# How to seal my wood patio table?



## Joe Blow (May 30, 2011)

Suggestions please?

Hello, I have a nice wood table and chair set that I want to use on our patio and I want to seal it properly. I want to protect it from the rain, sun and abuse from young kids. 

I saw some tables at Islands Restaurant here in California that have a thick resin type of finish that is almost indestructable but Im not sure if it will work on my table or be ok for outdoor use.

I was told the table is made from Worm Wood.

What sealer would be best?

The table already has a clear coat so would I need to sand it down to bare wood before I use a different type of sealer?

The chairs are panted so would I be able to use the same type of sealer on chairs?

Here are a few photos of my project.


Thanks for the help!!


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## Joe Blow (May 30, 2011)

Any ideas? I would appriciate some feedback from you veterans. Thanks!!


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Some good reading here... http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/seal-outdoor-wood-table-5089/ :smile:


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

What I see is that you have a table with some type of film finish, and chairs with a painted finish and you want one for both.

If it was my project, I would strip all the finish off, and do any sanding that's necessary. Then do applications of Penofin red label. It's an oil finish that will require the least maintenance, while still providing UV protection.












 







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## verdesardog (Apr 2, 2011)

If you like the way it looks now, I would put spar urethane on both the chairs and table. It might yellow a bit as it ages...


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Penofin is good stuff. Another one is Sikkens. 
With either, the wood must be bare and CLEAN! TSP and a rinse with a low pressure setting on a pressure washer does an excellent job after stripping the wood.


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## Joe Blow (May 30, 2011)

Thanks guys for the help! 

I have 4 young kids and would like this table to be a place they do arts & crafts and for us to have bbq's without being concerned with damage and would allow easy clean up. It would be nice to spray the area down with the hose. 

Easy cleanup and durability is what im looking for. Would Urethane be the right choice?? Im not looking to keep this in the family for years to come but just trying to make it work for the next few years. 

Can I Urethane the Chairs and Table? Do I need to strip them first before I Urethane? 

If im wrong on my thoughts please tell me.

THANKS!!!


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## Joe Blow (May 30, 2011)

Hi CabnetMan, thanks for the info. Not sure what you mean by film finish? The bench is peeling away because it was left in the rain for a short while and the varnish was damaged on the ends. Im sur an Oil finish woul look the best and be good for UV rays but would it stand up to young kids and not show scrathhes? Also it would be nice to wash it down with water sometimes. Would oil finish hold up to that? Thanks!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Joe Blow said:


> Hi CabnetMan, thanks for the info. Not sure what you mean by film finish? The bench is peeling away because it was left in the rain for a short while and the varnish was damaged on the ends. Im sur an Oil finish woul look the best and be good for UV rays but would it stand up to young kids and not show scrathhes? Also it would be nice to wash it down with water sometimes. Would oil finish hold up to that? Thanks!


A film finish is one that dries/cures with a non-porous layer (film) on top of the wood. The first application or two may penetrate the fibers of the wood and additional applications build on top of those. Some film finishes like acetone based lacquer melt into the previous coats. Others like oil base polyurethane just get stuck to the previous coat.

An oil finish, like BLO (boiled linseed oil), pure Tung oil, and a product like Penofin, penetrate the wood fibers. When continuous applications are applied, the wood gets saturated, and a surface forms by drying/curing. It does not dry like a layer of its composition, like lacquer or varnish. It does not get crispy or chalky.

Wood always has some amount of air and moisture. Untreated, it will continually exchange air and moisture depending on its environment. If you encapsulate that wood with a coating that does not permit those natural occurrences, the film will expand and contract, gaseous vapor can develop between the wood and the finish. So, what will happen is the finish will get brittle, chalky, and likely peel away. Refurbishing this finish requires it to be sanded or stripped to the point that it can be re-applied.

Oil finishes, OTOH, don't react to the environment like film finishes. To refurbish an oil finish, may only require a good cleaning and re-application of the oil. You are asking for a finish that offers a hard durable scratch free surface, and one that will survive the environment. One finish will not do both, and still offer easy maintenance. Your closest bet would be a spar varnish, or a spar urethane. But, be prepared for the rigor of maintenance, as any of them will require the labor of a film finish. When they start to fail, it sure is an ugly sight.:yes:

You have to decide whether you want to preserve the wood and its look, or have a protective finish.












 







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## Joe Blow (May 30, 2011)

Ok thanks all for the information. Im leaning toward the Urethane mosly for a durable scratch free surface that the kids can do painting projects etc. and then can be washed off with water and look nice for a few years. 

Just to clarify, do I need to strip the original film completely off before I apply the Spar Urethane? Or can I just sand it so its smooth then apply the Urethane over? There are many natural cracks and crevases in this wood and if it needs to be stripped first befor the Urethane coat how do I stip the existing film from the cracks? I want to make sure the Urethane does not have a bad reaction to the existing Film and bubble up. 

Sorry for the Newby questions and thanks for the help!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Joe Blow said:


> Ok thanks all for the information. Im leaning toward the Urethane mosly for a durable scratch free surface that the kids can do painting projects etc. and then can be washed off with water and look nice for a few years.
> 
> Just to clarify, do I need to strip the original film completely off before I apply the Spar Urethane? Or can I just sand it so its smooth then apply the Urethane over? There are many natural cracks and crevases in this wood and if it needs to be stripped first befor the Urethane coat how do I stip the existing film from the cracks? I want to make sure the Urethane does not have a bad reaction to the existing Film and bubble up.
> 
> Sorry for the Newby questions and thanks for the help!


It would be nice to strip the finish off first, but you can just sand it (with the grain direction) with 320x by hand, or a ROS (random orbit sander) to give the new application a good bite.












 







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