Best Epoxy resin for outdoor wood furniture

[Tannerdog]

I have 4 live edge slab benches that are around the fire pit. Weathered and needing re-finishing so I want to sand them down, stain them and apply a 2 part thick epoxy over top. Looking for advise and experience on resin selection and any tips. They stay outside all summer. Thanks in advance

[Big Bull]

Look at West System epoxy, available at https://boatcraft.com
It's great to work with, will be very clear with the special hardener, and made for boats. There may be other epoxies for outdoor furniture, but I'm only familiar with the West System, and have been using it for 30 years. You can also get the calibrated pump kits that make mixing it easy!

[calgarychef]

Epoxy is degraded by ultraviolet light, if you use epoxy you should also use a coat of something over top. Spar varnish works well. I’d suggest contacting Calgary industrial plastics, they won’t steer you wrong.

[Smoky buck]

Enviro tex lite but might get expensive for your project

[Big Bull]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

Epoxy is degraded by ultraviolet light, if you use epoxy you should also use a coat of something over top. Spar varnish works well. I’d suggest contacting Calgary industrial plastics, they won’t steer you wrong.

Agreed 100% that it must be covered with a good spar varnish or yacht varnish.

[Tannerdog]

Thanks guys, I am worried about UV and will definitely add whats needed. Spar sounds like the best option.(have to google that one) Many of the online brands recommended have UV protectant but i will add a coat. They only get a couple hours of sun in a day (Well shaded) but the UV still does a number on them.
I have worked with West brand fiberglass epoxies and they do work well. Will contact Calgary Plastic, thanks didn't know about them. A lot of sanding and cleanup first. Ugh.....

[ghostguy6]

https://resinate.ca/shop/

Your looking for the pro version for the UV protection. Just be aware that it takes 2 weeks to reach its full hardness.

[gunluvr]

Epoxy's adhesion, strength and hardness isn't downgraded by UV. You will see color fade (white will yellow, blue turns green etc.) but integrity is not lost. Applying a UV protective topcoat (even clearcoat) can't hurt though, as it will prevent gloss die back and bleaching.

[Wrongside]

Originally Posted by Big Bull

Look at West System epoxy, available at https://boatcraft.com
It's great to work with, will be very clear with the special hardener, and made for boats. There may be other epoxies for outdoor furniture, but I'm only familiar with the West System, and have been using it for 30 years. You can also get the calibrated pump kits that make mixing it easy!

Agreed, West System is an excellent product. I don't have much experience outside of WS, but have always been pleased with the results. Mainly in exterior restoration and woodwork repair.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by Tannerdog

Thanks guys, I am worried about UV and will definitely add whats needed. Spar sounds like the best option.(have to google that one) Many of the online brands recommended have UV protectant but i will add a coat. They only get a couple hours of sun in a day (Well shaded) but the UV still does a number on them.
I have worked with West brand fiberglass epoxies and they do work well. Will contact Calgary Plastic, thanks didn't know about them. A lot of sanding and cleanup first. Ugh.....

Honestly, I’d just use spar varnish. It’s easy to recoat every couple years and the first coat penetrates well.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

Honestly, I’d just use spar varnish. It’s easy to recoat every couple years and the first coat penetrates well.

Same here.

No need for the epoxy.

Give it a few coats of tung oil, then several coats of Spar varnish.

BTW, real spar varnish is becoming a rarity, most brands are now just poly blends usurping the good name.

Canadian tire still has real spar varnish.

[Tungsten,]

I’m with the no epoxy crowd. Not something that is normally done for outdoor stuff. Regular varnish several coats is all that’s needed and you save the price of the over priced west epoxy. Not to mention epoxy over stain can be tricky. Must be 100% cured/ dry before epoxy can go on.
If your set on epoxy East system is a far better choice as it’s half the price of West and it’s also a two part so more bang for your buck.

[Bigrib]

No need for epoxy . Use this instead , I like Satin Finish rather than gloss but this is good for outdoor furniture . Give it 3 or 4 coats , Done

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/v...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

[KinAlberta]

From my experience even spar varnish fails surprisingly fast on exposed wood. The 2x10 cedar picnic table my father built looked beautiful With spar varnish but in just a couple years its unprotected surface looked like crap.

So I’d definitely cover it with a tarp of some sort as much as possible - just make sure the tarp itself doesn’t trap moisture under it. Then I’d sand and recoat it as soon as any small checks appear. Otherwise it will crack and peak and flake becoming just another make work project.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by KinAlberta

From my experience even spar varnish fails surprisingly fast on exposed wood. The 2x10 cedar picnic table my father built looked beautiful With spar varnish but in just a couple years its unprotected surface looked like crap.

So I’d definitely cover it with a tarp of some sort as much as possible - just make sure the tarp itself doesn’t trap moisture under it. Then I’d sand and recoat it as soon as any small checks appear. Otherwise it will crack and peak and flake becoming just another make work project.

I suspect that the "spar varnish" wasn't.



REAL spar varnish last a remarkably long time.
There is a reason sailors still use it on their wood boats.
Either the product your father used was not the real stuff or it was applied poorly.

Note what I mentioned in an earlier post.
REAL spar varnish is now hard to find.
Most products labelled spar varnish are Not, they are a polyurethane which DOES NOT last like real spar varnish. I would advise Not to use the product suggested by Bigrib.

Last fall I refinished a 107 year old fir floored veranda.
It was last refinished 30 years ago.
Except for the high traffic line from the steps to the door, otherwise the finish was still perfect.
The only real damage to the old spar varnish finish was shoe spike holes from the mailman.

I've now restored a half dozen 100+ year old outdoor fir floors.
Those that were previously finished with real Spar varnish were all in remarkably great shape.

Be sure to use real Spar Varnish.
It's a good idea to first apply a good wood oil/stain.
Thin the first coat with mineral spirits, 50/50.
Sand between every coat.
Dilute second coat 80/20.
Add a few more coats at 100%.

[YvonneClark]

Hi there. Two cents to update this thread. When it comes to epoxy resin for your outdoor garden furniture, there are a couple of brands that people have recommended. "SuperClear" and "ArtResin" seem to be popular choices. They're known for being durable and resistant to UV rays, which is perfect for furniture that's exposed to the sun. Just be sure to follow the instructions carefully for the best results. Btw, as for garden furniture, I've recently come across Garden Centre Shopping, they offer waterproof furniture, so I thought it would be interesting for you here to check it out. Oh, and don't forget to sand and stain the wood before applying the epoxy to get a nice smooth finish.

[pikergolf]

This company has some interesting products. UV cured plastic coatings. Almost instant dry. I have checked out a few videos where they use it on guitar bodies, a real time saver as it dries in moments.

https://solarez.com/

[Cross Eyed Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Tannerdog

I have 4 live edge slab benches that are around the fire pit. Weathered and needing re-finishing so I want to sand them down, stain them and apply a 2 part thick epoxy over top. Looking for advise and experience on resin selection and any tips. They stay outside all summer. Thanks in advance

UVpoxy by Ecopoxy excellent Canadian product, headquarted out of Morris Manitoba, check out there website for details and where to buy.

If you don't have any experience with epoxy you best check out YT videos for correct mixing and application techniques and practice on a few small pieces beforehand.

Personally I would be hesitant to use a stain on the wood prior to coating just because of adhesion issues, consider tinting the clear epoxy with a compatible liquid pigment of a color of your preference or even adding compatible solid pigments. Use of either type of pigment will decrease the UV damage somewhat and prolong the useful live of the epoxy coating.