I am limited to outdoor work for my woodwoorking and looking for opinions on the simplest finish for either outdoor or indoor furniture. Planing on getting into Adriondack chairs, birdhouses and live edge slab stuff.
I prefer spar urethane for outdoor use. It is extremely water-resistant. You might not want a varnish for Adirondack stuff though. For that I would probably use a deck stain. Or boiled linseed oil.
Spar or marine varnish does not last. That's why wooden boat owners scrape/sand/varnish every season. Simplest would be a transparent stain, Thompsons, or something that does not build up a film. Solid stain and paint or clear varnish will flake and peel requiring the most work to refresh. Using something Like Thompsons once or twice a season. will be the easiest to deal with in the long run.
Birdhouses should be painted or stained natural colors and don't need much touch up. I put asphalt shingle scrap on the roof. Perches on the front of the house are also unnecessary and just invites predators. Put the front on with a couple of drywall screws so you can clean them out at the end of the year.
I've had good luck with 'Sikkens Cetol 1' on hot tub and outdoor furniture, I believe it was formulated to be used as deck stain, under no circumstances should it be used indoors.
The easiest is just a good oil based paint or even latex.
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