protective finish for cypress

[alleng]

ive tried the cabot stains,they are either too yellow or too dark brown. anyone ever use thompsons water seal?or is there something better suited that will keep the natural color. the natural colour in the cabot was realy yellow,didnt like it at all. thanks

 

[JackLeg]

The guy at General gave me some new product they have out. He guarantees it to remain perfectly clear. It's called 450, I think. I specifically told him we use cypress mostly, and cedar.
He sent me a semi-gloss, and I really want to try the satin finish. Haven't tried the semi-gloss yet.

We get good results on the Cabot Australian Timber Oil. There is a slight amount of yellowing, but not enough to detract from the wood. Actually makes is look richer. FWIW.

 

[Travis Porter]

FWIW, I have tried Thompson's water seal on cypress and it ended up being a sticky gooey mess. You might check out the thread about untinted paint.

 

[Gofor]

The only positive use I have found for Thompson's Waterseal is that I spray it underneath my deck (AQC treated pine) in the spring and it keeps the mud dauber wasps from building their nests through the fall.

Go

 

[Howard Acheson]

Keep in mind that any oil based finish will impart an amber color to some extent. Then, the UV additive will also make it more amber. So, any exterior finish will somewhat change the color of the wood. Even just plain water will "color" the wood in that the wood will become darker.

Us boaters wish it weren't so, but there is no clear finish that will last more than about a year when it is exposed to constant sunlight and outdoor conditions. Consumer Reports in their on-going tests of deck finishes has not found a clear finish that lasts. Consumer brand clear finishes (Minwax) were the first to fail. The more opaque the finish, the longer it will last.