I am working on an outdoor table (white oak) that will be used on a covered porch. I had planned to stain it and then apply some type of marine varnish. does anyone have any other suggestions? I am lookikng for something durable that I will not have to recoat every year or so.
Thanks in advance
Replies
david,
Yes!
Someone who wants to finish an outdoor table with something that will actually withstand the elements.
Absolutely, follow the path you've suggested. Real marine spar varnish, from a marine supply store - not from the hardware store or Big Box.
Marine spar varnish is more expensive than "ordinary" varnish, but in the long-term, more economical as it will outlast by many times.
Actually, under a covered porch, almost any high-quality varnish WILL give many years of service. But outdoors, even under a porch, UV light and the effects of the weather are a reality and true marine spar will last the longest.
Rich
A brand of marine varnish called Epifanes seems to win all the tests in the boat magazines.
Consider leaving it bare. No refinishing ever, and it'll age naturally. White oak is a durable wood and should last well in a sheltered location. Slainte.
Richard Jones Furniture
RichardI have to disagree with leaving unfinished a table that will likely get used for eating. It will get stained and be unsanitary, as well as hard to properly just dust off prior to use, always needing a cover to feel clean when sitting at. At LEAST a sealing coat should be used, but I recommend an adequate finish.Rich
Rich, there are plenty of precedents for unfinished wood surfaces around food. Large kitchen tables used for preparing food were common in both country and urban houses.
At the end of cutting up meat, vegetables, etc, all that's needed is a bucket of piping hot water and a bit of either salt or vinegar and a stiff scrubbing brush. Slosh the water on, scrub off, let dry and it's ready for the next session.
I even know of dining tables made out of things like chestnut and oak that are bare. They get the same scrubbing treatment when they get scruffy enough to need it. For the most part tables like this sit on slate, concrete, tile or stone floors. I grew up with a table just like this in my parents' kitchen. Maintenance was fairly easy and I don't recall there ever being a problem with food poisoning and so on. I haven't yet encountered a problem with the unfinished chopping boards that I treat in the same manner.
In the end of course, it's up to the individual to decide what's best for their circumstance. Personally, I tend to think of the 'no-finish' finish first for all exterior furniture as it's the lowest maintenace finish of any I can think of. Very few customers in my experience are willing to put in the effort to maintain a varnish finish of any sort. They say they're willing to, but they just don't do it. Then they wonder why their piece of lovely furniture looks terrible and is half rotted away just four or five years down the line. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
Richard,"Very few customers in my experience are willing to put in the effort to maintain a varnish finish of any sort."Agreed, but how many people want to hear:"all that's needed is a bucket of piping hot water and a bit of either salt or vinegar and a stiff scrubbing brush. Slosh the water on, scrub off, let dry and it's ready for the next session."Wiping a table surface with a damp paper towel or sponge before use is about the amount of effort most want to have to put up with prior to use.My current outdoor "patio" table top is glass. The one before was a white plastic material (as was the entire table and chairs). See what I mean?Rich
"Agreed, but how many people want to hear:
"all that's needed is a bucket of piping hot water and a bit of either salt or vinegar and a stiff scrubbing brush. Slosh the water on, scrub off, let dry and it's ready for the next session.""
Now, now Rich. That's naughty; I guess you're playing Devil's advocate there just to stir the pot, ha, ha.
I phrased the comment in that manner because the talk here is primarily amongst woodworkers.
I don't think anyone would phrase it like that to a customer. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
A location where the table is shaded for nearly all of the day, can probably get pretty good service from a good marine varnish. Epifanes has been mentioned. Interlux Schooner is also good as it Pettit Captain's. While these will likely last several years they won't last forever. When the finish begins to dull it is time to scuff sand and apply a fresh coat over the six coats you applied initially. You should also take care to promptly patch any dings that break through the varnish. Even in good circumstances a varnish finish will never be maintainance free.
Be careful about the stain. Even when mostly shaded the dye portion of consumer stains will fade pretty fast. The pigment part of stain is usually quite color fast. I wouldn't use Minwax stains--they have been pretty quirky for people, working fine for some and giving problems in other situations. Make sure you wipe off excess stain thoroughly since leaving a lot on the surface could provide a weak link as far as weatherability.
Edited 4/28/2008 4:23 am ET by SteveSchoene
Sanded sealed and top coated a picnic table 6 years ago with Silkens Neutral Finish. It stay outdoors on a covered porch open on 2 sides. I do cover the table with a tarp in the winter. Western MD. We get ALOT of SNOW.
Has anyone had experience with "Waterlox Marine"?
David,There is no magic in the finishing business. Although manufacturers would like you to believe their product has some secret ingredient that has eluded all others.Waterlox makes a wide variety of products. They are very good quality and many here have recommended them for indoor use.But I have to relegate Waterlox' claims about their marine product to hype. There is nothing, repeat nothing, as effective in protecting wood in a marine environment as a THICK coat of expensive marine spar varnish created by many applications (6-8 is not unusual) and appropriate upkeep.That thick varnish coat works because there is a maximum amount of UV inhibitor in all that film depth and the very thickness of the varnish layer gives the boat owner (or outdoor furniture owner) some time before the elements break down the coating.Waterlox implies in its ad that their thin-film coating is better than other marine coatings. But they never really even mention high-quality marine spar varnish, traditionally applied.Will this Waterlox product give you good results on a table under a covered porch? Probably. But not as good as the premium marine stuff. Maybe better than many coats of a cheap Big Box brand. No magic.Rich
Edited 4/28/2008 9:12 am ET by Rich14
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