Gel Staining Fiberglass Doors. How to use Gel Stains.

Using gel stains. How to gel stain a fiber glass door to make it look just like it was a wood door. What stain to use, how to apply the gel stain, and what protective coating to use over the gel stain. We used Minwax gel stain and Helmsman spar urethane clear coat.
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I created The Idaho Painter an alternative to to big box DIY video shows that have actors who only act like they can paint but really can barely act. My mission is to shatter the barriers of entry into painting and convince people that it can be a lot of fun painting and painting fun little projects on your own without an expensive professional painter. No experience is necessary.
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Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of The Idaho Painter (or Chris Berry), I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. The Idaho Painter assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. The Idaho Painter recommends safe practices when working on any structure and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of The Idaho Painter, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from use or improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not The Idaho Painter.

[@Bullets4TheDevil]

I just painted my house in South Florida. The time you take to help all of us is greatly appreciated. About to stain my new doors - the ones in this video are incredible. Thanks for all of your help.

[@mattsade8860]

I am a avid DIYer and every time I have a question about finishing anything. I would look to the web. I would spend for ever watching and reading what I hope will be the answer to my questions. It never fails your video pops up and sure enough, it is exactly what I was asking about and more! I have finaly subscribed to your channel I don't know why it took so long! You are awesome, because of you I had the now how and confidence to paint my large two story craftsman house. Saving bookoo $$$!

[@davidcrowe4104]

Thank you I'm a contractor in the PNW and have doors that will need staining new fiberglass great video thank you

[@Idahopainter]

Glad to help

[@kevinplayter1317]

Man, ur video was the only one on a fiberglass door that has wood grain in it and on how to stain it properly. Thank u very much cuz it was a big help w/ giving me the information I was looking for so I didn’t have to have it hired by a professional and saved me $$

[@sg05032]

Nice resultsI may I offered some tips. Put your stain on a sheet of cardboard and use it like a pallet to load your brush. Also a short stiff bristle brush moves the stain easier and more uniformly. I’ve literally have done a thousand door in my shop this way for a distributor in 4 states. I have it down pat.

[@riceranch9275]

Can you tell me what type brand brush you use?

[@utahnick]

@@frankierodriguez4782 lol

[@jamespritchard165]

Your painter knows what he's doing looks good .And leading edge done 👍

[@123joshmallett]

Purdy white bristle works great for this. If anything it can almost be to soft. Great job as usual Chris

[@mikeyj990ify]

Agree. Or carona ox hair

[@lazydadsgarage]

I love how all the old videos had a double introduction. You've come a long way

[@sandynielson3660]

What color gel stain by Minwax did you use here?

[@conradyo9274]

Once again everything looks flawless. Great job 👍

[@time2paintllc]

🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣 chris the funniest start to a video by far.. look like you was holding your breath 😂😂🤣🤣

[@edgarroach6472]

Amazing job! I love the doors. Btw, good job from the Mexican guy that did it 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👍🏽

[@mikeyj990ify]

How do you know he is not brazilian? Why does it matter that hes mexican? Or not.

[@MrJmac509]

Great job! This is the best video I've found after scouring youtube on staining fiberglass doors! I found your video very helpful.

[@inharmony6091]

I was checking your video as a part of my training as a Home Depot associate...Good job!!!!!!!!!!! you are an excellent painter Cris...

[@corywest1949]

I try too use drop cloths anywhere I’ll be walking or ever setting my tools down…. In my experience customers always greatly appreciate it!!!

[@johnnyfeathers2567]

Doors look awesome guys, I'm Johnny a painter from Ohio.

[@Leolioness44]

Looking AMAZING, btw I'm a sick obsessed perfectionist when it comes to whether wood looks like real wood or not. Has to be Perfect ,👌 nice job

[@Idahopainter]

I totally agree!

[@perniculous]

Me today: I have a paint related thing I need to do. Chris@PLTV: I already did a video on that 10 years ago. Thanks dude you 🪨!

