain if that is your situation. Good luck! :)

[@mehirusakl9715]

It is absolutely amazing! I want to stain the furniture in my bedroom, can you recommend a tan primer?

[@CollinsCountry]

+@mehirusakl9715 thanks! And Honestly just go to a hardware store and get any primer in tan or light brown:) If they don’t have spray paint primer then just get rust oleum matte spray paint in tan:) It will all work.

[@StitchItUpVA]

I always wanted a wood door now I can do this savings$$$. Question. what if my door already has a paint color on it? Do I have to put on a primer coast? Thanks your home looks lovely!

[@CollinsCountry]

+@StitchItUpVA it will stick better if you lightly sand it and add primer :)

[@lrbraddock338]

Thank you for your video. The door looks great! Did you have to tape the glass and if not does it wipe off the glass easily?

[@CollinsCountry]

Hey! I dod not tape the glass. Somehow I have really steady hands and don't usually tape when I paint anything... I did accidentally hit the glass a few times and it does wipe right off:)

[@angel-mq2mo]

Thanks you!❤

[@CollinsCountry]

You're welcome 😊

[@Luv1More]

Omg you just saved me a lot of money😂🎉❤

[@CollinsCountry]

+Lakiya Harley Good! I hope it works out for you! It has worked out great for us! :)

[@Luv1More]

@@CollinsCountry so my door is a primed white door should I paint a tan primer on first?

[@suerhea9901]

I'm so glad I found this post. I've been wanting a wood door but like you said, it is way too expensive. I love my current door, it's craftsman style with small pained windows on the top part. My door is wood but it is painted red. I'm a bit nervous to stain over it. Any suggestions?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Sue Rhea Hello there and thank you:) I would not attempt staining over the red color because the red color will be seen through the gel stain. I would sand down any rough areas then prime it a tan color. Then put the gel stain right over that:)

[@lauran434]

Have a door like this but the builder painted it black… would you recommend I try to strip the paint and then do this or paint it a lighted color prior to this?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Laura N It depends on what the black coat of paint is. Some paints need to be stripped and some don’t. Is it a matter finish? If so, it’s most likely a primer and you can paint with tan overtop and then put the gel stain on that:)

[@wetribet]

I love your door can you tell me what brand and model and where you bought it. I really love what you did with the door. Amazing!

[@CollinsCountry]

+wetribet Hey! It’s a craftsman style door from Thermatrue. I love their doors. But it was $2,000 more to have their company finish it! That’s why I finished it myself:)

[@Wyocowboyz72]

Just a couple of questions for you. Did you end up sealing it w a spar urethane or any thing? Also, your door was smooth, but you had texture on the jam and trim? I need to do sonething. Our house was built about 2 yrs ago, but our w facing fiberglass door needs some tlc all ready ..

[@AtHomeByTheCreek]

It looks AWESOME!!

[@CollinsCountry]

+At Home By The Creek Thank you! We were pleased with how it turned out:)

[@rstreeter]

Did you do any prep work? Sanding? Maybe i missed that in the video?

[@CollinsCountry]

Nope. This was a new door and had a matte finish so it was ready to go :)

[@TS-cn9jp]

Do you have a photo of what it looks like a yr later? Thinking of doing this and want to make sure it won’t fade like my current door.

[@CollinsCountry]

+T S yes:) But for some reason youtube won’t let us comment with pictures. If you give me your email I can send it to you:) My front door though doesn’t get sun until after 4pm because of the covered porch so I’m not 100% sure that it won’t fade…

[@1steelet]

do you have to add another step if the door is already painted (may have a couple layers of paint)?

[@CollinsCountry]

+1steelet I would be afraid that it would chip if it had lots of layers of paint on it… I would consider stripping it down, but technically this product can be used right on top of paint. I recommend putting it primer on it because it will adhere better and not chip on a matte paint or primer:) I hope this helps!

[@mr.nuna916]

Awesome job, very important question for you. I'm going to try this on my door, my door is currently an olive green. What color do you suggest I paint it for a base coat?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Mr.Nuña916 Hello! If you can find a tan primer spray paint I would use that. The color tan or a light brown works really well to use the gel stain over top:) Good luck with your project!

[@CinematicTechnologies]

@@CollinsCountry I have a black door I'd like to do this with. Would using this paint over black work?

[@jeseniacompean2158]

Will this work with a white door ? Or do I have to prime the down that color???

