I am concerned with what to use for a water impervious finish of a teak wooden top for a bathroom vanity. A paint specialistt suggested a marine varnish. Another suggestion is to go with polyurethane. Is that the same thing? Also, I am aware of using automotive clear coat as an ultimate finish protector. Any suggestions?
Post this in rec.boats. Seriously - you'll get real answers, and quickly.
rec.woodworking, too.
Marine spar varnish is a type of high quality polyurethane. I think what makes it superior in wet locations is that it stays slightly soft and thus is less likely to crack over time and allow water to get to the wood. it also tends to leave a thicker coating and definitely cost more.
Teak is so dense, you could actually leave it unfinished or just oiled with vegetable, linseed or teak oil (can leave a residual smell for a few weeks after treating though) or other furniture oil applied regularly. Might consider leaving it unfinished for a few months and if you change your mind, you can just sand it and apply the varnish but you can't go the other way.
I suppose that spar varnish made with polyurethane exists but it isn't normal.
Spar varnish is made with more oil than normal so it dries softer and more flexible because it is meant for spars. And spars bend.
The merit of polyurethane lies in its hardness. Hardness and flexibility are mutually exclusive.
Not all varnish is polyurethane, but all urethane is varnish. Minwax Helmsman is an example of a polyurethane spar varnish.
I stand corrected, the traditional spar varnish is tung and linseed oil modified by Phenolic resins. Didn't look deep enough to say the difference between phenolic and urethane but when cured, both have similar appearance and properties.
I'd go with something like a Watco Danish Oil or Teak Oil and apply a few coats. Use wet/dry sandpaper when applying the first couple of coats. The sanding dust will create a slurry with the oil and will provide a super smooth finish with no appreciable build up. It's also the easiest thing to repair.
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