I am looking for some advice on fixing this defect on our Mahogany Entry Doors. These are 4 years old and this is showing up. Any clue as what is causing this and how to repair ?
Thanks,
Pete
Is it a veneer?
Probably the most convincing patch would be to face that section down (probably just sanding will work), then seal it, then apply a sheet of mahogany veneer, then lightly sand and refinish the entire door.
Is there any warranty on the door & it’s finish?
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It’s solid, and warranty was for 1 year. I did rub some mineral oil onto it about 2 months ago, made it look good and the defect disappeared. This appears to me like something growing on the wood in that area.
This has me perplexed, I can usually fix things but just not sure what to do with this.
I would try to find out from the manufacturer what kind of finish they used. The mineral oil may not have played nice with it. And to get a decent color match with the rest of the door if you sand down & refinish that panel.
l’m thinking sand, seal and refinish.
Hopefully just this section.
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Good suggestion about sanding and refinish the one panel. Now if I can find the right finish they used. I think the doors came from Mexico. I’ll send off an e-mail and hope for the best in matching.
Thanks everyone, nice to bounce ideas off experienced people 
If that is something growing on the wood, it may be in the wood. It does not look the same but gunstocks sometimes grow fuzzy white mold. You might want to search that and see how that is resolved.
This almost looks like a lacquer finish that has started to break down. There seems to be a second area near the center that looks like it is starting to fail also. This could be due to several things happening.
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Wrong finish for an exterior exposure side. Take a look at the inside of the door and see what is happening in the same area and the overall look inside.
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This area is near the handle, is there a possibility that an arm or hand is making contact with the door and oils from skin is being transferred to the door and this can react with the finish.
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Does the area look like it could have been damaged prior to you getting the door. Its possible that if this happened it could have been repaired while the door was being built and exposure is making this condition surface.
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Did the mineral oil make this worse (give it a cracked look) if so there could be a reaction between the mineral oil and finish.
Once you find out what finish was used you can make a plan on how to repair this.
Keep us updated
Anthony
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Is that a knot underneath the cracked finish?
IF SO, you will need to sand down the area then seal the knot with whatever your local big-box hardware store suggests or search the internet. Once the sealer i cured then you can re-apply a finish clear coat.
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Bummer. Mahogany darkens with sunlight. So sanding, staining and top coat that one panel will likely look…off or unbalanced even if you use the same stain as the OEM. Doing all of the panels may be better because even if the tone is slightly different, at least it will be symmetric. But your best option may be a full refinish and using a UV-resistant exterior clearcoat. I’ve used Osmo in the past…8 years on my front door with heavy direct sun exposure. Osmo Finish Oil Exterior UV Protection | RealCraft
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My guess says there is a knot causing your trouble. They are of different density than the surrounding wood thus absorb/hold stains and finishes different than standard grain.
Head over to a hardwood lumber supplier (not Lowes, Home Depot, etc) and show them the images. They will likely have the best advice and course of action.
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Is the same thing happening over on the middle right?
If so, I would say there is something defective with the finish itself…and I would recommend sanding down and refinishing the entire door (at least the flat sections). It seems that more of this is going to happen - and it will likely be the only way to get some kind of consistency across the door over time.
If it’s just the one spot, I would sand and refinish the entire panel. That is not a natural mahogany color (to my eye)…so I’m suspecting there is a finish color there. You can mix several finishes together on a piece of similar mahogany (or a small section towards the bottom) and try to approximate the weathered color of the panel. Once you find a color match (when it’s dry), sand the panel starting at 60 grit and ending at 220, then stain the panel, let it dry, give it light hand-sanding with a high-grit sandpaper (like 320) (or ‘0000’ steel wool, if you’re not using a water-based finish) then finish it with a clear outdoor finish with a UV additive. I would consider doing the entire door with this final light sand and finish - to get a consistency. If you really want a nice furniture-finished-finish, use ‘0000’ steel wool to apply a furniture grade paste wax and then buff it off after it dries.
Gary
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It’s time to sand and refinish the door. 4 years is not crazy for the finish to break down especially if it sees the sun any at all. The knot is going to be the first place that breaks down because it doesn’t take the product in the grains as well. In the picture I can see other areas starting to glaze over.
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