[@jenyferdiaz5426]

Love it , very pretty

[@CollinsCountry]

+Jenyfer Diaz Thank you!!!!! 😊 We have loved it for the past couple of years and it has held up perfectly!

[@juliemiller5740]

Looks great

[@CollinsCountry]

+Julie Miller Thank you! We love it. No issues with it after living in the house for 2 years:)

[@tammiehackett4455]

I'm looking to do this on door at our camp. I'm kinda confused by this video. Did she use wood grain tool on base paint before staining?? I'm not sure where graining came from.

[@CollinsCountry]

+Tammie Hackett Morning! I was lucky that my door already had that wood grain in it. You can buy a wood grain tool though… Good luck! The nice thing about gel stain is if you don’t like it just wipe it off before it dries:)

[@billsliger838]

Hey hello, I watched your video on the gel stain application and it looked cool, so I did it on one of my family room doors and it looks OK. But how long does it take to fully cure or dry? I had just painted the door a beige that would work for my look. Also thanks for doing the video it is a great idea

[@CollinsCountry]

Hello there! Usually my gel stain dries in a day, but is just tachy after about an hour-ish (depending on temperature and humidity). You can always go back and add more gel stain to make it darker once the first coat on your door is dry:) Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions!

[@brendataylor9276]

@@CollinsCountry I’ve been thinking of redoing my front door. But my door is painted semi gloss black. Do you think I could just add the stain on top of the black paint? Or will I need to strip the door first?

[@Fishman1]

Great video, very helpful 😊

[@CollinsCountry]

Hey, Kenny. Thank you! Glad we could help:)

[@courtneyr8882]

Hello! Is there a reason you didn’t use Thermatru’s same day stain and topcoat? We used it on our last home and it worked very well. Did you add a topcoat or only the gel stain? I’d save money if we didn’t do the wood grain, but I’m afraid it may not look good.

[@CollinsCountry]

+Courtney R Hey! At the time we purchased the door the thermatru stain was out of stock so I got what our local home improvement store recommend. We have had no issues with it! It’s been over 3 years and no chipping! You don’t need a top coat because the gel in the stain acts as a top coat… good luck with your project! :)

[@AngelaHughes-gw6rw]

You did this with the door shut- did the whole door get covered or should I take my door off?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Angela Hughes correct. I opened the door up after to make sure no spots were missed. Plus I did it in sections:) You can leave the door on the hinges.

[@MandyDupree1]

Looks great! My door is similar but it is painted. Would I need to strip the paint first to try the strain technique?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Mandy Dupree thank you! And no you don’t. Stain with the gel stain right over it:) But if your door is a color- blue or green, etc- make sure you prime it first with a tan or beige or even a light brown:)

[@MandyDupree1]

@@CollinsCountry Thank you! I am about to begin my project of staining my door! I've waited to get my siding replaced and change up colors, and now I'm ready. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Thanks for posting. I'll post a photo of it when I finish!

[@edseventyeight6749]

Forgot to ask: I've been wanting to paint our house a dark tealish blue. Love the color of your house. What did color did you use? Thx

[@CollinsCountry]

+ED Seventyeight The color of our house is Regatta Blue:) I absolutely love it! It’s not very teal, but it’s a nice strong blue color

[@edseventyeight6749]

@@CollinsCountry Again, thanks! Love it!

[@CollinsCountry]

+ED Seventyeight No problem! Good look with your project!

[@sylviamorgan831]

Beautiful

[@CollinsCountry]

+Sylvia Morgan Thank you very much! 😊

[@kimwoods7131]

That looks great and I am considering it for my door. Did you seal it with anything? Also, did you do the same technique on the inside? Thanks for your video! EDIT… I just watched your home your video and saw the inside of the door 😍

[@CollinsCountry]

Thank you! You should do it.... It took time, but was easy to do:) I used the same technique on the inside as I did the outside. I did not have to seal it with anything. The gel stain dries pretty hard and seals itself since it is gel, not traditional stain. Make sure you buy gel stain! This cannot be done with regular stain... Thanks for such a sweet comment about our home. We really love it! :) It was worth all of the hard work... Have a blessed week!

[@babyblazeme]

Thank you Kim woods i wanted to Ask the same question i was looking for a way to add this for my Resturante

[@Luv1More]

@@CollinsCountrymy door is white should I paint it tan first?

[@bigal8976]

I would not seal it, I have a door with sealer on it & after 7 years it’s peeling on the bottom where sun kills it & it’s awful to remove!

[@bradkeith9174]

hello! how many coats did you put on it?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Brad Keith hey there! Just one coat:) You can put it on lighter and add a second coat if needed though.

