Posts: 14,721
Threads: 1
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Traverse City MI
We want to use a solid wood (ash) dresser as bathroom vanity with a vessel sink
How would you finish tge top to protect it from water?
Posts: 35,172
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2003
(02-06-2021, 02:04 PM)goaliedad Wrote: We want to use a solid wood (ash) dresser as bathroom vanity with a vessel sink
How would you finish tge top to protect it from water?
Just about any spar varnish will protect the wood, Denny. I like Minwax Helmsman. You obviously won't need the UV protection in the bathroom, but I've had decent durability and that brand isn't one of the more expensive ones. It self-levels nicely (I brush it on with a foam brush) and is nicely clear to allow the grain to show through.
I have spent upwards of $45/quart for spar varnish and am not sure the Helmsman didn't stand up as long as any of the expensive ones.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”
Marcus Aurelius
Posts: 12,606
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Wapakoneta, OH
I built a vanity that looks like a table and had an apron style (?) sink in it. I just used regular oil based varnish and it held up really well.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
Posts: 7,421
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2005
When the finish on the local Starbucks failed in less than a year, I got the job of refinishing them. I used Minwax oil-based poly (four coats). They could not give up more than three tabletops at a time, so the process took longer than it should have.
Starbucks remodels the stores on a 10-year cycle, so about 9 years later those tables were replaced. They were in excellent condition when they were. Remember that they get wiped down 20 to 40 times per day with spray cleaner.
It is not the same as leaving a puddle of water standing on the counter, but it is a good indication that it will stand up to bathroom use.
Be sure to finish the cutout for the sink and one or two coats underneath to prevent warping (An aerosol can spray will work for the interior).
Spar varnish is designed to deal with cold and heat and is not quite as hard as a regular oil-based finish. I would pass on the spar varnish, and go for the regular oil-based poly for the additional hardness of finish.
Both would probably work.
Let it cure for one week before installing. It takes 200 hours for a "full" cure. But from my experience, the oil-based poly continues to cure for some time longer. My 20-year-old finished work is harder than my recently finished projects.
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
Posts: 12,884
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Lewiston, NY
Waterlox if doing it by hand. If you can spray I would use Target Coatings EM-8000CV + CL100 catalyst.
John
