Walnut outside ?

[nickster]

I was able to get some Walnut from the guy off Craigslist and was thinking about making a outdoor bench out of it. I was thinking about something a little natural looking as some of the thicker boards still have rough edges... Not sure how the Walnut would hold up outside and what finish I should go for with it. Any help would be great...

 

[scsmith42]

Walnut holds up somewhat well outside (except for the sapwood). I can't speak to the finishes, but it is a durable wood.

 

[bluedawg76]

I'm guessing you don't intend for direct ground contact right? my read on outside finishes is that no finish is the way to go. most curing finishes will deteriorate within a year or so outside in the elements requiring you to revamp them yearly (or sooner) and possibly strip and re-finish at least every couple of years. That said some of the higher end spar varnishes like epiphanes are reported to last longer, but still may require maintenance and are not cheap (i.e. don't use the stuff from the borg cause it's not worth your time and effort). the folks who build boats are probably the best informed on this type of subject.

FWW has an article called the torture test for outdoor finishes. from their tests, epoxy sealed wood followed by a quality spar varnish is the best, but even that will probably require maintenance every few years. the idea though is that you'll only have to remove the varnish down to the epoxy to refinish. As to no finish, just periodic sanding to remove the fuzzies is enough.

Sam

 

[nickster]

I'm guessing you don't intend for direct ground contact right? my read on outside finishes is that no finish is the way to go. most curing finishes will deteriorate within a year or so outside in the elements requiring you to revamp them yearly (or sooner) and possibly strip and re-finish at least every couple of years. That said some of the higher end spar varnishes like epiphanes are reported to last longer, but still may require maintenance and are not cheap (i.e. don't use the stuff from the borg cause it's not worth your time and effort). the folks who build boats are probably the best informed on this type of subject.

FWW has an article called the torture test for outdoor finishes. from their tests, epoxy sealed wood followed by a quality spar varnish is the best, but even that will probably require maintenance every few years. the idea though is that you'll only have to remove the varnish down to the epoxy to refinish. As to no finish, just periodic sanding to remove the fuzzies is enough.

Sam

Yeah not direct ground contact... I was thinking the bench would hang out on the deck or even the front porch... something of that nature...

 

[merrill77]

Walnut heartwood is one of the more rot-resistant species. Any surface-film finish will decay and need to be removed and re-applied frequently. A good paint will last much longer than clear finishes. Oil finishes need to be reapplied frequently, but don't need to be removed before re-applying. I put marine oil on my teak furniture every year or so. It isn't in direct sun much, but is outside year-round.

 

[CarvedTones]

+1, no make that +1000 for choosing oil over film finish. I have done outdoor stuff both ways and never do film finish outside anymore. The problem is maintenance. Oil will wear off and leave the wood; film finish will deteriorate and leave a mess that is a pain to clean up. If you catch it early enough, you can scrub it clean and add a coat, but it will not look as good as it initially did. You really need to strip it to reapply it. With oil, you just need it reasonably clean and dry and it doesn't matter if any or all of the previous coats of oil are there. If you are one of those people who can circle a date on the calendar to clean and apply a coat and do it every time, then film finishes will last a long time and look good. I am not one of those people.