[@SpitfireSchoch]

Doesn't the tan paint or primer need to be the same base as the gell stain (water or oil)?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Logan Schoch Not to my knowledge:) I have put gel stain over all different kinds of paint:)

[@gallosreef5454]

Can i use this stain on a white fiberglass door ?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Gallo’s Reef Honestly, I am not sure but my gut tells me it would work. Just put the stain on thicker. Our base color was tan, which was perfect! The tan is great because most wood is tan, brown, etc and not white. Ideally, you could spray paint the door with a tan primer (quick, easy and cheap to do) then paint it with the stain. It’s up to you. Good luck with the project!

[@randourchiro]

My door is stained but needs redone. Should I prime or just go over the stain in the new color?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Adele Goodge Hey! I believe you can stain right over the other stain… The stain can states that you are able to do that, but I personally haven’t done it on an exterior door. I have done it on interior wood. It goes right over the old stain beautifully:) Is your front door real wood?

[@zwmarr]

This is absolutely beautiful. Do you know what color your house paint is? We are looking for a darker blue for our home and yours looks like what we are after.

[@CollinsCountry]

Hello there! Thank you! :) Our house is Vinyl siding in the color Regatta Blue:) We really struggled with finding the right blue... We looked at so many blue colors from many different companies. Once we saw this color we knew it was the one. Hopefully it will work for you too! Good luck:) And thanks again for your kind comment! Have a great rest of your week!

[@BelenGallegos-zd4sp]

Do you use a sealer?

[@timothyluckett5559]

What’s in the white strip called that separates the brick and siding?

[@CollinsCountry]

That is white decorative PVC trim. PVC trim board

[@timothyluckett5559]

Amazing detail I’m using it lol

[@CollinsCountry]

+timothy luckett Thanks! It was my husbands idea and I love how it turned out. Also very easy to install!

[@timothyluckett5559]

Beautiful.. last question? What’s the name of the brick siding you used?

[@mosephvlogs8970]

Any link to the actual front door itself?

[@CollinsCountry]

+@mosephvlogs8970 No. I wish. But it’s from Thermatrue Doors:) www.thermatru.com/

[@coldisle]

You did a great job…both with the door…and the video. Dumb Question…but since my Fiberglass shaker style door is still white…do you know what the beige/tan color is that you started out with? I realize you may have just gotten the door already that color, but never hurts to ask. Thanks for sharing this. Can’t wait to try it.

[@CollinsCountry]

+coldisle Thank you! :) And those aren’t dumb questions at all! I could have my door primed white or tan so I had them prime it tan since I knew I was going to paint it myself to save the money. I don’t know the actual color but any light tan color would be fine. You can do it! Prime it and then start the gel stain in a corner of the door in a small section to get a hang of it:)

[@coldisle]

@@CollinsCountry thanks so much for the reply!!

[@CollinsCountry]

+coldisle No problem:) Good luck with your project!

[@yehudagoldberg6400]

What was the base color the door was painted?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Yehuda Goldberg It was a tan color. I didn’t have to paint it because it came that color from the manufacturer. I hope this helps!

[@mykarkeys]

Did you paint the tan first? Did you just use normal paint?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Karina Keyser My door came primed this color in a matte finish. So I just applied the gel stain over top. If you need to paint your door first prime it in a tan or light brown color:)

[@MichaelEstes-c9j]

What is the tan base color?

[@CollinsCountry]

+@MichaelEstes-c9j Not sure. It’s the generic color that came on the door.

[@kimberlynnmartinez4506]

My door is already a tan color (imitating a wood look) and it’s not painted! Do I still need to prime It with paint?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Kimberlynn Martinez Nooe. If it is tan go ahead and buy the gel stain:) Good luck!

[@donnadorwarth1503]

Absolutely beautiful! You did a great job. Which ThermaTru model door was this? thanks.

[@CollinsCountry]

+Donna Dorwarth Thank you!!!! 😊 Honestly, I cannot remember what the model of the door is called. I’m currently camping this weekend but I’ll check the catalog when I get home:)

[@CollinsCountry]

+Donna Dorwarth so… I looked for our care log and couldn’t find it. I must have gotten rid of it. I looked on the internet as well and couldn’t find this exact door but I found similar ones. It’s a craftsman style door. If you contact ThermaTru they could send you an updated catalog and you could pick from the current thermatru doors available. I hope this helps and good luck with your DIY projects!

