Menu
What's new

Outdoor furniture finish

Matt Ducar

Matt Ducar

Member
Messages
152
Location
Boston, MA
A few years ago we bought some wooden outdoor furniture -- from the store that supplies the pictographs of the least creative way to assemble the parts. Even though they've been stored in the garage for the winters, the finish isn't holding up.

If I recall, they are made of acacia wood. I ended up giving everything a light sanding and gave them a coat of a dark gel stain to even out the colour variations.

Once that dries, I want to apply some sort of finish to provide some protection from the elements. Am I better off applying something like a spar varnish, thompson's waterseal, or something else? I'm sure there are a variety of opinions on the matter -- so let them fly!

If it matters, the furniture is the table and chairs we use on our deck.

Thanks,
Matt
 
I've used epifanes spar varnish with good success. No greying after 3 yrs now on some morris chairs that get direct sun for over 1/2 a day. It's about time to recoat them I think. from what I've read, you need to put on another coat of finish every 2-3 yrs because the UV protectant breaks down.

It's not the easiest product to deal with and it's expensive. It would be great for a boat or nice stained wood entryway door that are expensive/need the best protection. It does a great job, but I'm not sure if it was worth the trouble for patio furniture.
 
Matt Ducar said:
... the finish isn't holding up.

If I recall, they are made of acacia wood. I ended up giving everything a light sanding and gave them a coat of a dark gel stain to even out the colour variations.

Once that dries, I want to apply some sort of finish to provide some protection from the elements. Am I better off applying something like a spar varnish, thompson's waterseal, or something else? I'm sure there are a variety of opinions on the matter -- so let them fly!

...
Click to expand...

If you find ANY long lasting outdoor finish, please let me know.

Thompson's water seal is a cheap light oil that soaks into the wood, and in my cynical opinion washes off with the first rain. Not good on stained/sealed wood, and ... well, not good. I sometimes use it on weatherbeaten fences and decks, which soak anything in.

Spar varnish is a soft varnish designed to flex with the changing temperatures, etc. Your primary choice of varnishes for outdoor use. (Spar comes from boat spars - masts).

I have had mixed luck with Cabot's Australian Timber Oil. It is designed for a hard oily wood, where not much sinks in. Therefore it forms a film on the surface - a cross between oil and varnish. My problem is that, as it wears off, you have an uneven surface, which makes refinishing hard. I am waiting for it to finish wearing off some ipe outdoor furniture, then I don't know what I will use - maybe nothing.
 
I made my first piece of outdoor furniture in 2006. Ive used white cedar, red cedar, redwood, white oak, mahogany, spanish cedar, ipe, pressure treated pine, and maybe a few others I cant think off.

I dont care what anyone says, not one finish Ive used held up well over the years or prevented discoloration. The sun will ruin any finish.
I typically use an oil, but it has to be done yearly if you want to keep the furniture looking good.

The only product Ive used that I have yet to have to retouch after 2 or so seasons, is mahogany with Sikkens and Thompsons.
Its not furniture, its trim work, shutters, but its the original color and looks the same as the first day I applied it.

Ive spent a fortune on epifanes, and its looks great for the season, but never holds up.

A few weeks ago, I sanded down an Ipe outdoor table I made, one I havent touched in 2 years, it was turning grey, and reapplied Messmers deck oil.
It looks great again, but will need sanding and recoating every year to stay in that condition.

I gave a neighbor of mine, a set of pressure treated adirondack chairs 3 years ago.
He paints them redwood color every year, then puts many coats of what I believe is thompsons redwood colored deck treatment. He fusses over them, they look better than the day I gave them to him.
 
Last edited:
allen levine said:
....
I dont care what anyone says, not one finish Ive used held up well over the years or prevented discoloration. The sun will ruin any finish.

...
Click to expand...

My experience exactly

allen levine said:
...
A few weeks ago, I sanded down an Ipe outdoor table I made, one I havent touched in 2 years, it was turning grey, and reapplied Messmers deck oil.
It looks great again, but will need sanding and recoating every year to stay in that condition.
...
Click to expand...

The local ipe importer here in Austin says that you can power wash and refinish to regain the color (rather than sanding). I have power washed but enough film finish remained that I chose not to refinish... yet. Or may learn to love the gray.
 
I powerwash all my outdoor furniture each season but this year my son borrowed the powerwasher so I havent done it yet.

I have decent success with thompsons, as far as waterproofing, if I apply at least 2 coats and really let the coats dry thoroughly before applying another.
sometimes, I have to wait 5 or6 days unti I feel its totall dry.
water beads up on it like a freshly polished car, dont know how much help it is, but at least I figure the chairs arent getting water ruined.
 
I've given up on spar varnishes and spar urethanes...film finish in general. When they fail they are a PITA to refinish, and they all fail. I used Interlux Schooner on a front Mahogany door I made, and it failed the first year.

I would go with an oil finish, and Penofin red label has high UV protection. It's available in colors. Its an easy maintenance finish.



masterlogo.jpg

movingplane1.gif
 
Thanks for confirming my suspicions that anything worth applying is going to cost some $$$.

Given that this is lower quality manufactured stuff, I'm thinking of applying something like Thompsons and knowing I'll need to re-apply every year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top