How to Finish and Protect Outdoor Furniture

Curious about how to finish and protect outdoor furniture? I explain how to stain and protect untreated wood by showing step-by-step how I completed my adirondack chair project. I even show my wood staining technique...good times.
Link to my adirondack chair video: • Wood DIY - Adirondack ...

[@rubietaseff8175]

Thank you so much! I had the 2 products in my cart when I looked up what I should use. When I came across your video, needless to say they went back and I picked up your suggestion. I cannot wait to try it. Awesome video.

[@normaparker2501]

You did a great job Ethan!!!!

[@automagicashie]

Thank you for making this informative video! Now I know what to do with my outdoor table thank you

[@genna2586]

Thank you for exactly explaining the steps needed to stain outdoor furniture. Really appreciate your time in making this video. The poly is the best tip as I’ve seen so many videos on how to finish the stain process. The pre-stain process is also a very good reminder to do. Awesome video!

[@MrJohnnyboyrebel]

First, select a rot resistant wood. Treat the bottoms of the legs that make ground contact. Epoxy works very well. Make a short wall using blue tape and pour in 1/4” and let it set. A penetrating oil finish that doesn’t form a coat is the better finish because you WILL have to re-coat annually. Spar varnish forms coats that may flake off making it necessary to sand before decorating. UV is the biggest problem, so if your furniture sees more shade than sun, that is good. My experience thus far is based on cost/performance and western red cedar tops my list. There are great hardwoods like white oak, mahogany, sepele, and teak, but those are out of my budget. I’ve used pressure treated pine and when kept out of the elements (under a patio cover) PT pine will last three or four years untreated. Regular pine, even when primed and painted, will rot very quickly if exposed to sun and rain.

[@crzxm]

The epoxy is a good tip.

[@mylenegabriel435]

Thank you what a nice video. I have a table project to eventually get to. This helps me mentally prepare. Thanks!

[@marcushezekiah6627]

A tip : you can watch series on Flixzone. Me and my gf have been using it for watching lots of of movies during the lockdown.

[@phillipmanuel3346]

@Marcus Hezekiah yup, I have been using flixzone for since november myself :D

[@chadsolomon3501]

@Marcus Hezekiah Definitely, have been watching on Flixzone for since december myself =)

[@dwayneissac2302]

@Marcus Hezekiah Yea, been using flixzone for since november myself :)

[@leualves4767]

Ficou muito bom esse tipo de cadeira

[@Therealethanparker]

Obrigada! (If that is wrong, I blame Google Translate...)

[@rebeccargv8423]

Thanks for the video it gave me peace of mind. We are using Special Walnut for our cedar columns outside. Now did you sand in between coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane? If so what did you use to remove the saw dust? Thanks!

[@ZEROmg13]

great info, thanks. i do have one question..........when you buy an outdoor chair from a big box store, is it better to assemble then stain/protect OR stain/protect each individual piece THEN assemble.

[@triggerunhappy.]

Is there any reason that you wouldn't stain before assembly ( patching over screwholes not withstanding)

[@jacksonbradford9113]

did you use the minwax gel stain line? i think it's more for exterior use. or did you use an interior stain? just a tip from a curious DIY viewer - i would show the actual product you are using at some point in the video. that would be very helpful!

[@paulyang748]

Do you need to sand down again to reapply the outdoor poly?

[@HiralGosalia]

Thank you for this tutorial. I’m planning on making a picnic bench but just wanted to ask, after applying the Spar Urethane, would you recommend sealing. Or does the Spar Urethane have enough to weatherproof ?

[@Therealethanparker]

Thanks for the question! Based on my experience, the Spar Urethane should hold up well to the elements for some time. Sunlight will break it down over time though, so you might have to reapply it in a few years if you start seeing some damage to the wood itself.

[@reetadesai5462]

Thank you for the video. I want to know how i can finish my point table that i made with shabby chic look with varnish finish your showed but also with blue paint touches. Please reply back so i know what to do. Thanks

[@Therealethanparker]

Thank you for your question. If I am understanding correctly, you are looking to have your table have some stained sections, as well as some painted sections. If that is the case, I would suggest putting painter’s tape along the transition between the stain and paint, and then taking a box cutter and lightly scoring the side that you will be staining along the tape edge. That should prevent the stain from bleeding over to the section you want to paint.

[@Dimmu666ist]

Sir where can i buy the helmsman product and what color was your one

[@unitycatalog]

How bad would it be to use the usual polyurethane on an outdoor bench ? Like comparatively?

[@danielevans324]

Nice video! Have you compared this process to an actual deck stain? Something like the Thompson deck stains. Curious why you chose this over that? I built a bed swing out of untreated wood and am comparing the two. Cheers

[@Therealethanparker]

I have not done that, but that is a good idea! Thanks for the idea!

