solvent-based varnish on top of water-based?

[antony.adshead]

Is there any reason why you can't put solvent-based varnish on top of water-based?

We have just put the first coat of varnish on stripped boards on the ground floor of our house.

We are a bit concerned after the first coat that the 'colour' of the clear varnish is not going to even out the difference between the original boards and the replacement new ones which have been stained to match them. The varnish is a clear gloss Ronseal water-based one.

A few months back we stripped and varnished boards on the top floor of the house. Where there were new boards fitted we stained them and they matched well after varnishing. The varnish was a clear Wickes solvent-based one and its 'colour' seemed to even out the differences between old and new stained boards.

Having seen the result after one coat, we are wondering if we could do

3 coats with the Ronseal water-based stuff and then put a coat of the same Wickes solvent-based stuff on top, simply for the colour, as we know it is good for that.

Is there any reason why you can't put solvent-based varnish on top of water-based?

TIA

Antony

[Mike Halmarack]

Where large areas of board are concerned i've always found that staining is more even and controllable when done after varnishing. The problem is that in areas of slight to moderate wear, if the varnish flakes off,so does the colour and it can look quite a mess.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - ordinary oil based varnish stains a bit as well. Water based doesn't.

I found it didn't quite give the right colour. Perhaps because the oil based varnish doesn't soak in to the wood?

[antony.adshead]

Problem solved. We put a coat of the (satin - only type you can get, i think) Ronseal 'antique pine' coloured varnish on top of the first two layers. We'll finish off by putting gloss on top of that

ta

Antony