[@Idahopainter]

glad to help

[@MakeupMobster]

The doors look beautiful

[@markmaria261]

Looks awesome!! The only thing I use differently on front doors is I like a marine varnish as a clear especially one that has the sun bearing down on it most of the day.

[@mikeyj990ify]

Most exterior poly have adequate uv protection now. Even the newer latex products. But if it was my door id go marine too

[@Orlandovilla1996]

BEAUTIFUL WORK.

[@dianesuiter9809]

Great video Chris! Few questions...1) Others have said to wipe the excess stain off with a wiping rag, are you just using a clean brush to go back over to wipe it with? 2) You are using a water-base urethane over the oil gel stain, correct? 3) Can you also brush or roll the top coat on? 4) In the video did you only need to use one coat of urethane? Thanks!

[@Idahopainter]

Yes you should wipe excess off

[@dannydeutsch279]

Thank you for the very informative video. Any recommendations on clear coating if I do not have access to a sprayer? Thanks!

[@Coolbre3zegaming]

those turned out beautiful! thanks for the video!

[@Idahopainter]

Thanks for watching Jonathan!

[@nicolekreiser4181]

Was the door primed before you applied the gel stain? I have a wood imitation fiberglass door that I tested a small area with the stain on, but I find I can completely wipe the stain off after letting it penetrate for 5 minutes.

[@oldcontrolsguy9738]

Why a different stain for the door jams and how did you get them to match. Nice job BTW

[@salzy1864]

Nice job, good finished product. Having done this method before, I know that it takes skill. There MUST be a better way to do it I'm thinking. Seems thinning the gel stain with some thinner is absolutely necessary to keep it from building up. Wondering if there's anindustrial product that will actually absorb into the fiberglass instead of sitting on top, as gel stain does.

[@ephenj]

Got any advice, We are about to do a door with the same stuff and is fiberglass too. I've practiced on some extra they gave us but any tips would help a ton. Is there anything I should avoid doing with gel stain? Thanks for your time if you see this. I know it's a old post from 4 yrs ago.

[@drfunkology8164]

@@ephenj basecoat the door close to your desired background color . use old master wiping stains . this door looks even but one dimensional.

[@dekiser]

We had our new fiberglass door Minwax gel stained by a painter who hadn't done fglas doors. The stain color is splotchy. Do we need to remove the stain, then prime the door? What to use? Also, I don't have a sprayer, can I successfully seal using a brush? Thx

[@biebo]

Great video, Very detailed, I have been painting for 20+ years and have Gel Stained hundreds of fiberglass doors. Recently I have had a lot of interest in Gel staining Aluminum Garage doors. In my area Gel stain is getting hard to find (Sherwin recently threw out a bunch because it was too old) WOuld you still use Helmsman Spar Urethane still today or would you use another product as this video is nearly 10 years old. Also would this hold up on Aluminum?

[@carlosavoca3142]

Great job on the doors

[@chadmcmahan5392]

1st time ever commenting on anything. I love your show. But I'll even take with a mineral spirits rag whipe those little edges clean were overlap

[@DeanaCuevas]

Great Video! Thank you for all the information! Huge help for my DIY project.

[@mikeyj990ify]

Is it staying open long enough when you bring the long strips downso that youre not getting lap? I usually wipe the excess off as i go. But it can be tricky by leaving a heavy line at the edge. I also think using a natural bristle to remove excess works better

[@MrDarthBudda]

Thanks I will give my door another try....

[@MrDarthBudda]

***** It does take for ever to dry,,,, 4 day's for me I think...

[@tomhenry3095]

My door was done four years ago and is now quite weather beaten on the exterior. This process can followed for re-finishing as well, or do clear coats etc. need to be stripped off first?

[@marilyn6979]

Wish you had been in my neighborhood in Southwest Florida does not look like the result you have ...disappointed by a pro who was not a pro at staining...did not have ur finesse would like to make some corrections on my own if poss . thx

[@johnjames6625]

Your videos are very helpful. I have two questions though. First, I noticed the hardware was reinstalled before the urethane was applied. Would it be easier to install them afterwards? Second, does the door have to stay partially open (overnight) while drying so it wouldn't stick to the jam or weather stripping?