[@debbiejackson1350]

I'm at Lowe's, but which hickory gel stain ? There is semi transparent,

[@CollinsCountry]

+Debbie Jackson Hello there. I just looked at the exact can of the stain. They must have updated the cans. Mine does now mention anything about “transparent.” It’s just Minwax Gel Stain in the color hickory. I will say- when using it you can see through it somewhat transparent. I would personally buy both options and start with the transparent one. If it’s too thin or shows the under color too much then add a little of the less transparent option on top. This is just my gut instinct though, I have never seen transparency options with the gel stains. I hope this helps! (Also- this stuff easily wipes off when it’s wet. If you don’t like it, immediately wipe it off before it dries. No worries). Good luck!

[@meme2255]

This is awesome! We have new wood doors, so don't need for our doors, but we're having a covered porch built, and the Columns will be wrapped with Miratec. We're supposed to have them painted white, but I REALLY want to make them look like wood! So, do you know if Gel stain will work over Wood grain Miratec? Hope to hear soon as we should only be a few days away from them painting. If you think it'll work, should I just ask them to prime the miratec wrapped columns with Tan? And if so, is there a reason you said SPRAY primer paint vs reg tan primer? Is it because it'll stick better? And how have the doors held up?

[@CollinsCountry]

+ME ME Hello there! Thank you for the nice comment and congrats on your covered porch being built. That’s exciting! Anyway. I have never heard of Miratec , so honestly I don’t know if you can put gel stain on top. I would call the manufacturer of Miratec and ask:) Gel stain can be applied over a lot of surfaces, but not all surfaces. I say a spray primer because it’s usually easier to apply than a paint primer. Plus it’s fast and holds up well:) That’s just my personal opinion. In regards to our door, it has held up flawlessly!!!! We did this over 2 years ago. Our front door is the main door we use to go in and out of our house everyday. It hasn’t chipped or scratched off anywhere. It also doesn’t have a kick plate. I kick it open everyday when my hands are full and none of the gel stain has started to chip off the bottom:) It still looks as good as the first day that I painted it! I hope this helps. Please let me know if I can answer any more questions and good luck with your project!

[@kenai561]

Will this work on a wooden door that is painted? The price of new doors has gotten ridiculous.

[@CollinsCountry]

+Melanie Regnier Yes it will. Just use an exterior primer on it first:)

[@edseventyeight6749]

Great job! Did you use any old cheap brush or a natural bristle?

[@CollinsCountry]

+ED Seventyeight Thanks! I used a natural bristle. One of those really cheap wooden handle brushes from the hardware store that no one every buys ha

[@edseventyeight6749]

@@CollinsCountry Thanks so much! I found your channel two days ago and have been watching almost constantly. I'm so impressed. You have a beautiful family. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I'm not jumping ahead, but can't wait to see your progress up to date!

[@CollinsCountry]

+ED Seventyeight Wow. Thank you so much for such a nice compliment:) God bless you! We are just normal people working hard so don’t get your hopes up or you’ll probably be disappointed 😂 😉

[@edseventyeight6749]

@@CollinsCountry Somehow I don't think I'll be disappointed. I've got a son who has talked about doing the same thing. I'm forwarding him the link to your channel.😊kzbin.infogaming/emoji/7ff574f2/emoji_u1f60a.png

[@CollinsCountry]

+ED Seventyeight Awesome! And I hope he finds it helpful:)

[@karenfraser9470]

What was the base colour on the door called?

[@CollinsCountry]

+@karenfraser9470 it didn’t have a name. It was just the generic tan color that the door came in

[@justpaintitright6442]

next time try a 1st coat of paint like a light coffee color eggshell ,,,,then do your gel stain and last coat is oil satin polyurethane

[@CollinsCountry]

+justpaintitright interesting thought process. I have never done it that way but I’ll try it if I ever get the chance. Fortunately, this has worked great. It’s almost 3 years old now. Our garage is detached so this is the door we go in and out of hundreds of times a day:) no paint has chipped off and it still looks as good as the first day I painted it:)

[@erinf6810]

I feel like people should know: you will NOT get this look if your door doesn’t already have wood grain texture! If your door is smooth with lots of paint layers or your door is steel with no texture, you will not get these same results.

[@CollinsCountry]

Hello, Erin. I have used gel stain a smooth surface and you can in fact get a “grain” texture by using a paint brush and allowing the bristles to leave streaks. I did it on a smooth surface vanity in our old house. I painted the smooth cabinet a tan color and then used a gel stain over that to give it a “wood look.” Technically, it will not look exactly the same as this door, because this door does have the wood grain texture in it, but you can still make it look like it has texture and wood grain:) I hope this helps! Have a wonderful day!

