My wife has an Adirondack chair that her son made for her two years
ago. It is made of redwood and originally had a polyurethane (satin)
finish (no stain).

Since then, it has been on the back deck in the weather. The sides
that get the sun are completely faded to grey and the finish is almost
gone. I know redwood holds up well to the weather, but I am afraid
that it will slowly deteriorate and be ruined if we (I) don't do
something.

The question is, what is the best way to go?

We recently had the house painted and I asked the painter. He said to
use an oil and suggested (I think) "teak oil". Did he mean "tung" oil?
He said it will have a nice natural look. It will need to be redone
avery 1-2 years, but is easy to do with light sanding. Of course, we
will need to sand the polyurethane finish off first (ugh).

I have tried to talk her into painting it white, but she wants the
weathered look. (sigh)

What about a tougher polyurethane? Is there a marine version that is
more weather resistant?

Thanks for the help.


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Just sand it and let it weather to gray color
no coating is needed for natural look
red wood has natural affinity to rot, much as cedar does
a penetrating clear finish will also protect and weather to gray color
marine varnish will have to be done nearly every year
polyurethane, for the most part ,is not designed to be used in an exterior
application
any surface building finish will require the most maintenance
"LurfysMa" wrote in message
...
My wife has an Adirondack chair that her son made for her two years
ago. It is made of redwood and originally had a polyurethane (satin)
finish (no stain).

Since then, it has been on the back deck in the weather. The sides
that get the sun are completely faded to grey and the finish is almost
gone. I know redwood holds up well to the weather, but I am afraid
that it will slowly deteriorate and be ruined if we (I) don't do
something.

The question is, what is the best way to go?

We recently had the house painted and I asked the painter. He said to
use an oil and suggested (I think) "teak oil". Did he mean "tung" oil?
He said it will have a nice natural look. It will need to be redone
avery 1-2 years, but is easy to do with light sanding. Of course, we
will need to sand the polyurethane finish off first (ugh).

I have tried to talk her into painting it white, but she wants the
weathered look. (sigh)

What about a tougher polyurethane? Is there a marine version that is
more weather resistant?

Thanks for the help.


--
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"LurfysMa" wrote
My wife has an Adirondack chair that her son made for her two years
ago. It is made of redwood and originally had a polyurethane (satin)
finish (no stain).

Since then, it has been on the back deck in the weather. The sides
that get the sun are completely faded to grey and the finish is almost
gone. I know redwood holds up well to the weather, but I am afraid
that it will slowly deteriorate and be ruined if we (I) don't do
something.

The question is, what is the best way to go?

We recently had the house painted and I asked the painter. He said to
use an oil and suggested (I think) "teak oil". Did he mean "tung" oil?
He said it will have a nice natural look. It will need to be redone
avery 1-2 years, but is easy to do with light sanding. Of course, we
will need to sand the polyurethane finish off first (ugh).

I have tried to talk her into painting it white, but she wants the
weathered look. (sigh)

What about a tougher polyurethane? Is there a marine version that is
more weather resistant?

Thanks for the help.

See this:
http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/search.exe

I *personally* like it better than any kind of poly.
Are the chairs like this?
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/thesam...30.jpg&.src=ph

Max

On Thu, 04 May 2006 14:03:32 GMT, "roemax"
wrote:

Just sand it and let it weather to gray color

You mean sand off the polyurethane? It has already weathered to grey.

no coating is needed for natural look

Yes, I know. But is it needed for protection?

red wood has natural affinity to rot, much as cedar does

But even redwood will last longer if protected, no?

I assume you meant "resistance", right? ;-)

a penetrating clear finish will also protect and weather to gray color

Do you mean an oil finish? Any recommendations for outdoor use?

marine varnish will have to be done nearly every year
polyurethane, for the most part ,is not designed to be used in an exterior
application
any surface building finish will require the most maintenance

Meaning, poly, varnish, lacquer, etc., right?

Do oil finishes "build up"? With a good oill finish, would I just
clean the chair, maybe lightly sand, and reoil? How often?

Thanks

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On Thu, 04 May 2006 14:08:48 GMT, "Max"
wrote:


"LurfysMa" wrote
My wife has an Adirondack chair that her son made for her two years
ago. It is made of redwood and originally had a polyurethane (satin)
finish (no stain).

