Where To Buy Marine Spar Varnish
Spar marine varnish is a natural oil based product that is designed to protect wood. Because of its composition it is can allow wooden surfaces to maintain their flexibility. This can be beneficial for wooden surfaces, as they will be able to bend and expand and contract as needed.
where to buy marine spar varnish
Spar marine varnish is intended for coating exterior wooden surfaces that are above the water line. It can add water protection, UV and heat protection, as well as help to prevent scratches, stains and damage from chemicals or solvents.
The appearance of the finished varnished surface can vary depending on the type of varnish you choose, either gloss or satin. One thing about spar marine varnish is that you will likely need to reapply it regularly as it can often flake off or chip.
Spar marine varnish can require several coats, with several hours in between each one to allow it to dry completely before the next coat. Natural bristle brushes or foam brushes can be ideal for application. You can also use badger hair brushes, which can give a clean finish on the final coats.
Spar urethane is similar to spar marine varnish in that it acts as a protective barrier against water damage and moisture. It also has the ability to flex with the wood, expanding and contracting with changes in temperature.
Spar urethane can be applied to the wood using a natural bristle brush to seal the wood. Just like with the spar varnish, you should apply the urethane in a clean and dust-free environment and ensure that you clean and smooth down your boat first.
While both spar marine varnish and spar urethane can offer water protection for your wooden canoe, boat or paddle, the one that is best for you will likely come down to budget and/or maintenance.
With the high level of moisture protection that comes with spar urethane, this could be a good choice for coating paddles, canoes or other wooden vessels. It may also have a higher level of durability, meaning it could require re-application less frequently than spar varnish, but can often cost more.
Both spar marine varnish and spar urethane have their own benefits, such as water and UV resistance and flexibility, and can be very similar. You may find that with different brands of the products you also get slight differences in the composition, for example added UV blockers to provide additional weather protection for your craft.
The only concern with the varnish option is it tends to be a bit softer in the direct sun/heat. It may stick to your pants slightly or retain an imprint of the fabric. The urethane will dry harder under those conditions. Based on your non-marine need, I would recommend urethane.
Some professionals add extra solvent to the first few coats of spar varnish they are applying over wood. This makesthe varnish thinner and helps it soak into the wood better, thus giving (in theory) better adhesion for the entiresystem of multiple coats of varnish (some folks will apply 8-12 coats of varnish rather than a simple 2 or 3).Note that is may be a violation of local VOC restriction laws.
Another professional 'trick' with spar varnish is to apply it to all uncoated wood surfaces that are to receive a coatof paint. This way if in the future one wants to give that wood surface a clear coating that shows the wood pattern(i.e. a varnish or clear poly finish) the varnish first coat will have prevented the paint's pigments from penetratinginto the wood, making sanding away all the pigmented paint much easier.
Some spar varnish / marine varnish makers may not want to bother with 'only quartcans.' I think some varnish manufacturer (especially outside the USA) may not know the legal rules and I also thinkthat many boat supply stores/hardware shops pretend not to know. Some states allow for the sell of existing oldstock.
The words 'varnish,' 'marine,' or 'spar' don't seem to mean much of anything and their useis not a guaranty that the product is real, traditional varnish. I have seen products called urethane varnish,spar urethane or simply spar varnish, or simply varnish that is not the traditional varnish product. These newproducts usually were developed to replace 'real' varnish with a product that as acceptable levels of VOC. Withall the ones I have examined they look, smell, apply nothing like real varnish, and in the few tests I have done,did not perform as well (they also tend to be thinner so it takes more coats of them to equal a single coat ofreal varnish). You have to read the label carefully to see what you are getting. If 'water' and/or 'urethane' appearon the label, it is not traditional varnish.
Because real spar varnish / marine varnish is getting hard or impossible to find, we do sell it along with our epoxies. It is our ownprivate label varnish. -- INDIA SPAR VARNISH -- We take advantage of the quart packing exemption (in all states but California) in orderto sell it. Thus, you can only purchase it in quart cans. This product can be found in our marine catalog at: www.epoxyproducts.com/5_urethane.html (urethane paints) (it is not a urethane, but all the none epoxy coatings we have go in this section!), and inour industrial/residential catalog at www.epoxyproducts.com/e_nonepoxy.html (urethane pants) section. This product is featured on the GreatThings4u.com website
Its UV inhibitors and plastic resins help protect against the suns damaging rays while also providing a tough, durable finish. Brightwork Spar Varnish is the ideal varnish for boats, spars, oars, and trim.
Waterlox MARINE finishes are a traditional spar varnish (not a spar urethane) made from tung oil. These form clear protective, yet elastic, films that are designed to be in a high UV exposure environment. The finishes provide the same excellent protection from salt/fresh water as all our finishes, but they have the added benefit of UV resistance.
Last but not least, every spar varnish needs to protect itself and the underlying wood from the sun. Regular polyurethane and varnish contain little, if any, UV blocking additives, and that alone makes them a poor choice for exterior application. Without UV protection, varnishes and wood quickly break down and fail.
I have a STickley African Mahogany wood front door that was installed 8 years ago. It came as a raw wood door and was stained with a spar varnish by our painting contractor. Now the exterior of this door has faded dramatically and needs to be restained. Cole Hardware is telling us we need to choose a color stain or paint before we apply the spar varnish. From what i can tell of the original finish only the spar varnish was applied. Is that possible? The inside of the door currently is a dark brown/reddish finish with the wood grains visible. The front of the door is now almost blond in color. How do we restore the front of the door to look the same as the interior side of the door? Will just the spar varnish alone bring back the deep brown/reddish finish? Any advise would be appreciated
Several years ago we had mahogany decking, handrails and post caps installed on our front and side porches, along with beadboard ceilings. At the time I requested spar varnish be applied to give maximum protection to the wood. The builder, and subsequent house painters all said that this was not the recommended finish for the product. Now the ceilings are dingy and the stairs and handrails are split. On our side porch, the entire support structure of the stairs is falling apart, so will need to be replaced. What is your opinion on using spar varnish on this type of application?
On another note, we have some acacia folding chairs and tables that are in need of a sanding and restaining. They are in great shape as they are in a covered area and stored every winter. Do you think spar varnish would be a good finish for these?
Epifanes Clear Varnish is a high gloss marine varnish for use on wood. This is a true spar varnish containing an exceptionally high percentage of solids and UV filters. Recommended for interior or exterior use on new or bare wood above the waterline as well as a maintenance finish on existing varnish systems. Ideal for any exterior application including doors, trim and exterior furniture. Tung Oil based Epifanes Clear High Gloss Marine Varnish provides fast build-up an an incomparable finish coat all in one can.
Application on already varnished wood : Apply one or two coats every year. Epifanes Clear High Gloss Marine Varnish can be applied on almost any marine mono- or bi-components varnishes. Drying Time: 3 hours dustfree dry - 24 hours before recoating.
For those lucky enough to own a wood boat, a bit more care is involved. The main thing to look for is places where water can get in and cause rot. This means spot sanding any place that has been scratched down to the wood, and using a high quality spar varnish or marine paint to touch up these spots. Most importantly, be sure the boat is completely dry before storing it for the winter. Inside storage will significantly extend a wooden boat's lifespan. I have a wooden canoe that is more than 40 years old and in very good shape, because it has been well cared for and received a storage spot in the former owner's garage. 041b061a72