I have a new outdoor table made from pallets. What is the best treatment for this wood?
Note: It will be in full sun.
Wood – a suitable treatment for an outdoor table
finishingoutdoorwoodwooden-furniture
Related Solutions
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no magic solution you can spray on and restore the original beauty. As an owner or an older Carver with lots of teak, the only solution is to sand it down. We solved the every year restoral ritual by using Seatrol medium sealer by Sikens. (found in marine stores) Couple of coats of this stuff and your teak will look good for years.
Ikea tend to use these widgets whose name you may have temporarily misplaced:
- "Furniture bolts"
- "Cam and pin" fixings
Just because Ikea doesn't stock it doesn't mean you cant do an Ikea hack
Best Answer
I looked into this question when building a picnic table out of construction lumber. I was looking for a clear finish.
It turns out that all clear finished break down under sunlight, so the most durable finish is paint.
But if you want a clear finish, it seems the best thing is spar varnish, the kind you have to go to a boating store to get (e.g. epiphanes). It is made to stretch a little more to accomodate the extra wood movement you get with outdoor temp/humidity swings, plus it resists sunlight for longer. That said, you still will have to reapply regularly, I think every year or two.
stain is a compromise between the two. Like paint, it contains pigment, which offers sun protection. I assume less pigment means less protection. But it will allow the wood to look like wood (somewhat).