It s got to be semigloss.
Best exterior door finish.
Water repellent preservatives wrps are a great choice on wood decks.
For a natural look penetrating oil finishes might be your best bet.
An epoxy sealer with an exterior varnish topcoat is the most durable outdoor finish and can last for many many years.
High quality formulations have finely ground pigments that block uv rays while allowing the grain to show.
They shed water for a year or so before requiring reapplication.
The same goes for exterior trim.
Teak oil tung oil and tung oil finishes.
The best protection for an exterior door is opaque paint all clear finishes will need constant maintenance.
However the initial application does take longer then exterior varnish.
Previous varnish only finishes only lasted 2 3 years.
The combination has worked amazingly well for me on a west facing exterior oak door that looks as good today as it did after refinishing 7 8 years ago.
Water repellents wrs.
Pettit marine paint s captain s varnish and epifanes wood finish matte.
Their popularity and effectiveness for finishing the bright work on boats makes them the best choice for protecting exterior wooden doors that are exposed to harsh weather elements year round.
My go to finish system for exterior doors is a combination of two products.
A storm door would also be a big help in protecting the door form the elements.
Water repellents and water repellent preservatives.
In my opinion spar varnish will give you the best clear coat protection against water.
As soon as it begins to crack or peel it s only going to get worse.
Whether it s a marine grade spar varnish or otherwise a film forming finish such as varnish only truly seals the wood when the film is intact.
My go to finish system for exterior doors is a combination of two products.
Their popularity and effectiveness for finishing the bright work on boats makes them the best choice for protecting exterior wooden doors that are exposed to harsh weather elements year round.
From the original questioner.
When it comes to painting your front door there are a million colors to choose from but only one real option for the finish.
An exterior oil finish is definitely the simplest quickest way to treat an outdoor project.
The best clear finish for an exterior door is 3 coats of clear epoxy followed with 2 3 coats of spar varnish.
Pettit marine paint s captain s varnish and epifanes wood finish matte.