[@matthellcat2494]

Wow great work

[@mjwoody2]

Hey Chris Great vid...my problem is I didnt watch it before gel staining my new door. I now have a door with lots of brush strokes and worse, areas that got too much stain and some I tried to fix with min. spirits and now have little/no stain...help!!

[@koichiito677]

You did best you can .

[@mattsade8860]

I have a very cool old role top desk that needs help. The flat surfaces had water damage so I have sanded them to the bare wood. The doors and cubbies all are in good condition but could be recoated. I was thinking Gel stain because of the bare would and the other parts that still have a finish on them. I love the variation of the color tone on the door you glazed though. I am thinking I am going to have to gel stain with a light color all over and then glaze it and then spray it. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations of application and products? I realize you don't do furniture but it is all at the same concept.

[@codorin]

chris. i have stained alot but next week will be my first time using gel stain on a clients wood railing and steps. what are the differences between regular stain. i know it takes longer to dry. if you can please quickly explain. many thanks.

[@stephenjordan8712]

Hi Chris, I have a “from the garage into the house” door that has a metal surface and also has a faux wood texture like the fiberglass doors in this video, but it’s painted white. Do you think the gel stain will work well in that case or should we first paint it with a natural wood color? Thanks in advance.

[@jennifur9388]

I also have the same question

[@reprosser]

Enjoyed the video. Our new house build is almost finished, and the builder will be finishing the exterior wood grained fiberglass doors. We will direct him to use the minwax gel stain and the water based clear coat. How many coats of spar are recommended? Should we expect the water based topcoat will need annual refinish if in the sun? Any specific instructions that we should provide the builder to be sure things are done correctly? (ie, not the cheap, fast methods)

[@reprosser]

+The Idaho Painter Thanks

[@aggienica]

Hi, I bought 7 composite doors. These doors have 6 panels but aren't solid wood. Would you please tell me if gel staining is possible with these type of doors? Please Help.

[@ChuckKnightTaylor]

Love your video. I've got a question. I have a gel stained Mahogany colored fiberglass door. I'd lime to change it to a Golden Oak. Do I need to cover it with a primer first before gel staining the Golden Oak or can I stain over the existing Mahogany color? Much thanks for your great video!

[@lanamolczyk5139]

Beautiful doors!! We are just finishing sanding our front (wood) door and I will stain this weekend. I was planning on using gel stain like I did on our interior doors which turned out pretty. However you used gel stain only on your fiberglass door and not on the wood trim. Can you tell me why? Thank you.

[@matthewbresset1160]

What if the door has already been stained and now it’s discoloring and wearing off and client wants me to redo it how would one go about doing that?

[@montanamarsh9583]

Hi. Just wondering if I have to strip a pre-gel stained fiberglass door before I re-gel stain it. I am not sure yet if the clients want the same color or a different one.

[@jonathanparkey6089]

I wonder if this product would work on plywood that won’t take stain evenly? It looks more like paint than stain.

[@beverlyiturri2263]

Help! I have a client who wants her white garage door to be stained to a classic cherry/golden maple. Should I use a exterior base paint color? If so what color? If not, can I just use a gel stain that is a golden maple right on top of the white garage?

[@janinegallacher9773]

Do I have to spray on the urethane clear coat? I'm attempting to try and stain my doors that are in-between my 3 season room and den, so I'm worried about spraying everywhere! I have hardwood floors on both sides of the door. This is my first project ever like this. I believe the steps are prime in a tan color, gel stain, wipe, clear coat. Here goes nothin!

[@tonycampanella4597]

Hello - so you do not wipe off the stain? Just paint it on evenly and let dry? Looks great

[@Idahopainter]

Correct

[@royalredus]

That is beautiful!!

