Outdoor finish

Bugle

Preston
Corporate Member
My son is building a grill cart for his Weber grill from pallet wood. We are going to plane it down and finish it. He is going to keep it outside and covered, but would still like to seal the wood. My question is what finish would you recommend...Waterlox, Epifanes, some other oil based finish?

Something similar to this:
189530


Thanks in advance.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Epifanes varnish is a good choice. Waterlox Marine finish is a possibility but I have no experience with it.
 

Ted P

Ted
Corporate Member
I recently refinished our front door that gets lots of sun exposure. If the cart is covered, UV protection may not be as important to you as it was to me. The folks at Klingspor's recommended General Finishes Exterior 450. That goes against my preconceived notions that only oil based finish is appropriate for outdoors, but they insisted. Too early to tell if they are right based on my application, but that product was recommended to me. Certainly is easy to use.
 

Bugle

Preston
Corporate Member
Planed a couple boards. Turns out it is red oak...not the best choice for outdoor use as it will easily turn black if it gets wet. It is going to be covered, but moisture will still get to it I think. Anyone have experience with Sikkens Pro Luxe Cetol or Penofin?
 

BKHam

Bradley
User
nothing holds in the sun and rain. thats my experience at least. my last few outdoor projects....i've chosen a wood with some outdoor characteristics like white oak and mahogany. on those projects, i went with a few coats of outdoor oil to give it a finished look. i didnt build up a film so these will just turn grey over time and i'm fine with it. i can always oil them again. but by choosing the right species, it has a better chance of surviving the years. Also, by not choosing a film finish, i'm never going to have flaking or need to fully strip and refinish.

i also suggest getting nylon feet to keep the wood off the ground. that may be more important than the finish.
 

Stuart Kent

Stuart
Senior User
Planed a couple boards. Turns out it is red oak...not the best choice for outdoor use as it will easily turn black if it gets wet. It is going to be covered, but moisture will still get to it I think. Anyone have experience with Sikkens Pro Luxe Cetol or Penofin?
I use it frequently and love it. I have used most of the other outdoor finishes (Epifanes, Spar, W.lox Marine, etc.) and Cetol outperforms all of them. I think it is really a whole different class of finish. When it wears it becomes dull, and then you simply wash it down, scuff sand it, and recoat. It doesn't chip or break off like a lot of other outdoor finishes.

That said, a good outdoor paint will perform better than anything else for red oak outside. Re-coat every year or two and it should last a long time. I know it is usually all about that wood grain, but...red oak...pallet wood...outside...just saying...
 

red

Papa Red
Red
Senior User
When I built my log home in the mountains I used Sikkens Cetol Log and Siding. Two coats and you'll have a rock solid finish for outdoors. And remember, log homes are built out of pine. I used the butternut color and it was gorgeous!

Red
 

Bugle

Preston
Corporate Member
Plastic feet...great idea. Thanks. I also think cetol might be best. Thanks everyone!
 

FrankK

New User
Frank
I've owned a garden center in Texas under the hot brutal sun. We tried every coating available to keep wooden tables and sign posts from rotting. Nothing worked more than a year or two until we found Cetol. It truly is a miracle product. One coat with the penetrate Cetol 1, followed by 2 coats of Cetol 23. You'll have a beautiful finish that lasts for years. Yes, it's expensive, and worth every penny.
 

Temp626

New User
Tom
I am building a 1"x24"x36" sign out of maple. It is going to be an outdoor hanging sign (in upstate NY) that is engraved on both sides. I realize maple is not a great choice for exterior, but that's what the customer wanted. It will have a sort of "roof" structure in an attempt to protect from some of the snow and rain precipitation. What would be a few of the options for clear finishes in that extreme north country weather. Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you.
 

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