# Spar Urethane on Construction Pine for Outdoor Furniture



## paxorion (Oct 19, 2012)

LJs - I am thinking of building 2 of these workhorses and was hoping to use construction grade pine (likely 2×12's ripped). I am looking to leave the finished product outdoors (uncovered) and wanted to know if spar urethane would be sufficient protection for them if recoated every few years, if a different finish would be better, or if I should like for a more weather-resistant non-PT lumber?


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Spar varnish should hold up very well.


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Spar urethane, I just learned on LJ, is not the same as spar varnish. If I recall correctly from a recent discussion, spar urethane does not hold up well outside. I hope one of our coatings gurus can weigh in here and correct me if I'm wrong as well as explain exactly what the OP is looking for.

Kindly,

Lee


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

I haven't had very good results from "Helmsman" spar urethane, rarely has the finish survived a year without starting to peel. You may want to use a marine varnish like Epifanes, it will last a lot longer!


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## paxorion (Oct 19, 2012)

Lee - I'm hoping to apply some sort of finish that will provide water resistance for the workhorses to be left outdoors year around. I'm in Virginia where we see all the seasons, albeit more mild than elsewhere. I'll look into the difference between spar urethane, spar varnish, and any other outdoor deck sealer that can be an option.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

The sunlight is what wrecks the Spar urethane. I have had it peel/crack without ever getting wet. The ideal outdoor finish doesn't exist if you're looking for maintenance free. My best friend uses some kind of oil on his log home that the log home people recommended and he is happy with it. But he does redo it periodically.


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## paxorion (Oct 19, 2012)

Regular maintenance is OK for me. I don't mind adding to my annual maintenance routine for my deck. I'm mainly concerned with preventing wood rot due to moisture exposure.


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