Refinishing My Cypress Table- Varnish Q

Berner

My neighbor is a finish carpenter and built a beutiful cypress table for my LBGE last summer. My intention was to keep it covered, but I would often leave it exposed because I do a lot of hi-temp cooks and it would need to cool off over night, and who thinks to cover it up on a Monday morning! The table was finished with several coats of exterior spar, and looked great, but as the South Florida sun and moisture hit it, spots started breaking down and turning silver. Also, parts of the table top showed signs of splitting around the cut out, mostly from my hi-temp cooks. I am in the process of sanding down to raw wood, and filling the splits, and wanted some advice on how to finish it better. Should I seal it, then spar? Seal only? Spar only, or any other combo? The cypress is so beutiful, I would love to be able to keep that look. I appreciate all your advice! BTW, I am not sure I can commit to doing a better job of covering it either....

 

 

tgkleman

No need for a sealer coat, just use the Spar.  Also, if you are not going to be able to cover it up, you are probably going to be refinishing this table every so often to keep the look of the cypress.  Mother Nature always wins...

Berner

Yes she does! I thought we had a fighting chance against her with all the freon and deoderant we were once allowed to pump between us and the sun, but I digress. I sanded the top today and am down to bare wood. I will sand with 220 a few times, fill some of the gaps, and spar it up. I will do better with my cover in the future.

eggo

This is all I used (5 coats) on my cypress table and it has held up very good. 8 months now and still looks just sealed.

http://www.readyseal.com/

eggo

This is all I used (5 coats) on my cypress table and it has held up very good. 8 months now and still looks just sealed.

http://www.readyseal.com/