[@jenniferbury5922]

Great video. My doors are in the middle of my kitchen. Can the urethane be brushed on instead of sprayed?

[@jinagudex5513]

Did you ever brush them?

[@yvettekindschi9501]

You say to brush on a thin coat but later in the video the caption says to apply a thick coat of stain. Regardless, it looks great!

[@Idahopainter]

We do apply a thin coat!

[@carolmazzarella2246]

My painter recently gel stained the outside of our fiberglass doors and painted the inside. After seeing how the stain turned out on the outside, I wished we had stained the inside. Is it possible to stain over the white semi-gloss that we painted the doors on the inside?

[@brookerockwood414]

I live in Eagle Idaho, i have a new house, it has a fiberglass front door, with a stain on the outside, and just painted white on the inside, i would love to stain it a wood color over the white, can i do that or do i sand it down a bit?

[@jaleelismaaeel9454]

Nice video question how do I stain brick molding and door trim if its been painted.

[@globuslive]

I remember you from the video how to fight the speed ticket ))

[@groversonthego]

I'm looking at doing the same for my front doors which are fiberglass. But how do you go about it if the doors already have a coat or two of latex paint on them? Does that all have to be sanded off first? Or can you apply a white base coat? The color on them now is a medium gray/green. Thanks!

[@eddiewaters5445]

What about the people don’t that don’t have a sprayer can we safely apply the clearcoat with a brush?

[@zafarsalim7977]

Chris, the entry fiberglass door at my house was previously painted white. How do I use gel stain process to make the door look like a wood door as shown in your video? Thanks, Z

[@johnantczak4617]

Thanks Chris my wife has been driveing me NUTS thanks again

[@Quickandslick]

What to do about where you overlap and is trying to dry and it tries to take off the previous gel stain that you just put on?

[@Idahopainter]

Move faster

[@dereishus01]

Jump from ready to clear coat to finished??

[@analuciamarroquin1670]

Hi there! What do you use as base? Can I do it in top of a white door?

[@johnantczak4617]

Hi Chris, I have a brand new fiberglass door that I bought for my living room and had it stain. Now that we put the door up we don't like the color of it. Is there a way to restain it and if so how? We love your videos there very helpfull Thanks

[@tiffanyheilman6119]

Make sure the door is clean, dry, dull before you attempt to redo it. If there's an existing clear coat you need to sand that off. As far as changing the color, are you trying to go lighter or darker? Going darker is going to be significantly easier than going lighter...

[@stacieeasterling7149]

can I do this with General Finishes Java Gel?

[@michaelwhittman1956]

I tried wiping gel stain onto a fiberglass door years ago. It was a nightmare.

[@mennyvallejo6508]

Hello idaho painter.God bless.sr How many can i charge for to do gel stain a door?.i live in wichita falls texas.i need to do gel stain a door tomorrow but i dont know how many charge for this job.thanks.

[@ashleycarver9434]

Do you still recommend the Helmsman spar urethane for metal doors in high humidity (Florida)?

[@MilaEllaSofia]

Great video! What color of Mineax Gel stain did you use?

[@lostinmyspace4910]

i HAVE A FIBERGLASS DOOR THAT i DIDN'T TOPCOAT EVERY YEAR, SO NOW i MUST STRIP IT AND RETSTAIN IT. hOW DO YOU STRIP A FIBERGLASS DOOR TO GET TO SQUARE ONE AGAIN FOR A NEW GEL COAT, AND TOP COAT?

[@mirandarodriguez4664]

What brush are you using? I thought I heard "glide "

[@Idahopainter]

Premier Brooke

[@j.kol3491]

You should caulk the frame to the siding as well

[@Idahopainter]

Good suggestion!

[@rickslock]

I'm doing a door much like the one in your video with the blinds inside the glass, it is a fiberglass door no raised grain, what tool would you use to give it that cherry grain look?

