Waterlox disappointment

[charlie spencer]

10 years ago I finished my new 40 square foot walnut island with Waterlox and was happy for years until normal use suggested a refresh. I re-coated with Waterlox and have not been happy. It has held up, but NOTHING will slide across the island as before. It does not appear to be soft and it dried normally when applied, but I am debating sanding lightly with 320 versus sanding it off (a lot of dusty work) before re-coating. I would appreciate some experienced input.
Also, the island is so big it is difficult to keep a wet edge even with a large lambswool applicator.

[Jim Becker]

Did you use fresh Waterlox for the renovation?

[charlie spencer]

Straight from the retailer

[Bennett Ostroff]

The glossier the finish, the "grippier" it will be. Waterlox goes on quite glossy but says it will cure to a semi-gloss over a few months. I would give it some time. Do you remember things sliding across 10 years ago right after you finished it? My guess is that it happened gradually, and that it will again.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Waterlox original sealer finish is my go to finish for the furniture that I build. The product drys relatively quickly if applied thinly to touch and dust. The product takes on order of 21 days or more to cure hard, the product is a bit softer till it’s properly cured, especially if it has been applied heavier. Your nose can tell when the product has cured..

How long has the newly applied product been on the island?

[charlie spencer]

it has been like this since the re-coat 3 years ago.

[charlie spencer]

3 years. still nothing slides. Sand it off or just touch up lightly with 320?

[Wayne Lomman]

In all likelihood the manufacturer has 'improved' the formula since you first applied the product. This is a common problem with coating manufacturers. Changes are invariably related to production cost control and the end user is a bit secondary to this. They are not obliged to tell customers they are making changes. Its usually through experience like yours that one becomes aware of what happens. Waterlox will not be an exception to this.

If you are planning to refinish, try the fine sanding option, provided you are happy with the appearance achieved. If that doesn't work, you can still proceed to strip it and start over. You don't say which Waterlox product you used, but check which ones are suitable for counter tops.

My recommendation is, as always, to use a 2 part polyurethane for counter tops. It is highly durable, food safe, resilient and household chemical resistant. It does not need to be applied so thick that it looks like plastic. It has a long enough open time to easily coat a bench top such as you have. It cures to handle most things the next day and reaches full cure in 7 days or less. Cheers

[charlie spencer]

Good answer. Do you have a preferred poly brand?

[Wayne Lomman]

Being on the other side of the world and in a different hemisphere, I can't guarantee that the same products will be available to you. My preferred product is Valspar Poly-U-750. Most industrial coating manufacturers have similar products as do auto paint manufacturers. I had a bit of a look on the net and you can get products that look like they will do the job for around USD50-60. You are unlikely to find anything good at a big box outlet. Cheers

[charlie spencer]

Being on the other side of the world and in a different hemisphere, I can't guarantee that the same products will be available to you. My preferred product is Valspar Poly-U-750. Most industrial coating manufacturers have similar products as do auto paint manufacturers. I had a bit of a look on the net and you can get products that look like they will do the job for around USD50-60. You are unlikely to find anything good at a big box outlet. Cheers

Thanks again. I just noticed your locale. That's a long way to send electrons!