Since then, it has been on the back deck in the weather. The sides
that get the sun are completely faded to grey and the finish is almost
gone. I know redwood holds up well to the weather, but I am afraid
that it will slowly deteriorate and be ruined if we (I) don't do
something.

The question is, what is the best way to go?

We recently had the house painted and I asked the painter. He said to
use an oil and suggested (I think) "teak oil". Did he mean "tung" oil?
He said it will have a nice natural look. It will need to be redone
avery 1-2 years, but is easy to do with light sanding. Of course, we
will need to sand the polyurethane finish off first (ugh).

I have tried to talk her into painting it white, but she wants the
weathered look. (sigh)

What about a tougher polyurethane? Is there a marine version that is
more weather resistant?

Thanks for the help.

See this:
http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/search.exe

Is that the right link? It's the main page for Woodworker's Supply.

I *personally* like it better than any kind of poly.
Are the chairs like this?
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/thesam...30.jpg&.src=ph

Yep, it looks just like that -- plus a footrest. That was more or less
hte color when it was new. It's grey now.

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On Thu, 04 May 2006 14:03:32 GMT, "roemax"
wrote:

Just sand it and let it weather to gray color
no coating is needed for natural look
red wood has natural affinity to rot, much as cedar does
a penetrating clear finish will also protect and weather to gray color

You mean the cedar and redwood are naturally *resistant* to rot.

"LurfysMa" wrote


Is that the right link? It's the main page for Woodworker's Supply.

I *personally* like it better than any kind of poly.
Are the chairs like this?
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/thesam...30.jpg&.src=ph

Yep, it looks just like that -- plus a footrest. That was more or less
hte color when it was new. It's grey now.

I'm sorry. Enter "Teak Oil" in the search window at woodworker.com
Watco makes a teak oil. They have it at Woodworkers.

Max

I've read all the answers to date . . . and here's a response from the
'Marine' side.

First, I really like the concept of an 'Adirondack' chair, unfortunately my
wife doesn't and our patio is unsuitably small. However, I am very familiar
with woods that are exposed to the elements for long periods of time.

The Redwood that is often seen is typically finished with a 'stain' that is
more akin to a paint. This is for protection from UV radiation. I am an
inveterate 'scrounger' in my quest to save money, so often 're-use for
another purpose' items that other people throw out. In one specific case it
was a pair of 'Redwood Picnic Benches' - with folding aluminum legs. They
were obviously several years old, and were given no maintenance at all. The
finish was mostly intact but really 'sunburnt'. Where the finish had flaked
off the wood was gray and either rotted out or 'punky' . . . as it was UNDER
a lot of the finish !!

YES - your painter DID mean 'Teak Oil'. I use it all the time . . . and not
just on Teak - I use a lot of Mahogany. Lets address that first. It is
really the easiest 'finish'. If on 'new' wood no real sanding is
*required* - just a light pass to remove any 'whiskers' or splinters. Then a
number of 'flooding' coats until the wood stops absorbing the oil. After
that maintenance is simple - 'clean & re-oil as necessary'. How often this
will be needed depends on YOUR environment. Since the wood is already
'aged' you have to determine if the 'graying is weathering or dirt. Wet it -
a brown look equals weather, black equals dirt. I would clean it either way.
Get some 'Teak Cleaner' {typically a granular powder that is sprinkled on -
oxalic acid being the principle ingredient} and a stiff brush. Wet,
sprinkle, scrub - ACROSS the grain or in a circular motion. Wait, then hose
off well - then hose off again while scrubbing. When it's thoroughly dry -
apply the oil as with 'new' wood. This finish will not be smooth, with the
grain & natural texture of the wood prominent.

'Smooth' finishes . . . do NOT even consider 'SPAR Varnish'. It will never
cure to a hard surface and will glue your butt to the chair in warm weather.
It is SUPPOSED to remain soft & flexible. The typical Poly has no UV
additives. However, recently at least one has shown up on store shelves that
claims to be for 'Exterior Use'. I like Poly, the Clear water-based kind for
a lot of interior work. I think it gives one of the hardest, smoothest
surfaces - in a very short time. I haven't tried the 'exterior' one, so I
can't comment.