[@Patriots37Fan]

This is my second attempt at a refinish. The way you applied it with the brush, did you ever wipe it off with a rag or just use the brush? I have found so many people, manufactures, etc that give different instruction. Even Minwax tell you to brush it on then wipe it off after 3 minutes, but that doesn't appear to be what you have done here. Additionally, the first time i did this, i followed the door mfg direction and saw EVERY point where the brush stopped...HELP

[@MHS_ART]

Hey man quick question! I watch your channel and fan of yours on KZbin. 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!!👍😊

[@richpal3019]

Also, you only seem to wipe off the brush...but I thought you said you would have to wipe down the whole door...a little confused.

[@Idahopainter]

Yes, you apply to the while to the whole door then wipe it off

[@markthompsoncpa]

I think my door is metal clad not fiberglass. Would it work the same way?

[@mtestes99]

Can you stain a door that does not have the wood grain? I have a cheyenne fiberglass door and was planning on staining them but it does not have a faux wood grain in it.

[@Charming214]

It was my first time using gel stain there's couple spots that the stain couldn't get it's lighter how do I fix that

[@peterskaar6907]

Is it necessary to put on some kind primer before using a gel stain on a fiberglass door?

[@Idahopainter]

No

[@maryloudiaz6332]

What if the door is weather with the sun

[@donnalacey3370]

I'm using Old Master's gel stain, which looks a little thicker than what you are using. Is there any way to slightly thin a gel stain to make it more workable?

[@joegrosinski1007]

Chris, did you put a white primer on the door? My door is like a mahogany dark red and we want to change it to minwax dark roast.

[@newjelt]

Hi Chris, thank you for all the great videos. Actually I want to ask you one thing, what if you use this gel staining for the wall what would happen?

[@vet173]

Ok! Thanks So, you primed then your based coat was a latex acrylic base before your gel stain?

[@andrewries7203]

Does Gel Stain work for touch up on a fiber glass door the has a few bad spots in the mullens?

[@peterskaar6907]

How often does the Helmsman spar urethane need to be reapplied (every 2 or 3 years)?

[@Idahopainter]

Depends on climate

[@2jesusIbelong]

i stained my fiberglass exterior doors 3 years ago and want to redo with another color . i was told i needed to strip the color off . i applied the stripper and an hour later its still not bubbling . it did a tiny bit . i reapplied 3 times and still nothing . help!

[@christyoly571]

Can this technique be done on an interior primed embossed hollow core door?

[@みInKahølik]

Do u have to clear coat over the gelstain or is that preference?

[@chadcobanovich6509]

Is it OK to use the water based clear over the oil based gel? I'm actually doing one tomorrow.

[@nancygotez3994]

Great video!! so useful. I have a fiberglass door however when we got it they had primed the casing and trim. I have been told we can use the gel stain to make the door and trim match however the test patches on scrap pieces I have tried show the white primer through. Do you have any tips? We are using Minwax gel in Walnut.

[@heatherheath2668]

Can you tell me more about the product used on the door jambs? Is there a reason you went with something different or could I continue with the same gel stain?

[@robertsenneff8273]

..

[@tararoberts3304]

Robert Senneff bf

[@jasoncarter9356]

Chris I am a recent subscriber and really appreciate the informative videos. Just a few questions. I live in the Southeast so it is humid and relatively hot (mid 80s this time of year) so is there any considerations for temperature and curing time when applying the gel stain outside? Last what type of brush to you recommend for the door application of the gel stain and also for the clear. Thank you so much!

[@mirandarodriguez4664]

My door is very uneven in color, I'm using Mahoney Gel Stain Min Wax. What can i do to fix it in the second coat. I wish i watched your video before i started.😢

[@Idahopainter]

Paint and redo

[@mirandarodriguez4664]

What should I use to remove the Gel Stain ? I can't paint over it, I want it lighter in color.

[@acbaez604]

can this be done using a cup gun. the gel stains are thick so I'm wondering if it would damage my seta gun. ? help :)

[@paulstephens9274]

How ya get grain loom with fiberglass