How to Protect Wood Door from Sun Damage? Best Effective Ways

The sun’s scorching heat in summer harms the exterior wooden doors. The sun’s UV rays directly affect the doors and reduce their longevity. Many of us are ignorant that sun damage can be irrecoverable sometimes. The finish of the wood might crack, fade or peel, which will make the wood look incredibly dull over time. If you want to eliminate the frustration, go through this article and understand how to protect wood doors from sun damage. 

Reasons to Protect Wood Doors from Sun Damage

In the summer, we feel so stressed about dealing with our precious things and protecting them from the scorching heat of the sun. Every homeowner prepares themselves mentally before summer knocks at the door. Now the question is, is your home able to tolerate the heat of the sun? Or, can you ever protect your house’s exterior wholly from the possible damage of the sun? The simple answer is not at all. 

The harsh sun’s heat hits anything very severely, and the consequences of the damage may stay for a long time. In addition, the sun’s ultraviolet rays can adversely affect different materials, and wood is one of them. If the heat is too harsh for the wood to tolerate, it will cause fading, warping, cracking, and peeling of the wood door surfaces. Ultimately, the wooden door will lose its durability and appearance. 

In the extreme case, the doors can expand or contract too. Nobody wants their precious exterior wooden doors to look dull. The dull appearance of the wooden door will cause you to throw it off your home. It is so frustrating to deal with such complicated issues. Therefore, you must take proper steps to protect your house’s exterior wood door from the sun’s damage.

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Different Ways to Protect Wood Doors From Sun Damage

Is Summer knocking at the door? It is time to take some preventive steps to increase your exterior wooden door’s lifespan by following the most effective methods. Here are some ways to protect your door from sun damage. 

Method 1: Create a Shaded Area

First, you should create a shaded area that can protect your wood doors from the sun’s damage. A shade can increase the longevity of your precious exterior doors. We all know that valuable materials should be kept from the sun to keep the product usable for a long time. 

There are many ways to create shade for your doors, like planting trees, landscaping, or an awning above your house’s exterior doors. The natural shade of trees around the exterior wooden doors provides an excellent cover for years and protects the doors from direct sunlight. 

Creating a shaded area will not only protect the wood doors of your house from UV rays but also keep your house cool throughout the summer season. It will also add an extraordinary appearance to your home. You can also install a canopy or awning above your doors to block the direct UV rays and prevent sun damage. 

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Method 2: Refinish the Wood Doors

Everything loses its charm as time passes by. A wood door can be faded after using it for a long time. You should refinish the doors to get their lucrative look of back and make them reusable. Check out the steps to refinish the wood doors as follows: 

Step 1: Sand the Wood Doors  

Start with sanding the wooden doors to remove the previous leftover finish. Sanding will help you to make the process of applying varnish smoother and more manageable. For any wood project you want to refinish, sanding is the process you can’t avoid. 

Step 2: Use Exterior Varnish

After sanding the door properly, apply several coats of a suitable exterior varnish. The varnish must have UV protection agents; otherwise, refinishing the wood doors has no purpose at all. Next, use high-quality and clear paint on the doors. You can take help from an expert in choosing the most suitable paint for your exterior doors. Picking incorrect or low-quality paint can’t prevent the penetration of UV rays. 

Method 3: Replace and Get New Doors 

If the door is damaged harshly and requires lots of effort to refinish, you should consider replacing the old exterior doors and getting new ones. There is no need to take care of the extreme damages. Don’t think twice about changing your house’s warped and cracked doors, and install the best replacement door. 

We recommend you install a fiberglass door instead of another wood door as it is a more efficient and cost-effective solution. Fiberglass doors can withstand the sun’s extreme heat for an extended period. In addition, they give your exterior a more versatile look.   

FAQs

How does the sun affect wooden doors? 

The heat of the sun causes severe damage to the wooden doors. The sun’s UV rays or the temperature variation cause cracks on the wooden surface. Sunlight also fades away the color and actual appearance of the door and reduces longevity. 

How can I block the direct sunlight towards the wooden door?

You can plant some trees, which is the least expensive solution to block the direct sunlight toward the wood doors. Though it can’t prevent sun damage wholly, you can limit the amount of sun heat. This is because trees are natural shades that regulate the extremity of temperature. 

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What kind of varnish should I use on wooden doors to protect from sun damage? 

You must consider choosing a UV-blocking paint or varnish to cover the cracks and peel off the wooden surface. A high-quality UV-blocking varnish can protect the wood door from years of sun exposure. However, you should apply several coatings to make the door resistant to heat, rain, or all airborne moisture. 

Concluding Thoughts

When summer knocks at the door, the sun’s heat beats down our house’s wooden doors very baldly. In that case, you must consider protecting the doors from damage with all your efforts. You need to know the methods or steps to protect the front wooden doors of your house from UV rays to ensure the longevity of the doors. This article on ‘how to protect wood doors from sun damage will help you to save your patio doors, front doors, or side doors.

Hey, I'm George Fanton. I've over nine years of experience in the woodworking industry. I've cultivated a deep interest in practical wood and tasks. I enjoy sharing new information on woodworking technology to maintain my expertise in the current woodworking industries.

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