Prepping for the Winter

It's that time again. Winter is coming and I have to put some protection on the front door. Since the front of the house is south facing, the door needs at least two coats of Cabot's Gloss Spar Varnish, "maximum sun and water defense."

Cabot offers extreme-weather protection and delivers a marine-quality finish. I used to buy Cabot's marine finish but Lowe's doesn't carry it anymore. I guess they replaced it with the "Gloss Spar Varnish."

Let's get down to business!

Step 1: Prepare tools, utensils, and cover the floor

• Gloves, blue painter's tape, sand paper, MinWax Red Sedona stain and 1 gallon of Cabot varnish

Step 2: Apply the blue to protect the glass and other areas you don't want to get dirty.

Step 3: Lightly sand the door (use a fine grit sand paper), this will allow the stain to better adhere to the wood. 

Step 5: Apply the stain using a white rag. Preferably a white t-shirt.

Step 6: Give the stain about 5 hours to dry.