What I have used is a hard, or 'short-oil', varnish. There are several
brands available. What I use, and the most commonly available is the West
Marine 'house brand' - 'Skippers Varnish'. I have used it on thwarts & other
'boat' applications, as well as other exterior wood items around the house.
You can 'fill' the grain of the wood, but it would probably take more then
the usual 6 coats that I apply. The schedule of coats - thinned, thinned,
then 4 un-thinned - will yield a textured, glossy finish. {you can make it
'satin' by rubbing with a 3-M pad}. It can be cleaned with mild soap &
water. It WILL degrade over time. However, it can be periodically
'refreshed' with a slightly thinned coat 'as needed'. Again - that will
depend on YOUR environment.

I never said it was easy or simple - but this should give you what you want.
{Of course I could tell you about using a couple of epoxy 'undercoats' first
.. . } After that - THEN it's easy - the maintenance, that is.

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

"LurfysMa" wrote in message
...
My wife has an Adirondack chair that her son made for her two years
ago. It is made of redwood and originally had a polyurethane (satin)
finish (no stain).

Since then, it has been on the back deck in the weather. The sides
that get the sun are completely faded to grey and the finish is almost
gone. I know redwood holds up well to the weather, but I am afraid
that it will slowly deteriorate and be ruined if we (I) don't do
something.

The question is, what is the best way to go?

We recently had the house painted and I asked the painter. He said to
use an oil and suggested (I think) "teak oil". Did he mean "tung" oil?
He said it will have a nice natural look. It will need to be redone
avery 1-2 years, but is easy to do with light sanding. Of course, we
will need to sand the polyurethane finish off first (ugh).

I have tried to talk her into painting it white, but she wants the
weathered look. (sigh)

What about a tougher polyurethane? Is there a marine version that is
more weather resistant?

Thanks for the help.

LurfysMa wrote in
:

What about a tougher polyurethane? Is there a marine version that is
more weather resistant?

Spar varnish would be your best bet. Normal varnishes (poly, etc)
are quite hard & brittle, and the temperature cycling that occurs
between daytime sun and nightime darkness causes them to crack,
which then lets moisture get behind and they rapidly degrade.
Spar varnishes are softer and can flex with the temperature
cycles.

Note that a good spar varnish, like Interlux or Epifanes, is by
no means cheap.

But nothing lasts forever in an outdoor setting. You'll have
to revarnish every so often whatever you use.

John

On Thu, 04 May 2006 17:09:18 GMT, "Ron Magen"
wrote:

The Redwood that is often seen is typically finished with a 'stain' that is
more akin to a paint. This is for protection from UV radiation. I am an
inveterate 'scrounger' in my quest to save money, so often 're-use for
another purpose' items that other people throw out. In one specific case it
was a pair of 'Redwood Picnic Benches' - with folding aluminum legs. They
were obviously several years old, and were given no maintenance at all. The
finish was mostly intact but really 'sunburnt'. Where the finish had flaked
off the wood was gray and either rotted out or 'punky' . . . as it was UNDER
a lot of the finish !!

It sounds like the biggest danger is from the sun and UV rather than
the rain or other weather factors. We live in Palo Alto, California.
Neither the temperature nor the humidity vary a lot.

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There is no clear finish that will holdup outside in the weather...
under a patio roof maybe, but not when exposed to direct rain/sunlight
on a daily basis. If you want to protect the wood from damage, paint
it. Paint is the only finish that will last in outdoor environments and
provide all the necessary protection the wood needs.


Woody

Ron Magen wrote:
I
...

YES - your painter DID mean 'Teak Oil'. I use it all the time . . . and not
just on Teak - I use a lot of Mahogany.

Have you checked the label for ingredients? Does it have anything in
it other than linseed oil, color, and thinner?

--

FF

I know you have a lot of responses to this but let me put in my 2
cents.

I recently completed a redwood english garden bench out of clear all
heart redwood.

I would recommend an oil finish as it can be easily renewed on a
periodic basis as it is absorbed rather than a film and thus does not
need to be stripped off.

I would not recommend film finish (varnish, (poly)urithane,ete.) just
because it is a lot of work to strip off the old when time to refinish.


With oil, just apply a new coat every 1-2 years depending on your
environment.

My conclusion after doing my own research on the best way to finish
redwood for outdoor furniture use.

