Cheap, Durable wood stain

[DeafBrad]

Hi Everyone,

A few years ago my outdoor patio table's glass top broke. So I put cedar boards on it and threw a stain on it. I live in the PNW, and the rain and hot sun quickly degraded the stain. I plan to re-do it but know little about finishes. Please recommend a cheap and easy finish that is durable enough to stand up to the rain and sun.

Appearance is secondary to durability. Any home recipes that you are aware of that are good? Would linseed oil or mineral oil work with occasional re-applications?

Thanks for your time, and have a great day,

Brad

 

[maxdustington]

If I wanted super cheap I would be going BLO. I've only used it once to coat a vise, and I don't really know how it would stand up to UV and PNW percepitation. I think if you built it up thick and maintained it, it would work well and would be cheap. You can also paint over it according to my research. I don't understand how an oil finish would take paint, though.

 

[Gimpy1]

Maybe something designed for wood decks like Thompsons water seal or similar, or you could go with a marine grade varnish, but that might be more expensive.

 

[Sunnyinhollister]

Good and cheap do not always go together. I used Armstrong Clark cedar color transparent stain on our deck at the cabin which is what our contractor recommended. Looks great to me.

 

[Overfill]

Couple of things first:
1) [you've already got this one,] You need a sealant material that resists wetting of the wood
2) The more sealant you have penetrated into the wood, the less space there can be for water.
2a) All sealant applications (or placement thereof) work by traveling from the outside to the inside while they are still a liquid, using capillary action and inherent viscosity.
2b) the very center of the wood pieces here are going to be difficult to fill with sealant since it is the furthest it will have to travel as a liquid.

Traditionally, BLO was used as a sealant based on the drying ability it possessed. Since then we have engineered our own chemicals to operate the same way.
Polyurethane and Polycrylic both are well designed sealants, both able to be purchased at big-chain stores from a variety of brands. Polyurethane can be a little yellow in color, and is flexible. Polycrylic is clear and dries hard. For the intent you described, I would throw this generalization out there: Polycrylic (paint-on tub type) and Polyurethane (paint-on tub type) are both going to wet the wood about the same for you.

What I recommend: Use Polycrylic (dubbed PC). Soak your planks in a 50/50 mix of mineral spirits and PC overnight. Take them out from soaking and let them dry/cure. This is to well penetrate the wood with some polycrylic. Because the PC curing happens from the outside-in, not all of the mineral spirits will leave. Also, unless you wait a long time, the PC at the absolute center will probably not be totally cured. Thats ok though, because it occupies space where we don't water to sit. At this point, paint (or spray, if you also have the can type) on a few layers of PC to totally seal the wood, removing opportune points on the outside for water to wet itself into the wood where MS may have evaporated out from.

 

[Overfill]

I have tried using BLO in applications like this before, but in my experience, the BLO doesn't cure as fast, nor prevent water from wetting into the wood very well. At least, not without constantly reapplying and let dry (say over 5 or 6 applications) and even then, it still needed to be periodically applied.

I would say that BLO is a preference when you have something that would be in contact with food, to be used as a handle, or has a decent amount of wear. I might also give the nod to BLO if I am strictly controlling the environment and the purpose is aesthetic.

 

[RyanY]

I have used several types/brands of deck and fence stain over the years, and here are my results:

Australian Timber Oil (treated pine picnic table). Great coverage and protection, no chipping peeling until about 4 years.

Pittsburgh solid deck stain (cedar fence). Great coverage and even appearance, no chips or peels after 6 years. However, this same stain on a small cedar patio table peeled after 2 yrs.

TWP oil based stain (model 100; 2 coats on treated fence). Wonderful semi-transparent appearance, great penetration, and about as close to an interior stain as I have seen. Great water repellent and unlikely to ever peel (deep penetration). Still looks fresh after 2 yrs in SC sun.

Thompsons Water Seal (treated deck). Applied in fall, and looked great until snow fall (in NH). By the first spring most of it was peeling. Disappointing at best.

PPC oil stain/sealer (deck). Recently applied and looks great, with great water beading. Cannot speak to longevity. However, only one coat is needed, and it is therefore more cost effective than TWP.

Overall i am most pleased with the TWP (order from walmart or the manufacturer - I like the model 100 in dark oak color), but buy twice as much as you think you will need. It penetrates deep on the first coat, and the second coat really shines.
I hope this helps!

 

[spasm3]

I'm thinking teak oil or linseed oil.

 

[Shannow]

You can get ethylene glycol into the timber to stop it "drying out", or water getting into it.

Then finish with 50:50 used engine oil and diesel...I'm awaiting more "product" for these walls.




A bit skanky for the first week, but not for long.

Seriously, I'd use glycol, and chase it with linseed oil.