Hi all,
I really hope someone can offer advice - my textured steel doors have a clear coat which is flaking off due to weather and or UV damage. The interior side is absolutely fine. I want to know what sort of clear coat is used on these imitation wood steel doors so that I could gently remove the loose bits and apply a fresh clear coat. I don't want to change the colour of the door, just repair the clear top coat. Thant you all!

I have scratched an area where the clear coat has bubbled and it has come off. The white lines/ areas here are visible

These are white lines/ areas rather than sun reflection
he photos how the white lines/ areas where the coat has turned white (the white bits are not a reflection of the sun). Thanks a lot for your help and advice.

 

It is possibly a UV cured urethane. Removing the clear coat without damaging or removing the faux wood graining will be difficult/impossible. You can try a paint stripper on a small spot in the corner to see if you are able to remove the clear without getting too badly into the woodgrain. Still, I would start thinking of paint colors you might like.

 

Thank you, Pilot Dane. I don't mind the work, so before trying to remove any loose coat I am trying to figure out what is that wood effect made out of. I was thinking of using acrylic enamel clear coat, that they use on cars.. but I have no idea if that's suitable for this type of surface. The wood effect under this peeling clear coat feels smooth, not rough at all like you can imagine on a really old car where the clear coat has peeled off. Any ideas will be helpful

 

If its a steel door then the wood grain is printed on the surface vs a fiberglass or wood that has grain and is stained.

Taking the clear off is going to take the wood grain off, as noted it's now going to become a solid color painted steel door!

 

Truthfully you will be better off going back to the manufacturer and just ordering a new door slab to match. I just checked online with a local box store and they start at $211. So assuming you know where the door is from, or what brand it is, I would suggest you get a quote to replace it. If someone was paying me to try to refinish that door (-even if it was possible, which it probably isnt) there is no way I could do it that cheap. Take the old door off it's hinges and put the new door back on.

And depending on how old the door is, there might be a slim chance that the finish is warranteed for a short period of time. Another reason to look into it.