I have a front timber door, partly mahogany I do believe, facing west which is about ten years in place (original). It was stained and varnished before we moved in five years ago.In places, particularly under the door and on some panels, the stain is getting rather scarce. I varnished over the whole door and surrounds twice since we came here. At this stage the whole door and surrounds are becoming very neglected looking. What I am considering is removing all the varnish down to the timber. Should I use Nitromors or is there a more appropriate remedy? 


I would agree that stripping the door and surrounds down to bare wood is the best thing to do at this stage. The Nitromors would be an excellent product. It does smell a bit but it sure gets that varnish off. You might use a stiff nylon brush to get into the nooks and crannies. You may need to apply the Nitromors a couple of times depending on how many layers of varnish is on the wood. Pick up one of those multi cornered scrapers as it works great in crevices getting the varnish off. After you’ve stripped the varnish off, you will need to clean the wood thoroughly with white spirits. (check directions) Give the whole door a light sanding with 320 paper to get rid of any rough bits and ‘dead skin’


If you want a long lasting low maintenance matte finish I would go for a powerful marine finish like the Deks Olje D1. Before you apply your finish, do a colour / shade test on the wood as follows. When the wood has dried out, apply some water to a section and this will tell you how it will look colour-wise after the D1. If you want it darker, stain it to suit prior to applying your D1.  The D1 is used on wooden boats below the water line, which says something about its ability to keep out water. The idea is to apply as many coats of the D1 as the wood will accept. Apply one coat after the other, its like giving the wood a drink, the D1 will keep going in to your wood until it’s had enough, and then you stop. Depending on how ‘parched’ your door is will determine how many coats of D1 you apply. 


It may sound like a hard job but in fact it is very easy, because as soon as you get to the other side of the door etc, the first pass will have been absorbed and then you go back and do it again.

When your door has had enough to drink, wipe off any areas that have excess, or unabsorbed. This will leave a lovely matte finish that will not peel or flake and last for years. If you would like a high gloss finish I would recommend a few coats of Deks Olje D2 on top of your D1. By the way if any D1 or D2 gets on glass, wipe it off right away with white spirits and a clean cloth. Good luck.