Top Coat Finishes

Certainly not every woodworking project needs a finish, though most will look better and last longer given that extra protection. Some woods such as cedar or teak fare well even when exposed to the weather, and most wood finishes are notoriously short-lived under outdoor conditions, making continued maintenance a headache.

Some traditional penetrating finishes such as linseed or tung oil, or even a coat of paste wax, will deepen the wood's color and offer some protection against moisture and other threats. Newer versions blend the oils with resin varnishes that help build a thin protective film on the wood surface. These "wipe-on" finishes are easy to apply and renew, an leave the wood surface feeling more natural, a quality many people like.

For any interior wood surfaces that might be subject to damage from moisture, dirt, abrasion, or other hazards, a topcoat finish is hard to beat. Polyurethanes are a newer category of synthetic finishes available in both waterborne and solvent-based versions, and they perform as well or better than some traditional film finishes such as alkyd varnishes, shellac, or nitrocellulose lacquer - especially for resisting stains from water, alcohol, and other liquids.