Best non-yellowing water based poly

[Allan Grant]

My sister's friend is building a new home with exposed pine beams. He wants to keep it as white as possible. He's looking at Rustoleum Ultimate Polyurethane, Deft Interior/Exterior, General Finishes EnduroClear and two flooring products, Lenmar and Bona which I've never heard of. Does anyone have any experience with which WB Poly is the 'whitest?' This will be a brush-on, not sprayed, application. Thanks.

[roger wiegand]

The yellowing of the finish, if any, will pale in comparison (as it were) to the color change in the wood itself. All of the WB polys have little if any color. You might slow it down, but pine will ultimately turn a dark orange-y color due to oxidation of compounds in the wood. Blocking oxygen permeation is essentially impossible.

[John TenEyck]

Enduro Clear Poly is a spray only product, so take that one off your list for consideration. The good news is GF makes a very similar product, called High Performance Poly. It goes on great with a brush and is water clear. In addition, it has a dual UV stabilizer package that will slow the aging of both the finish and underlying wood for many years. I've used it with very good success even on cherry. I don't know anything about the other products but I do know that if the product advertising or tech data sheet doesn't point out that it has a UV stabilizer, it doesn't. You could choose an acrylic water borne as they don't yellow with age; however, without a UV stabilizer the wood underneath will age.

John

[Allan Speers]

Allan,


I'm refinishing all the Oak trim in my house. My plan is to fill in all the nicks with a tinted poly, to match the old, darkened finish. Then I'll probably spray on a single caot of clear shellac just so the following brushed finish doesn't lift the newly-applied color. Then I'll be brushing on a clear coat. (after a light surface sanding)

Because my trim is already dark, I also want as clear a finish as possible. IMO, that means an acrylic finish. Also of course it MUST be brushed on. So I'm in the same boat as you.

After TONS of research & thinking, I've settled on AquaCoat's "clear laquer." It's a clear water-based 100% acrylic laquer which is typically sprayed on, but they assure me it can be brushed on with good results, as long as you use a very good brush and work reasonably fast. It supposedly dries absolutely clear, and doesn't darken with time the way poly does.

It might be worth considering for you.

They also make an acrylic / urethane blend called "Aqua-Thane Top Coat." (The names are confusing) This is more durable than the laquer, but may slightly darken over time. For my trim, I'm not as worried about durability as I am about darkening over time. If durabiity is your main concern, they also sell a cross-link enhancer for both products. FWIW, I suspect this "Top Coat" product is similar to General Finishes HD.
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When I talked to General finishes, they recommended Enduro-Var for my application, even though I specifically mentioned that everyone recommends their "High Performance" poly. I think the tech I spoke with was likely an idiot, since Enduro-Var has a slight tint, which I specifically said I didn't want, and he also said that "High Performance" was a discontinued product, which it is not.

After that phone call, I gave up on General Finishes as a company. YMMV.
If you want to speak with them, the tech number, which is near-impossible to find, is 800-783-6050.

Auqua-Thane is: 1-877-886-2422

[Scott Holmes]

A pine beam at ceiling height does not need the tough durability of poly (IMHO is for floors only). A few quick coats of shellac will seal the wood and give you a nice straw color. Shellac is colorfast and does not yellow. Dried and ready to recoat in about 20 minutes.

[Allan Grant]

My thanks to all who offered their opinions, they're greatly appreciated. I gave my sister the link to the forum post and they'll be making their decision soon.

Cheers!

[John TenEyck]

Shellac doesn't yellow - but it will not prevent the wood underneath from aging.

John