There are three types of clear topcoats used to seal natural wood or bleached furniture – polyurethane, polycrylic, and wax finishes. Each type of clear coat has different pros, cons, and projects that it's best suited for. Polyurethane is available in oil-based and water-based finishes.
To seal wood properly first prepare the surface by sanding it smooth and, if you like, staining it a color. Then you can apply a sealant, but there are many to choose from. The three most common sealants are polyurethane, shellac, and lacquer, and each requires a different method of application.
Paint Or Seal Unfinished Furniture
Bare wood, when left unfinished, keeps your furniture with a natural wood look but the risk is exposing it to harsh elements, even if it's indoors, such as light, dust, moisture and water damage, making it more susceptible to stains, warping and cracking.
Most clear finishes are applied with a brush, working in the direction of the grain of the wood. After it dries, sand lightly. Then remove all the sanding dust and apply a second coat. For added durability, a third coat can be applied.
To make wood waterproof naturally, use either polymerized linseed oil or tung oil, which are the two best natural wood waterproofing products. Refined hemp oil and walnut oil can also be used, but you will have to apply a repeat coat more quickly.
Shellac. In my opinion, shellac is the best natural wood finish for one main reason: it's the most protective natural finish on the market. Unlike other options, shellac forms a barrier on top of the wood, stopping water, dirt, and other things (*cough*crayon*cough) from reaching the pores of the wood.
Tung oil is often recommended as a sealing oil for furniture because it protects the wood from moisture and stains.
Yes! A polyurethane wood finish looks beautiful and is one of the most durable top coats for wood finishes. It works great on stained wood, raw wood, weathered wood finishes, and painted wood finishes too.
Varnish is great option to treat untreated wood for outdoor use because it's relatively cheap and provides superior protection for your wood. It can also last longer than some other sealants, which is something we all want.
Now here's the secret to protecting and finishing raw wood while also protecting the raw wood look. Modern Masters Exterior Dead Flat Varnish. This is a water-based sealant that brushes on easily and never leaves streaks. Since it's water-based, it needs to be applied over raw wood or other water-based products.
Sealers Vs Primers
The best rule to adhere to is to apply at least two coats of sealer directly onto the raw wood. This will protect the wood and create a barrier. Then apply primer to enhance adhesion, return tooth to the surface, and whiten the surface for optimising paint colours you plan to apply over it.
And the answer is yes. Sometimes. Wood can be left unfinished if it won't encounter weather, water or significant handling. If your project is placed outside, will be somewhere wet, or will be used on a regular basis, then you should apply wood finish.
As a general rule of thumb, you should apply at least two coats of polyurethane. If you are working on furniture or floors, you should apply at least three coats. You may even use spray paint for the wooden flooring. A water-based polyurethane could be applied for up four or five coats.
Clear finish can be applied over stain or directly to raw wood. It's an extra step, but it's always worth the time. A clear finish provides a protective coat for your wood that guards it against stains, water damage, and natural wear and tear.
Shellac: The natural choice. This traditional finish comes from natural resins secreted by the lac bug. These secretions are collected and processed into flakes that dissolve in ethyl or denatured alcohol. You can also buy shellac premixed, it's slightly cheaper than polyurethane.
It can be used to treat several kinds of wooden surfaces. From chairs and tables to wooden storage boxes, you can use olive oil and let it act as a varnish. Although olive oil does not have the same thickness as the varnish coating has, it can protect woods from mild dents and scratches.
New, eco-friendly, but nevertheless still effective protection systems, is needed to protect wood in outdoors. Non-toxic vegetable oils can form of a protective layer on the surface of the wood cells which decrease water uptake of wood. For that reason, oils have a good potential as being a wood preservative.
Wood Oil: Offering more durability than a wax polish, Wood oils are easy to work with, very easy to repair (sand down scratches then reapply) but they do have slower drying times. Wood Varnish: Forming a seal on the surface of the wood, varnishes are the strongest of all wood finishes.
Your goal with your wood project decides whether you want to use wax or linseed oil. Wax only stops the wood from graying. Linseed oil adds to the wood's beauty. Wax doesn't penetrate the wood, but linseed oil does, offering enhanced wood protection.