A client asked me to fix a fiberglas exterior door that had been installed about three years ago and finished by another painter. The surface had dulled slightly and there were a few very small spots where the stain had come off. It also had some mildew. I wiped the door down with a mild bleach solution to kill the mildew. Then I touched up the problem spots using gel stain and a toothpick. So far, so good. I waited a full day to make sure the stain had set. Then I applied a coat of Polycrylic. It was a dry, summer day, with no wind or other complications. I am assuming the brand was Thermatru. I've stained and clear-coated quite a few of their doors in the past, always using the kit they supply with a new door, and never had a problem. The door looked fine when I finished.

The client called me after about 6 months to say the door had taken on a splotchy look. I went back to check. The splotchiness is pretty much confined to the panel beneath the doorknob.

I talked to my SW manager and he suggested that there must be something like moisture coming through from the door, interferring with adhesion of the Polycrylic.

I've tried to think of what could be causing the problem, since I don't want to strip the stain and start all over, even on one panel (if that were even possible without making a larger mess). I don't want to be correcting another painter's errors, and I don't want to do corrective work for free unless it was my faualt.

I'm thinking...is that where their dog rubs against the door when he enters and exits? Did the bleach eat into some layer of old finish? Was Polycrylic the wrong product? How could moisture or dirt be coming through the fiberglas when it didn't show before I clear-coated it? Mostly, I'm thinking, how can I cure the condition?

Has anyone had a similar situation, and if so, what did they do about it?