Finish for Outdoor Projects – Recomme…
*
I have seen numerous postings, lately, asking about what finishes to use for projects that will be used outdoors. So, I thought that I would put together a recommendation based upon my experience.
Like many of you, I prefer the natural beauty of wood, so for commissions that will see use outdoors, I will invariably use a high grade marine varnish, either by Interlux or Epifanes (epee-fawn-ees). These are probably the two best varnishes that are available in today’s market and are used by the top boat builders in the country.
Both manufacturers offer several formulations and are specially designed to withstand the rigors of a harsh marine environment. I have found that your “off the shelf” spar varnishes are inferior for outdoor use and will last only a year or two before you have to refinish. I built a picnic table and benches out of Western Red Cedar about 25 years ago finished with Epifanes Clear, this spring I will have to refinish it for the first time. Interlux and Epifanes are available only through your local chandlery or marina. For product descriptions, go to http://www.interlux.com or http://www.epifanes.com and both manufacturers offer fillers for open grain woods such as oak.
As with any project, the key to excellent results in the finish application begins with wood preparation. Personally, I use smoothing planes, a #80 cabinet scraper, and/or card scrapers in lieu of sanding. I feel that by slicing the wood fibers as opposed to abrading them will give you better results and control over applying the finish. If I must sand I go down to 320 grit.
For the application of the varnish you can spray or brush. If you are going to spray, follow the manufactures instructions precisely and use their thinners. For brush work, invest in a high quality china bristle brush. IMHO, Epifanes makes the finest brushes available and I have found Linzers and Purdys to be pretty good. The important thing to remember when using a brush is to load it about half way and not to “over work” the area. It is not a good idea to apply the varnish in direct sunlight because it will begin to dry too quickly, this makes it very difficult to level by “tipping”. This is where you feather the area you are working into the previous area you worked using only the weight of the brush. Another thing to remember is don’t unload the brush by pressing it against the inside lip of the can, this will cause air bubbles. Unload the brush by letting the excess varnish drip off the brush, then turn the brush up as you take it to the area to be worked. It is imperitave that the environment that you work in is completely dust free.
To speed up the drying process you can lay the piece in direct sunlight or make a light box using fluorescent black lights. I use 220 grit aluminum oxide to sand between coats and 320 grit silicon lubricated with water between the final coat. I will use compressed air and a tack cloth to remove any residue from the dry sanding and a clean damp cloth to remove the wet sanding residue. I usually apply six coats unless I want a really deep look then I will go to as many ten or fifteen.
The varnishes by these manufactures for exterior use are high gloss so, if you don’t want a high gloss finish use 600 grit silicon, wet, for a satin finish or 1200 grit, wet, for a semi gloss finish.
In closing I would suggest that you do your varnish work in early morning or early evening when the air is calm and cool. I will also stress that because these varnishes are formulated for the harsh environment associated with marine use, they should last many years before you need to “bare wood” the piece. Properly applied, there should be no need to polish the varnish. Good luck and have fun.
Dano
Replies
*
Hey Dano thanks man Im gonna be building a custom gate for a very picky client good stuff you answered about 3/4 of my questions your the bomb man
*Ron,No problem. Must be the time of year for outdoor projects.:) What about the other 1/4 of the questions?Dano
*You know dano those are the ones you really dont know until you get into something and have to figure it out. for me a durable finish read: the appearance, is as important as the actual construction. here in so cal we do get harsh weather but where you nw guys deal with moisture and cold we have to deal w/ heat and some moisture .
*Ron,FWIW, I live in Klamath Falls, Or. High desert, drought conditions, lot's of sunshine.:)Dano
*yea you an the loggers and waving at me when i drove through there remember ;)
*Ron, yeah I remember now. Loggers with purple rigs.:)Dano
*I noticed you built a custom gate. Any recommendations on shrinkage, glues, finishes, pricing, etc.?? Particularly looking for articles, books etc that would help. Thanks
*Is there a link for woodworkers who deal in veneers?I am trying to find out how much shrinkage occurs when building doors with veneers?