On 5 May 2006 09:56:10 -0700, "Tha Anonymous"
wrote:



There is no clear finish that will holdup outside in the weather...
under a patio roof maybe, but not when exposed to direct rain/sunlight
on a daily basis. If you want to protect the wood from damage, paint
it. Paint is the only finish that will last in outdoor environments and
provide all the necessary protection the wood needs.

Even if it is reapplied regularly? I know nothing, not even paint, can
be applied once and forgotten. My plan was to find something that I
could reapply every year or two or as needed.

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On 5 May 2006 12:27:08 -0700, "Jerry" wrote:

I know you have a lot of responses to this but let me put in my 2
cents.

I recently completed a redwood english garden bench out of clear all
heart redwood.

I would recommend an oil finish as it can be easily renewed on a
periodic basis as it is absorbed rather than a film and thus does not
need to be stripped off.

I would not recommend film finish (varnish, (poly)urithane,ete.) just
because it is a lot of work to strip off the old when time to refinish.


With oil, just apply a new coat every 1-2 years depending on your
environment.

My conclusion after doing my own research on the best way to finish
redwood for outdoor furniture use.

I am coming to the same conclusion.

Which oil did you use? I have recommendations for tung, teak, and
something called "Outdoor Oil" from General Finishes, which has some
UV protection.

How many years has it been? How often have you reapplied it?


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I've had some redwood (patio cover) out in the southwest sun and UV coated
with Penofin. Still looks great after 3 years compared with some unfinished
wood.

On Fri, 5 May 2006 13:27:08 -0600, Jerry wrote
(in article .com):

I know you have a lot of responses to this but let me put in my 2
cents.

I recently completed a redwood english garden bench out of clear all
heart redwood.

I would recommend an oil finish as it can be easily renewed on a
periodic basis as it is absorbed rather than a film and thus does not
need to be stripped off.

I would not recommend film finish (varnish, (poly)urithane,ete.) just
because it is a lot of work to strip off the old when time to refinish.


With oil, just apply a new coat every 1-2 years depending on your
environment.

My conclusion after doing my own research on the best way to finish
redwood for outdoor furniture use.

On Fri, 5 May 2006 15:57:49 -0600, Bruce wrote:

I've had some redwood (patio cover) out in the southwest sun and UV coated
with Penofin. Still looks great after 3 years compared with some unfinished
wood.

What color is it now? Has it faded to grey?

Have you re-applied the Penofin since the original application 3 years
ago?

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I also used Penofin. I used the Marine Oil variety as it was suppose
to have the highest UV protection and I love the look of the redwood
and want to delay the greying effect as long as possible.

I was told that it will eventually grey -- not much you can do to stop
that.

The only thing I found about oil is to not use things like BLO and
stick with oil that has been treated with antifungal and UV inhibitors.
Linseed oil will mildew in the moisture it is exposed to outdoors.
Maybe true with other oils that are intended for indoor applications.

I only did this 4 months ago so can't report on the grey fading however
I pretty much concluded there is little that will stop that eventually.
I kind of like the grey anyway -- only don't like fungus / rot look.

Finished a redwood gate with General Finishes Outdoor oil. I left the
partial can with the client and told him to refresh the finish if it started
looking a bit dry. He didn't but 2 and a half years later he told me he was
unhappy with the finish. When I asked why he replied it wasn't turning that
nice silver-grey color like redwood is supposed to. I think it is an
excellant product.

"LurfysMa" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 04 May 2006 17:09:18 GMT, "Ron Magen"
wrote:

The Redwood that is often seen is typically finished with a 'stain' that
is
more akin to a paint. This is for protection from UV radiation. I am an
inveterate 'scrounger' in my quest to save money, so often 're-use for
another purpose' items that other people throw out. In one specific case
it
was a pair of 'Redwood Picnic Benches' - with folding aluminum legs. They
were obviously several years old, and were given no maintenance at all.
The
finish was mostly intact but really 'sunburnt'. Where the finish had
flaked
off the wood was gray and either rotted out or 'punky' . . . as it was
UNDER
a lot of the finish !!

It sounds like the biggest danger is from the sun and UV rather than
the rain or other weather factors. We live in Palo Alto, California.
Neither the temperature nor the humidity vary a lot.

--
For email, use