Lets talk topcoats for furniture

Let's talk about the different types of topcoats to apply for protecting refinished furniture. I can only share my experience with the topcoats that I have previously used in the past.

After painting or staining furniture, it should have a protective topcoat finish applied. There are so many different kinds of topcoats, but I'm going to break them down and share my experience.

Wax - its easy to apply, basically just wipe on and buff away the excessive. It provides a flat finish and is used a lot over chalk paint. The advantage to wax is that it can be applied with a brush or cloth and does not need to be sprayed, meaning anyone can do it. If not applied correctly the finish can look streaky though. The downfall is that wax is not as durable as other topcoats, and needs to be re-applied frequently. This is best applied to very distressed pieces since the furniture is already distressed and adding more wear would not be an issue. It offers a light protection from scratches and water. I do not want my clients to have a lot of upkeep with their furniture, so I do not use wax as a topcoat.

Hemp Oil - also easy to apply with a cloth or brush, can be used over paint or used to revive old wood finishes. This finish is food safe and can be used in the kitchen. This is not maintenance free however, and requires a light coat every other year. I love hemp oil for cutting boards or light use furniture pieces, but I don't want clients to have to do a lot of work after taking home their furniture.

General Finishes High Performance Top Coat - can be brushed or sprayed, very versatile. This product was voted as the hardest, most durable consumer polyurethane topcoat. Its a popular sealer, I like that it is water based but can be applied over water-based or oil-based finishes. High Performance Top Coat comes in a variety of sheens, from flat to gloss. I prefer to use water based products while spraying and love the smooth finish that this provides. This is my default topcoat that I use for furniture refinishing. After 28 days of curing this product dries very hard, and will stand up to a lot of use. While it isn't waterproof, it is water resistant and provides very good protection.

General Finishes Conversion Varnish - this is the top of the line for General Finishes. It's a post catalyzed high solids, two component urethane formatted for professionals who need the highest level of durability and chemical resistance. I have used this when a client requires the most durable product and wants restaurant grade finishing. This is recommended for commercial applications or extremely high-wear surfaces such as countertops and bar tops. I have used this product on my own dining room table and have never had any issue with the finish. Because it requires a catalyst and needs to be used a few hours within mixing, there is an uncharge for the extra protection and because there is usually leftover product that cannot be reused. The conversion varnish is meant for spraying.

As with all furniture, the finishes are meant to withstand some wear and tear. Just like finishes you find in big box furniture stores, if a child drags a metal touch across it, there will be a scratch. Or if you leave a wet glass on the surface for a long period of time, it will leave a ring. At Flipping Unbelievable, we use high quality products to make our furniture as durable as possible, but painted furniture does require some special care. Its not my intent to sell you additional topcoats so that you have to reapply within the next couple of years so I select topcoats that are meant to last.

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