Hi Peter,
My Canoe Club has 5 cast iron and wood park benches that are always out in the weather. Each is made from 8 wood pieces that are about 5 feet long and two or three inches wide. Most of the wood is in very poor condition, so I am replacing all of the wood and repainting the iron.
I have decided to use different species for the five benches. I am interested in knowing the best finishes to apply. No one is likely to maintain these benches , so I don’t want to use varnishes. The benches will be exposed to only some sunlight and will not be protected in the winter. I live in Philadelphia.
I have just finished restoring a bench that will use walnut. What finish do you recommend and what will likely happen to it?
I will also make one from Oak, and another one from Ipe, and one from Sapeli (similar to Mahogany).
Thanks
Replies
David,
Unfortunately there are no free rides when it comes to exterior wood work. Since you said varnish is out of the question you have two other options.
You could paint them. Obviously they would need to be repainted occasionally but would not require the yearly maintenance of varnishing.
The other option is to use a clear preservative such as Olympic or Cabot on them. All it would take is a wash in the springtime and a quick re coat of the oil.
I use a wash of TSP and a little bleach to clean the cedar siding on my shop. After it dries well, I use a small garden sprayer to apply the oil preservative. This may work well for you too.
Good luck.
Peter
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled