Exterior furniture product - need mat'l recommendation

[KHansonGraco]

I need to finish a porch swing from a local woodshop made of cypress. Any recommendations on material? I want to maintain natural appearance of the wood and bring out some character as well. Not interested in the maintenance required with oil finishes. Thinking spar varnish is maybe the answer here?

 

[rdesigns]

Any finish that leaves the wood with its natural look is going to eventually allow UV degredation of the wood under the coating. Some have UV protection, but, again, it's only a matter of time. Two-to-three years from my experience.

If anyone else has had better luck with any other finish of this type, I'd like to hear more.

My recommendation for exterior wood is: let it weather without any coating, or paint it with a top-quality primer followed by 2 coats of 100% acrylic latex paint.

 

[Tom R]

Have a look at this link. I have never used the Exterior products, so I have no first hand knowledge.
I have used the interior products, and like them very much - nice product - beautiful finish.

http://www.waterlox.com/products-item/waterlox-original-UV-protection-marine-finish.aspx

Tom R

 

[KHansonGraco]

I should mention this will be hanging under a deck, so very low sun exposure. But, needs to withstand temp extremes from 95 and humid to -30 degrees and dry as a bone! It is Minnesota, after all!

I'll take a look at the Waterlox product a bit - thanks for the link.

 

[Allen Akin]

My experience is that oils are less work than film-forming finishes.  Any transparent finish is going to require maintenance every couple of years, and it's easier to prep the surface and reapply an oil.

That said, I use Waterlox on my outside furniture, and I'm happy with the result.

I've also tried a good-quality marine varnish (Epifanes) with success, but I found Waterlox easier to maintain.

Allen