[@l.littleton3531]

Oh yes you can I did my front door and people couldn’t believe it they make a tool to do it

[@moresalad221]

It works. I literally did this today with primer, and gel stain from home depot. I got a rough paint brush to make it look rustic.

[@chipcook6646]

Instead of tan primer get the tan with real wood fibers in it. 2 coats. Just stain it / gel coat if you want to glaze it after two coats of finish. However, it will be more than $20.

[@dannyyoung3181]

Did you apply any type of top coat to the door after you stained? Like a polyurethane or anything?

[@CollinsCountry]

Nope. The gel stain is a stain and top coat all in one:) I love this stuff!

[@PerfectWoodGrain]

If exterior, a clear coat formulated for your environment is recommended. Ask your local pro paint shop for best product to protect your grain work.

[@stayathomediymomof3446]

Love your door! You did such a beautiful job with it!! Our door comes primed white. I’m so afraid to paint it tan first, would it not work if it’s stained on the white primer?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Stay at Home DIY Mom of 3 Hello there! And thank you:) Honestly though, I don’t know. I would grab something white and paint the gel stain on it to see how it looks. If you like it then do your door! :)

[@PerfectWoodGrain]

Faux wood paint needs a natural base color ranging from beige to yellow. You'll find that white results in an unnatural final look. But you can start with a practice board, apply white or any other color, then experiment with the grain work...

[@mucked4u283]

May I suggest that you use an quality angular soft bristle brush. Your using a very poor brush

[@CollinsCountry]

+mucked4u Hey! I know this is an unpopular opinion but I’m using that nasty cheap brush on purpose because I love them for projects like this:) they don’t paint smooth and I like that they leave streaks. It makes it look even more like real wood:)

[@josiahsnyder7022]

Would this work on a door if it does not already have the texture?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Josiah Snyder Yes. I did it on a smooth cabinet once. Just use a brush that has bristles. It will leave the lines and texture in it to look like real wood. Just move slow and remember you can always wipe it off immediately if you mess up:)

[@gbrowski]

Do you think I can use this on a wood door that is already painted white?

[@CollinsCountry]

+G br yes, but I would prime it first. I have painted wood with this stuff and it works great! I don’t know how it would look on white though. I have never put this over white wood.

[@michaelnichols8757]

Did you seal with anything

[@CollinsCountry]

+Michael Nichols No need to. The gel stain has sealer in it basically:) It hasn’t chipped or come off at all and it’s over 3 years old now:)

[@-Tac0caT-]

that looks really splotchy. You can see the sections of 1.5 feet or so on the door where you start and stopped. Any idea how to avoid that?

[@CollinsCountry]

+@-Tac0caT- I like the inconsistent look. Just my opinion:) If you go slow and put the same amount of stain on the entire door in one sitting it will be more even :)

[@tommylindsey2924]

How does gel stain hold up to the morning sun bearing on it everyday ? My front door faces the east and gets half a day of direct sunlight

[@CollinsCountry]

+Tommy Lindsey Hey! Our door only gets direct sunlight in the afternoon/evening for a few hours in the summer time… I honestly don’t know about full sunlight on a door but I did paint a sign with the gel stain that got direct sunlight in my garden and it hasn’t faded or chipped:) I will say that our door has been painted for 2 years now and has not faded or chipped anywhere and I have 3 kids. We always go in and out of the front door. We have all kicked it so many times and no paint has rubbed or chipped off:) I am interested to see how it looks in a decade, but for now I have no concerns:)

[@tommylindsey2924]

@@CollinsCountry Thank you very much for your response, it was very helpful

[@CollinsCountry]

+Tommy Lindsey I’m glad! Good luck with your project! :)

[@isaiahsreviews]

Roll it then brush it 👍 It's faster

[@CollinsCountry]

+Isaiah's Reviews I thought about doing that but I just like using a brush with this gel stain:)

[@harmswaydiy6415]

What is the name of the color you used for the base coat of paint?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Harms Way DIY Hey there! I didn’t have to prime my door. It came primed from the manufacturer. But you can buy a can of spray paint primer from Lowes or Home Depot. Just get a tan color.

[@Blair147]

You should have top coated it with clear varnish.

