Nuther OSB finish question

[Doug Shepard]

I need to find a finish for the inside walls/floor/ceiling on a doghouse. The inside is OSB and the outer walls are MDO which I'll paint. I'm not sure that I want paint on the inside but was thinking about just a clear finish. But I also want to avoid anything that's too solvently smelling due to my mutts finicky taste and sensitive nose so water based as well. It's inside but will be getting moisture tracked in with the dog so exterior finish too?? So do they make something like a waterbased spar varnish? Any other ideas other than paint?

[Steve Schoene]

Sure you can use any good waterborne clear finish--100% acyrlic. It doesn't need to be spar varnish since it doesn't get sun or dramatic flexing. Frankly oil based will be more water resistant. Can it be well aired for a few weeks before the canine is introduced to it?

The one Waterborne I remember seeing on the marine market isn't their any more so it must not have worked very well.

[Doug Shepard]

Thanks Steve. What I think I'm learning is that there really is no such thing as a WB spar varnish despite the labelling. The only thing I've been able to find is this http://www.amazon.com/250241-Varathane-Water-Based-Exterior-Varnish/dp/B00176M37E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1215827845&sr=1-3
but I haven't had time yet to see if someone has it locally. Oil-based paint will be getting used on the outside. My concern with the inside odor is that she may permanently associate the doghouse with somewhere she doesn't want to venture into. And as far as being able to air it out for a few weeks first - that depends on the weather. If she happens to be outside and rain comes up, she'd probably lay outside getting soaked vs going inside if it smelled bad to her. Their sense of smell is so much better than our's, it's hard to say how much worse (or longer) any smell would be percieved long after we cant notice anything.