Help with Finish over Waterlox Marine Sealant

[chancee]

Hello everyone, I posted a couple weeks ago about a finish for the cladding on a shed/office I've built. After my Minwax Water-based Spar Urethane didn't hold up that well, I was looking for something different to put over it. Seven months after putting on the Minwax I started seeing significant mildew/mold so that's why I was looking for a change.

I decided to go with the Waterlox Marine system. I have applied the first step which is the Marine SEALER, but when I went to apply the FINISH that goes on after, I realized it's much too amber and coloring my wood in an unfriendly way. So.... I'm looking for any suggestions people might have as to what I could instead substitute for the Waterlox Marine Finish. Does anyone know of some kind of clear finish that will stand up to the elements and

that I could put over this Marine Sealer? Thanks in advance. Oh, and I'm in Georgia, about fifty feet from a large river. Thanks, James

 

[Jeff]

the FINISH that goes on after, I realized it's much too amber and coloring my wood in an unfriendly way.

What is "an unfriendly way"?

How about a few pictures of that "unfriendly way" for comparison?

Waterlox Marine Sealer is tung oil which has a light yellow to amber color naturally. The Marine Finish component (part 2) contains pine resin so it's probably even more yellow.

 

[chancee]

When I say unfriendly I mean yellow. You're exactly right.... I knew ahead of time and had read the literature that the Waterlox Marine Sealant/Finish would give an amber tone. And the sealer did leave a very slight amber shade. I decided it wasn't a big deal and then went ahead and coated my whole shed in it. I didn't realize that the real 'amber' color was in the finish. Just a couple brushes of the finish and it colored the wood in a deeply yellow manner. My greys were'n't grey anymore, etc.

So there is no way I'm continuing with it. And now I'm stuck with the sealer minus the finish. With just the sealer it actually looks really nice.... it's formed a clear, hard satin layer over the wood. But I know I need a finish over that. I'm wondering if I should put a spar urethane over it? I don't want to go down that road again because that didn't hold up so well the first time. But it seems it's one of the only products that doesn't demand to be applied to bare wood....

--I don't have any pics because I quickly wiped the finish off with mineral spirits after I put it on to get as much of the yellow off as I could.

 

[mquan01]

search the forum for like topics, as this has been answered a number of times. IIRC GF 450 (General Finishes) was a top answer for outside clear.

 

[Phil S]

Sikkens Proluxe Cetol Log and Siding - Expensive and worth it

 

[chancee]

Yeah I wanted the Log and Siding to begin with but it definitely does not come in a clear. I called and talked to them. There's the Cetol Door and Window in a clear, but it still has a bit of an amber tone and it's really supposed to go over bare wood. I'll check the forums for the General Finishes.... and please don't hesitate with any other suggestions. Thanks!

 

[Jeff]

So there is no way I'm continuing with it. And now I'm stuck with the sealer minus the finish. With just the sealer it actually looks really nice.... it's formed a clear, hard satin layer over the wood. But I know I need a finish over that. I'm wondering if I should put a spar urethane over it? I don't want to go down that road again because that didn't hold up so well the first time. But it seems it's one of the only products that doesn't demand to be applied to bare wood....

You like the color of the sealer without the finish so why not add a few more coats of the sealer and be done with it?

After my Minwax Water-based Spar Urethane didn't hold up that well,

That Spar Urethane is pretty poor stuff. Use a top quality marine spar varnish like Epifanes. It's about $41/quart.

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