[@CollinsCountry]

+Amanda From the clinic Hey! No need to actually do that. That’s the purpose of using the gel stain:) It has the top coat already in it. The door still has zero scratches or issues and it’s been over 3 years:) I love the door and it still looks new and this is the actual door that we go in and out of a thousand times a day:)

[@madisonpost8340]

Is this a door that already had the wood look?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Madison Post This door did not come with wood grain in it. It’s slightly textured (you can see it in the video when I zoom in close at one point) but does not have a fake wood grain in it like you see in some doors. I hope this helps! I know they have rollers online that put wood grain designs onto doors with gel stain. I have never tried it but I know someone that did and their door looks great!

[@Katiepotatie5]

How do you think this would look on a door with no faux wood texture?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Katie R You can do it. Just use an old bristle or cheap brush to leave the stroke marks… That will make it appear to have the wood grain:)

[@bbsvchic]

Can you do this on a metal door?!

[@CollinsCountry]

+Rachael Nutter I have never used a gel stain on metal. I honestly don’t know if it will work or not. My gut tells me that it would go on fine but would chip off overtime. You could try it on a small piece of metal and see how it holds up… Make sure you prime the metal first with a tan or beige primer:)

[@judyurso2717]

How long does it take for the gel stain to dry. I painted my door five hours ago and I have a fan blowing on it and it’s still extremely tacky. Any ideas?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Judy Urso Hey there! Are you in an area with high humidity? For me- it was tacky after about 30 minutes. Almost dry after about an hour, but took 24 hours to be “fully dry.” I have painted lots of stuff with the gel stains and it dries pretty fast- but I’m always painting in the spring or fall when the humidity is low…

[@judyurso2717]

@@CollinsCountry there is no humidity today. Almost 10 hrs and still tacky. If I touched it I’d leave a fingerprint

[@CollinsCountry]

+Judy Urso Oh wow. I have never had that happen. Honestly, read the can. It should have dry times. If it’s not dry by the recommended time on the can, take it back. It may have been mixed wrong… It still may dry appropriately with time. But if it doesn’t You may need to strip it off and do it again. I’m so sorry! Hopefully it ends up working out:)

[@judyurso2717]

@@CollinsCountry after 24 hours it’s mostly dry just a little tacky

[@CollinsCountry]

+Judy Urso Good! You should be good then:) Just give it another 24 hours:)

[@malachibridges5]

How many cans did you use to do the door and window panels?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Malachi Bridges Hey! This surprisingly used very little paint… I did all of it with about 1/4 of the can of gel stain:) Good luck with your door painting project!

[@unconditionalfreedom]

no sealer??? :)

[@CollinsCountry]

+Unconditional Freedom No:) The gel in the stain acts as a sealer. This door has been finished for 3 years and nothing has chipped! It looks like it did the day I painted it:)

[@dcb3948]

What brand of door is that?

[@CollinsCountry]

I believe this is a therma tru door.

[@debbiejackson1350]

I'm finding minwax brand , there are 3 different transparency

[@CollinsCountry]

+Debbie Jackson I responded to your previous comment no hope it helps:)

[@germanchica4973]

My door is painted. Can I just stain over it?

[@CollinsCountry]

+german chica Possibly. But if it’s a paint with sheen on it the gel stain may chip off easily. I always prime it first… it’s usually worth the time to do that step.

[@kimberlyjohnsonhatfield6169]

Did you paint door first before you stained

[@CollinsCountry]

+Kimberly Johnson Hatfield Hey! I did not have to paint it first. This is the prime color that it came painted from the manufacturer. If your door is already painted, prime it a tan color and then use the gel stain on top:) I hope this helps! Good luck:)

[@rosieheaven1]

How do I get a cedar color if they do not have that option?

[@gracedoucet7741]

What type of brush did you use?

[@CollinsCountry]

+Grace Doucet Just a cheap wooden paint brush. It was like .75 cents 😃 You want a cheap one with crappy bristles because that helped put the streaks onto the door. You don’t want it to be smooth… You want it to have the ridges like real wood, etc:)

[@dcb3948]

What Make and Model door is yours?

[@CollinsCountry]

+DC B I don’t remember the exact model but I know it’s a Thermatrue door. I think it was a Craftsman style and they only had a few options in craftsman style… I hope this helps!

[@charleylee4651]

Don't you have to have the door open so you don't have a 'primet' trim around the edge of the door??

[@CollinsCountry]

+Charley Lee hey! On some doors yes, but I was able to get all of mine with the door closed:)

[@ismailm5940]

Looks great but why would you paint your natural wood posts Would have looked much better in natural finish.I would have just sealed them