Varathane over tung oil?

[zepper]

Hey guys,

We have a teak table my wife's been keeping on our covered patio. Because it'd be exposed to humidity, I treated it with some of this Circa 1850 Tung 'n' Teak Oil:

Since the table appeared to be bare (unfinished) wood, I figured this would make it look best, while offering some degree of protection.

I guess that was a mistake, though—as now, a year later, the table is covered with black spots. (Mold? Deteriorated finish? Both?)

Can I just sand it down and Varathane it? Or do you think the Varathane won't adhere to it now, as there may be remnants of the tung oil? Thanks for your advice!

 

[nealtw]

Teak with it's own oil is special, there are finishes that are made for it.
It is all in the prep work and the stuff trapped behind the finish.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=rest...3.8551j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1

 

[zepper]

Teak with it's own oil is special, there are finishes that are made for it.
It is all in the prep work and the stuff trapped behind the finish.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=rest...3.8551j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1

Thanks, but I don't quite understand. You pointed me to a video of someone sanding a chair, then applying teak oil to it.

There was nothing "trapped behind the finish" when I applied the oil last year... The table was new, and completely clean. (I sanded it anyway before applying the oil, as I understand that's always a good idea.)

Now there's black stuff all over it, which I'm pretty sure is something that's been growing in it. (I'll post a photo if you prefer.)

I just want to know if I can sand all of that out, then apply something other than the oil—something like Varathane, which (I assume) won't attract mold.

 

[nealtw]

Black and grey are the natural aging any growth on it would be growing on pollen or dust. Their are epoxies that are advertised for teak I have never seen anything but oil use.

Others will be along with maybe different experience.

 

[jeffmattero76]

Hey guys,

We have a teak table my wife's been keeping on our covered patio. Because it'd be exposed to humidity, I treated it with some of this Circa 1850 Tung 'n' Teak Oil:

Since the table appeared to be bare (unfinished) wood, I figured this would make it look best, while offering some degree of protection.

I guess that was a mistake, though—as now, a year later, the table is covered with black spots. (Mold? Deteriorated finish? Both?)

Can I just sand it down and Varathane it? Or do you think the Varathane won't adhere to it now, as there may be remnants of the tung oil? Thanks for your advice!

Not quite the same as Tung oil, but I originally finished all of the oak molding in my home with Danish oil (a penetrating oil finish). That looked good but it soaked into the wood rather than being a topcoat sitting on top of the wood. The looks were great, but it was more difficult to clean, since you couldn't just wipe it as you can with a varnished surface. As a result, I went back and scuff sanded it (very light sanding just to give the varnish something to grab on to), and coated it with semi-gloss polyurethane. I had no issues applying the poly, and 20 years later it still looks great. The only difference is that mine is interior wood. For exterior wood, I believe you should use Minwax Helmsman Spar Polyurethane. As I understand it, that product has UV filters in it and it is more able to expand and contract. They use that on boats.

Good luck!

 

[zepper]

Indeed, there's the issue of UV protection outdoors—I didn't think of that. And the polyurethane I was considering applying is actually an interior product (read the small print!) and probably wouldn't hold up well out there.

A friend has now recommended something called Benjamin Moore Arborcoat, which he's used successfully on decks. It's technically a stain, but there's a "translucent" version that doesn't hide the wood's grain or natural color, and my friend said it works great as a standalone finish. So I'll go with that.

Thanks for your input... It's always educational!