Using 2 different types of Vanish together?

[famousredhead]

Hi everyone...I'm sort of new to woodworking. I watched my husband do it for 30 years. I would have the idea for a piece of furniture and he would make it. I'd love just sitting and watching him do it. After he passed about 10 months ago, I started tinkering in his shop and realized alot of wooden things around the place needed restoring and /or fixing. So I took what little knowledge I had from watching him all these years and started projects and found...I really like it. Now I understand why he loved his shop so much. Anyway...enough background..

I have a wooden door that faces outside and gets direct sun, wind and rain. The door is 15 years or so and now all the varnish has peeled off and the door is a mess. I am going to obviously sand it all down to the wood.

I will use the Shiny Varnish+Staining products you can get all in one can here in Costa Rica or any hardware store. But I want the door to be protected better and last longer. I Will probably put 2-3 coats on to get the deep rich color I am after. THEN I was thinking of putting a final coat of Marine varnish OVER the shiny varnish + stain.

My Q is this: Can I do that? Can I use one varnish product and then put a Different one over it?
I'm new to all this and I can't ask my woodworking guru anymore....so any help is appreciated.
TIA!

[auscab]

Hi famousredhead .
Thank you for the background story. My wife tinkering in my shed when I'm gone ! That's a nice thought .

With your door and the varnish . Its a bit hard for anyone to answer that question without them having used both products and tried the same thing. Some things stick to each other and plenty don't .
The best thing you could do is try some test pieces on some scrap and then have a go at seeing if they separate after its hard and dry . Some things will sit and look good until its scratched, marked or hit with something . This can show up one separating from the other . lightly and evenly sanding the first coats before the second ones go on can help one stick to the other sometimes .

Good luck with it .

[jack620]

I Will probably put 2-3 coats on to get the deep rich color I am after. THEN I was thinking of putting a final coat of Marine varnish OVER the shiny varnish + stain.


H there,
I think marine varnish over another product is asking for trouble. I would just use marine varnish. Most door manufacturers will not warranty their doors against warping if the door is painted/stained a dark colour and the door is exposed to the sun. The dark colour absorbs too much heat.

P.S. What are you famous for? :)

[GraemeCook]

AusCab and Jack are both right.

Marine varnish is essentially ordinary varnish with a UV protector in it. But it only partially protects from UV, and UV varnish does not last anywhere near as long as exterior paints. Code for - a lot of maintenance is needed.

That beautiful varnished bright work that you see on elegant yachts is commonly touched up - lightly sanded and recoated - every six weeks or so; more frequently in the tropics. Then every year it is stripped back to bare wood and the process starts again - eight coats is fairly standard. Some UV always gets through the varnish and after a year or so it starts to grey the wood under the varnish and then the varnish lets go; it literally falls off the wood.

I used to love varnish, loved the smell of the natural turpentine in it, but I got over it. Still love it on other peoples stuff.

In your case, I would not use any varnish without a UV protector.