Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Outdoor Front Steps

I'm thinking about replacing our front steps (just your run of the mill wood, pressure treated and painted) with oak rails, treads and newel posts, and wrought iron balustrades. I was just wondering what the best sort of finish would be on those. Do I need to use a spar varnish? I need something that'll stand up against all kinds of weather and not need refinishing for a long, long time.

Assuming you want a clear/stain finish you need to use spar varnish/poly. Unfortunatetly neither will hold up long with UV and weather exposure. Depending on exposure you could expect to sand and recoat anywhere from every 8 months to every couple years.

never put a film forming material on a horizontal surface that will be outside. there is one product from sikkens that is the exception, however you must do all 6 sides of the wood and it must be a minnium of 3 feet off of the ground. after you put on the first coat , you install the piece and apply a second coat. then every 2-4 years you have to do a maintance coat. again, this is the only film forming material for steps. others will peel.

Unless you go with and industrial epoxy urathane.

So, what are my options if I want wooden front steps? Is it just too impractical? Should they just be stained and not varnished and restained every year?

green treated work best. if you want you can stain them with a semi-transparent stain. the same stuff you would use a deck. If you get a good stain then you may not have to do them every year. it depends on the enviroment, exposure to sunlight, and the quality of the stain applied. to give you an idea, you are looking to spend $40-$70 per gallon. the cheap stains are just that; cheap. furthermore, you will want to brush it on. lastly, the color you chose is important. most good semi-trans stains are pigmented differently then the cheap ones, these colorants absorbe uv better. thus, the more pigments, the longer it will last.