[@angelpack]

I absolutely love the stain color! It matches my wishing well planter that I bought from Japan but it was baked wood. The color is so similar. I bought a potting bench yesterday and it's fresh wood (no paint or any seal on it). To go with the color of my wishing well, I wanted to stain it and also weatherproof it. Thank you for the tutorial and also the stain and finish brand names. Do they sell them at Lowe's or Home Depot?

[@Therealethanparker]

Thanks for the question! I believe the Minwax brand is at Lowes, and not Home Depot.

[@angelpack]

@@Therealethanparker I found them both at Lowe's today. Thank you again☺️

[@cartersmith7396]

Curious how the stain and finish are holding up after ~ 9 months? Would you do anything differently if you were starting the project today? Appreciate your response. Thanks!

[@Therealethanparker]

Thank you for your comment…overall the chairs have held up well. They were out in the open and fully exposed to the elements for around 3 months, and after I moved they have remained outside but under a covered patio. Jokingly, I would say wait until September to start if you are making any to let the lumber prices fall more…but other than that I would not change anything on these chairs.

[@lesliedix2138]

Hi there! When you do have to go and reapply the spar urethane, what is the process? do you just make sure the wood is clean and add another coat or is there sanding involved? Thanks!

[@Therealethanparker]

If it were me, I probably do some light sanding to give the spar urethane something to “grab” onto. I really hate sanding…

[@jimramsey2796]

@Road to one Million I'm building a outdoor bench. I will be using pine. What is the pre-stain you use and what was the sealer you used after staining the chair? Also what was the filler you used to cover the screw holes?

[@Therealethanparker]

Here are some links to what I use…I use the Minwax line, which I think is exclusive to Lowe’s. I use their pre-stain and stain…and I also use their wood filler as well: www.lowes.com/pd/Minwax-8-fl-oz-Wood-Conditioner/999913771 www.lowes.com/pd/Minwax-Stainable-Wood-Filler/999914235

[@timparker2432]

What was the name of the top protecting coat that you applied.

[@Therealethanparker]

I used Helmsman Spar Polyurethane for the top coat...it is a Minwax product, and I used the "clear semi-gloss" one.

[@janparker9040]

👍

[@zolotistruny6229]

What would you recommend if you started applying a stain colour (Minwax ipswich pine) but want to change it for a darker minwax stain product?

[@Therealethanparker]

Good question...I would recommend taking a scrap piece of wood (the same kind as the one you have already stained), and stain it the pine color first, and once it has dried try applying the new darker color as well over the pine colored stain. Stain is tricky, because it becomes part of the wood grain. If covering over the old stain with the new stain doesn’t look good to you, the only option I know of is to sand the wood until the stain is gone. And that is a really pain to do... I hope this helps...if not, let me know!

[@zolotistruny6229]

@@Therealethanparker Thanks! That's a great start. I will give it a shot.

[@kimklapow2116]

Is it ok to use the minwax water based spar urethane? I can't find the minwax oil based spar urethane anywhere!

[@Therealethanparker]

I have never used the water based spar urethane, so I am not sure how well it would hold up. I have used the water based polyurethane before and it has worked well for indoor applications.

[@nathan1sixteen]

Did you just use regular “interior” stain? I’m not finding minwax outdoor/exterior stain

[@Therealethanparker]

I did just use interior stain. Thanks for watching!

[@troubledwaters]

What brush did you use to apply the seal with?

[@Therealethanparker]

I used a cheap brush from Lowe’s like this one: www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Source-Natural-Bristle-Flat-2-in-Paint-Brush/50370498

[@tricialortz5715]

Are you using the oil-based Helmsman Spar urethane?

[@Therealethanparker]

So for this project I did use oil based Helmsman Spar polyurethane. I have found that for outdoor applications, it is hard to beat. I have used the Polycrylic (which is water based) to seal a front door, and ended up having to cover it again with Helmsman Spar polyurethane.

[@HiralGosalia]

Hi - are you sure it’s the Helmsman Spar Polyurethane and not Spar Urethane? I can’t seem to find a Helmsman Spar Polyurethane anywhere.

[@Therealethanparker]

You are correct...it is Helmsman Spar Urethane. I obviously cannot read...thank you for catching this!

[@1devotedreader813]

What stain did you use?

[@Therealethanparker]

I used a Minwax oil stain, and the color was "Dark Walnut". Thanks for joining the Road to One Million!

[@waynemorris2002]

Is the stain and the top coat ok to spray on?

[@Therealethanparker]

I have never used a sprayer for stain before. I would defer to the specific product you would be using for more information. I have used Minwax spray on polyurethane before, which comes in an aerosol can…the downside is that it is expensive.

[@waynemorris2002]

@@Therealethanparker will do. Tks!

[@leualves4767]

Me manda as medidas para mim

[@Therealethanparker]

www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/2x4-modern-adirondack-chair I think that is what you need!

[@Enceladus_edits]

Seriously this isn’t going to hold up cmon man. That’s exactly the process you would use for indoor furniture.