*Chris, try posting this question in the main forum, you'll get a much better response.
*Chris,Try http://www.woodfinder.comAre you going to be veneering entrance or passage doors? There are numerous books out there that have tables to calculate wood movement. But, these tables are only approximations since it would be impossible to be 100% accurate. Wood of the same species and even from the same tree can vary because of the difference in grain.Give us more information on these doors that you plan on making. I have made all types ranging from torsion box entrance doors to conventional six panel solid wood passage doors. FWIW, I have also posted some pictures of a screen door I built out of Western Red Cedar over in the "Gallery."Dano
*after reading the article by danford jennings re: outdoor finishes, I am left with one question. I recently completed an outdoor dining table and benches, which I stained with white pickling finish. eurethane could potentially amber. however, since they are stained pieces of furniture, I am wondering if marine varnish is a viable option to protect the finish from UV rays, and weather, without the drawback of ambering and over an already stained piece of furniture?
*Kimberly,Providing that the stain is oil based, a high quality marine varnish would be the preferred finish, IMHO.Dano
*Dano,Can I really get even twenty years out of one of these varnishes? Really? I could make alot of deck clients happy with that assertion. I guess my questions are -which specific varnish was used? Since it's been twentyfive years, which product would you recomend today? Each company has several products, including two part linear polyurethanes. What about stains and thier color retention and compatibility? What finish (compatibility wise) could I go over on an existing surface?Thanks for the great tips! John Doyle
*John,For a deck, no. Primarily because of the foot traffic. As stated the original was Epifanes. For decks I would still recommend either Epifanes or Interlux in a polyurethane. They have only improved their technology. They would be compatible with any oil based stain, providing it (the stain) is completely dry. Do not know how they would work over a product such as Thompsons Water Seal but, will surmise not very well as these products seem to "never" dry. If there is an existing finish, it is always wise to "bare wood" first, primarily for consistency in tone or color.These varnishes have superior UV blockers and are formulated to with stand the rigors of a marine environment where not only moisture is an issue but heat and intense sunlight as well. Hope this helps.Dano
*Hey Dano,Thanks for the quick reply. So, no to twenty years on a deck? Could of put my kids through college with that. How many years (in your opinion) on a deck? My buddies "cadilac" solid deck stain, he claims, yields 9ish years. I noticed that one of the companies has a no skid varnish, which would seem prudent on decks.I'm planning to try one (varnish - high gloss, availibility will decide)) on a door refinish I picked up yesterday. I'll try and get something I can spray. I've noticed Interlux offers spray reducers. What Do you think about japan dryer to help? Also, I have to match the interior stain color which has me thinking about toning. I like Trans tints and solar lux for that.I'm leary of solar lux because I have only used it with lacquers. Trans tint seems pretty much compatible with everything. Really, I'm pretty much an interior/ lacquer guy.Thanks againJohn Doyle
*Hey Dano,Thanks for the quick reply. So, no to twenty years on a deck? Could of put my kids through college with that. How many years (in your opinion) on a deck? My buddies "cadilac" solid deck stain, he claims, yields 9ish years. I noticed that one of the companies has a no skid varnish, which would seem prudent on decks.I'm planning to try one (varnish - high gloss, availibility will decide)) on a door refinish I picked up yesterday. I'll try and get something I can spray. I've noticed Interlux offers spray reducers. What Do you think about japan dryer to help? Also, I have to match the interior stain color which has me thinking about toning, since I prefer to sneak up on color matches. I like Trans tints and solar lux for that.I'm leary of solar lux because I have only used it with lacquers. Trans tint seems pretty much compatible with everything. Really, I'm pretty much an interior/ lacquer guy.Thanks againJohn Doyle
*John,Tried e-mailing you, it bounced. Mine's good. Go here: "Barkeep, let me pay my tab.."Dano
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled