Stain/Finish for Adirondack Chairs. HELP.

[Dennis Peacock]

OK....I really need some help here...I am at a point where I need to start finishing some of these things to get them out of the shop.

I am looking for a medium to dark stain for EXTERIOR furniture as well as what you recommend for a clear top coat (if needed that is).

I want to do this RIGHT!!!......and I don't want to leave the chairs BARE wood....

Advise and pointers are highly welcomed.!!

[Dick Parr]

Dennis, I haven’t used it on a chair but wouldn’t a good deck stain work? It does a great job on my patio cover that I put up a few years ago. Water runs right off and there are a number of colors to pick from. It holds up to foot trafic!

If you have a garden sprayer, you can just take them outside in the yard and spray them. Make it easy on yourself. :D

Just a thought.

[Dennis Peacock]

Dick,

I have thought about that....but wanted to check here before any money was spent.

[Glenn Clabo]

Dennis...
Lots of opinions on this one. I go to the local expert...boatbuilders and ask. Here's some info. Check out the whole site it's full of info.
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/decoder_varnish.asp

[Jim Becker]

Putting a finish on something for outdoors is a difficult decision...largely because they all require frequent renewal. It's not like doing furniture for the inside--and things like polyurethane will not work. The major factor is UV and moisture.

For coloration, some form of exterior stain will work the best although most are way too opague for my tastes.

For top coating, the finishing experts at another forum I visit from time to time often recommend exterior oil-based tint-base paint. Yes, paint. But it dries clear and has the UV protection, etc., built in. You'll need to inform your "customers" about what you used, however, as they will need to reapply from time to time. In some cases, that's annually. In some cases every few years. It depends on the environmental conditions, etc., that the pieces will be living in.

[Sam Chambers]

Dennis:

What wood are you using? If it’s not a weather-resistant wood (teak, redwood, cypress, cedar, etc.) you’ll need to do more to protect it from the elements.

When I built a patio table and 4 chairs about 3 years ago, I used cypress. I didn’t want a film finish that I’d have to sand, scrape and refinish every year, so I used a product called Penofin (stands for “Penetrating Oil Finish”). It doesn’t form a film, but does contain resins that cure inside the wood. It was easy to apply, though it really stinks, even for a few months after application. It comes in a variety of colors. Their web site is www.penofin.com. If you have any questions, give them a call. I found them to be very helpful.

[Frank Pellow]

I built 4 Muskoka chairs (that's the Ontario term for what you are referring to as Adirondack chairs) out of cedar 5 years ago. I finsihed them with the same Sikkens Cetol stain that I used on my cedar deck and it has worked quite well.