Exterior wood finish recommendations

[dug]

I need to stain/seal two new exterior wood doors and am looking for some product recommendations. 

One of the doors is covered by a porch and is exposed to no sun or rain. The other one will eventually be covered as well.

I have used polyurethane before and I guess it would be O.K. but it seems to yellow after a time. Also- it would be a plus time wise if I could stain and seal in one step.

Anyone have any positive (or negative) experience with one product over another?

[MountainDon]

This will be of little help, so I should probably keep quiet. I haven't found any clear/transparent finish for wood that I like here in the SW. I guess that's why we used steel for doors and paint.

Here's a link to something that may help sort out the pluses and minuses.

http://www.woodbin.com/cgi-bin/woodfinish.cgi

and/or
http://www.finewoodworking.com/pages/w00060.asp

[PEG688]

I've used Daly's Seafin Oil on my own doors with great results. I apply a couple of coats each summer and generally at least one on a nice winter day. My doors are Standard VG Fir veneer that can be purchased at any retailer that sells doors.

That being said MOST people will not do the maintenance required even if it's simple like:::

  Wipe the door down with a rag damp with paint thinner, then wipe down door with Seafin oil , dispose of rags properly. 

 

[TheWire]

Take PEG seriously when he says "dispose of rags properly".  I used an oil based finish in my log home.  Every night we took the rags, put them in a bag and threw them in the yard till the next morning when we put them in our burn barrel.  2 times we awoke to nothing but a pile of ashes in the dirt where the rags self ignited.

[NM_Shooter]

I have a lot of exposed wood on my portal at my house, and I used Behr Natural Tone Redwood stain... although it is pretty dark.  I have heard that the darker the stain the better for protecting wood from UV light.  We have to re-coat about every 5 or 6 years (it is due for another coat now).

[MountainDon]

Re Rags and oil finishes.   If the rag is spread out in a single, non crumpled layer, the oil will air dry and harden. Once the rag is stiff and dry it will no longer be susceptible to spontaneous combustion. Oily paint rags may also be dropped into a bucket of water. That prevents fires but leaves you with an oil/water mix that needs to be disposed of.

[MountainDon]

The more pigmentation in the finish the better the UV protection, as Frank pointed out. The real issue is how to protect wood with a nice clear finish to let the natural grain show through. That requires more maintenance than most folk seem ready or able to provide.