NDR - wood finish for outdoor project

[Neal Haarberg]

I just hada conversation with a coworker of mine who is in California. He has an outdoor wood project he is working on and was asking about what to finish to use. It is his address that is going to go on his house and was wondering what finish would be good for longevity. I recomended a spar varnish, but it seems that california has banned oil based finishes so I thought I would ask the brain trust here. Any good suggestions for an exterior finish with good uv protection that can be purchased in California?

 

[Steve Sanford]

I just hada conversation with a coworker of mine who is in California. He has an outdoor wood project he is working on and was asking about what to finish to use. It is his address that is going to go on his house and was wondering what finish would be good for longevity. I recomended a spar varnish, but it seems that california has banned oil based finishes so I thought I would ask the brain trust here. Any good suggestions for an exterior finish with good uv protection that can be purchased in California?

Neal~

I am wondering if the Golden State has fully banned oil-based finishes. Here in the Empire State, the ban applies to gallons and larger volumes but exempts quarts. And, I am wondering if marine finishes are banned as well.

I am guessing you co-worker wants a 'bright" finish. If not, semi-gloss latex paint can hold up well for this application. (Of course, I sealed the White Pine with spar varnish first.....).



All the best,

SJS

 

[Eric Patterson]

Neal

Several years back I came to the conclusion there is no long-term finish for wood left outdoors. Spar varnish with UV blockers eventually breaks down and when it does you can't simply brush on a new coat on top. If you do it can flake and peel. You have to take it back down to wood and do it all over. Instead, I have gone back to more traditional oil-based finishes. My go-tos are straight boiled linseed oil, tung oil, and Waterlox. I'll recommend Waterlox who makes products for exterior applications. This is a tung oil varnish blend that can be wiped or brushed. It is foolproof to apply and deepens the grain depth as oils do. Simply put is better looking than today's poly finishes that look plasticky. The downside is it doesn't last forever. About every two years at my latitude I have to re-finish. But unlike the poly-based finishes I don't have to go back to wood. I simply lightly hand sand, which acts as much as a cleaner as anything else, and wipe on a coat of Waterlox. They call it a "repairable" finish because it can be repaired by going over the top with a fresh coat, as opposed to stripping back to bare wood and re-applying. If he is making the sign he might just be the type who wants to show it a little love every couple of years and wipe on a new coat. If he doesn't want to do that he sure as heck won't want to strip, sand, and re-apply the spar varnish.

Waterlox® MARINE Formula - Waterlox Coatings Corporation

Waterlox Marine formula protects marine wood and outdoor wood furniture and doors from UV rays and weather.

waterlox.com

 

[Chris Hughes]

Neal

Being in the marine trade I am partial to spar varnish., but I am sure that's banned in California.
There is a product we use called Cetol in place of traditional varnish. You put on approximately 4 coats,no sanding in between coats then lightly sand then two coats of clear. It comes in various shades. Don't know if it falls under California's ban products...

 

[HenryHawthorne]

I suspect it's the solvents (VOCs) that are banned, and any of the varnished will have those. Pure tung oil (which you can think with a citrus solvent) is a good option, but it takes multiple wipes and time to cure (full cure roughly 30 days, but could probably put it out after 7). Linseed oil is also good, tends to yellow more than tung.