Out dorrs finish question

[Peter Dufresne]

Hello all,
I am currently making some Adirondack furniture for my wife and I. I would like to paint the support pieces green and stain and spar varnish the top os the pieces.

My question is what type of paint should I use for durability and looks? These pieces will come into direct contact with the earth and will spend a good six months outside.


Any advice?

[Tim Sproul]

Spar will not last very long out in the sun and rain. I'll assume if you are where it freezes and snows, you'll bring the stuff somewhere for a bit of protected storage during the winter.

For paint - use oil alkyld paints. Neutral base without any added tint will dry clear and afford about the best protection of any clear coat available.

[Sam Chambers]

Peter:

You didn't mention what wood you're using.

When I made my patio set a few years ago, I used cypress. I didn't want to use a film finish that I'd have to scrape and sand regularly, so I used a product called Penofin. Their web site is www.penofin.com. It worked well. It's been on for 3 years and it's now faded to the point where it needs to be recoated.

Good luck!