Finish for Cedar Chairs

My uncle made me some cedar chairs for my patio. He did not finish them, so I need to do it. What is the best finish for cedar, so it can stick around through the weather and not splinter?

 

Thomson's water seal maybe if you are looking for a clear finish. Poly would just crack and peal in the sun.

 

Chose a stain or dye, stain is better on cedar, then use Spar. Of course you don't have to do anything with cedar if you choose to just leave it alone. This is assuming you have fence cedar, and not aromatic cedar. I like the way fencing cedar lasts, but as far as attractiveness, nah.

 

I would use a stain - you can pick the color you want or just a natural clear stain. All you need is something that will penetrate the wood to protect the wood. I would also be sure to bring the chairs in out of the weather in the winter.

 

Depends on the kind of "Finish" you want. If you want you can just soak it with Boiled Linseed oil on an annual basis. If you want them to last for ever and have a slick finish I'd coat em with 2 coats of 10% thinned epoxy and then 4-5 coats of Epiphane Marine varnish. It has HIGH UV protection and will last for 5+ years out in the elements. Very Glossy.

 

I've never heard of Epiphane Marine varnish - is this a color or just shiny? For anything cedar I have always used just a clear poly protection. I love the cedar color so I would not apply anything that had a color.

 

I agree with a clear coat of something to make sure the wood is protected. You will probably want to apply this each year. Weather takes a lot out of wood. I would not use a colored stain either.

 

Epiphanes is a clear marine varnish. It's used on those beautiful Chris Craft wood boats. One of the best exterior UV protectant varnishes you can buy. I've used it for years on my Adirondack furniture and they stay beautiful for years. It's not the cheapest but one of the best.

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