The client did the taping, haha. I wasn’t going to use it. In all fairness to the client, it is a brand new gucci custom door, and behind the florescent tape is actually beautiful stained glass. Anyway, after the shingles had been restored, the client kindly asked if I would be interested in doing the door. A door that wasn’t set to arrive for another few weeks. Meanwhile, I was just a day or so from moving off her project and onto the next.

I asked if the door was expensive and she wanted to know what constituted expensive. I said $2500. She said it was expensive.

I do one front door every five years. When that one door is presented to me and I know darned well that I should be the guy that does it, it only takes seconds to begin remembering what it really takes to professionally stain a door like this one and why it is that I only do one “expensive enough” front door every five years or so.

Let’s take a front entrance door like this one. Typically, it’s finished off and protected with some form of lacquering. Am I wrong about that because maybe I am. Or perhaps it’s stained and then lacquered. The methodology suggests to protect the front door as if it were an indoor kitchen cabinet. That said, the misunderstood protocol is finishing this door off with some form of lacquer based material. Likely best if sprayed. One of two or three coats, I actually have very little clue, it’s not my area of expertise.

If the door gets any sun (and I mean any) OR gets wet when it rains, OR it gets both, that beautiful door won’t look so bossanova after some time. If the door is set back enough into a deep enough entranceway, that’s one thing. If however it is exposed to even the most minimum set of elemental circumstances, the only smart way to play this one out for the best short and long-term results, is to use a water based material and maintain accordingly.

This sharp client saw the light for sure. She also knew that a high glossy sheen lacquer door up against her matte finished shingles would look out of place. I accepted the job. I charged a premium. Chocolate Cream Country Beach Barn.

Santa Cruz Aptos Capitola Shingles Decks