20 Best Outdoor Sealer For Wood (2022 Updated)

I am an instrument maker and when I started, nearly 40 years ago, there was little in the way of wood finished suitable for musical instruments beyond lacquer, varnish and French polish/Shellac (beetle poop).

The Rubio Monocoat is very easy to apply and does what it says. On the more extreme end of things, I have used Isopropyl alcohol, Acetone and white spirits on it with only the Acetone making the slightest of impressions when rubbed hard on the finish.

It is very easy to repair as well if one makes a mistake or scratches it. While the 3:1 mixing might seem complicated it actually is quite simple and a decently clean environment is all that’s required.

My previous fine finish of choice was Tru Oil, as used on gun stocks and which I started using around 1997. Some of those guitars come in periodically for service and the finish remains intact after up to 25 years, often heavily gigged, handled and sweated on but, it’s time consuming and requires finesse to apply and a super clean room plus overnight curing in that sealed room for each coat.

After that it needed a week or more to cure before final attention. The Rubio is applied in minutes with no attention to grain direction or anything, just rub it on. leave for 3 minutes and rub it all off, and it’s fine to hang in the workroom straight away.

I am massively impressed with this, it makes my finishing much easier and the standard of the work I present, very well received by the clients.

All I can rate so far is the application and initial result. Very pleased so far with results on my teak patio furniture. The color is a bit darker than “natural” on my teak, but looks good without unpleasant orange cast.

Somewhat shiny without the optional clear coat additional product. Cetol product doesn’t appear to separate much (if at all) in the can so stirring is minimal. Applies easily and seems forgiving in terms of brush strokes, wind blown debris, etc.

If you don’t keep a good “wet edge” there can be blobs and streaks, so it seems you need to go start-to-finish on a particular piece of furniture. Must avoid temptation to rush ahead with additional coat before allowing complete 24 hours of drying time.

But subsequent coats definitely improve the look without deepening the color noticeably. Certainly this is way more work than a quick power washing and a wipe of teak oil, but hopefully the durability will make it worth it.

Boat owners say it should last,a and I have my fingers crossed.

This is one of those products that I just love to use. I have a Catalina 30 docked in an ocean harbor and the ease of use and durability of Cetol Marine is a prime factor in my giving it 5 stars. There are several schools of thought when it comes to marine varnish and 20 yrs ago, I evaluated them all and went with this very product.

I like the tint it adds to teak, makes it a striking dark amber color which also serves to hide any blemishes or minor gray grain. I find it important to remove all of the old varnish using a paint scraper and heat gun if necessary.

I sand down from 80 to 150 to 220, then clean the surface and put on 3 coats as instructed on the can. Smart sailors will lightly recoat annually or as needed. I wasn’t that smart before, however, with this application, I promise never to have to completely sand down all the brightwork again.

Smarter and happy makes a Sailor’s day go better. Thank you Sikkens.

Been using this stuff for years and am way over the illusion that Cetol is durable in the Florida sun. It lasts one year before it fails and leaves you facing another nasty sanding and finishing job.

It looks fine for the the first three months before the dark and black spots appear and from there it’s just a few months until your Cetol finish begins to wear away and splotchy patches of grey teak appear and it’s time to get out the sandpaper Anyone who tells you Cetol is easy to apply is kidding themselves.

The stuff is thin and runny and leaves nasty, hard to remove stains on fiberglass. I applied Cetol in every recommended way using expensive brushes, and applying several coats and topping them with coats of clear Cetol, but still the finish lasts one year.

I am going to try some wood patio deck coatings this year. they aren’t any cheaper, cause you must buy a gallon but maybe they will last a few seasons. Have had it with Cetol’s unspectacular performance.

For me it seems it’s reputation is mostly hype and advertising dollars doing their work.

I discovered the miracle wood finish known as WATCO Danish Oil during the early days of rehabbing my house back in the 1980s (Rehab 1. 0), when I used it to stain bar cabinetry, beams, trim work and a boxcar siding ceiling.

I would never use anything else — and nearly 4 decades later, during Rehab 3. 0, I’m still using and loving it. Here’s what makes it so special: WATCO Danish Oil is a unique blend of penetrating oil and varnish that hardens in the wood, not on the wood.

When applied with a brush or cloth, it sinks deep into the wood’s pores to protect from within and enhance the wood’s natural look and feel. Using WATCO Danish Oil is easy-peasy, too. Simply brush er wipe it on, then wipe off the excess to creating the rich, warm glow of a traditional hand-rubbed finish in a mere fraction of the time.

Many projects can be completed in less than an hour, with no need for a separate coat of varnish or even a second coat of WATCO Danish oil. WATCO Danish Oil is available in light, medium, dark and black walnut; golden oak; cherrywood; fruitwood; mahogany; and natural.

Try it once, and you’ll be hooked forever! p. s. WATCO Danish Oil is made by Rustoleum, so you know it’s a name you can trust.

We used Waterlox on our walnut wood kitchen countertop. Previously we used an oil finish that we purchased at IKEA. The Waterlox is a huge improvement in every way. We would never consider going back to an oil finish.

The downsides of the Waterlox is the smell during application and that it is rather slow drying, but after that it is very durable, doesn’t dry out and retains it’s gloss. it definitely was the right choice for our countertop!.

So I used this product for my butcher block counter-top with a sink. I applied 7 coats initially while sanding in between coats. Sanding between coats gums up sandpaper, so very light sanding is recommended.

I had to wait 24 hours between coats otherwise the previous coat lifted off like a film and I had to wipe it off and restart the process. It was troublesome reapplying coats. I finally got my butcher block to an acceptable look which wasn’t perfect under regular sunlight but with the under-cabinet lights it looked perfect.

2 years later I decided to re-coat the counter-top because the butcher block had some voids that let some water in. It wasn’t the waterlox finish’s fault but crappy butcher block. But I had problems re-coating the butcher block again, this time even worse.

I put on a very thin coat at fist and it was pretty much dry to the touch, and tried to re-coat 6 hours later, only to remember my initial pains of waiting 24 hours. So I did wait 24 hours between coats and I had to deal with the stink troughout my house for 7 days.

Also waiting 24h did not help this time, the new coats kept lifting the old ones and I could scrape off coating with my nails. I tried sanding it off, to various degrees of success. So eventually i thought i finished it off, only to have the coats slowly lift off 4 months later.

When I get a particular area wet and soapy (because its a sink) i get this water-lox film coming off, it’s super annoying. I dont know how this product gets such high reviews. It is as if i have applied some paint thinner and the paint started melting and coming off.

I waited until I could apply two coats to a new soapstone kitchen countertop before submitting this review so that I could provide a meaningful review. We have been using the countertop for the past week and are extremely satisfied with the sheen (satin) and toughness of the soapstone sealer.

It is water repellent, does not leave fingerprints and is very easy to maintain by wiping/washing clean. The oil does take a week to cure between coats and slowly changes to a less reflective coat, exactly what we wanted for our soapstone.

It has a very mild pleasant scent of walnut oil as it dries. Before applying these coats, I sanded a few areas, because of a gauge and some scratches (the sanding lightened these areas in comparison to the smooth surface); all parts of the surface were darkened equally by the sealer, hiding the blemishes.

Our primary interest in selecting this product was a natural product alternative to petroleum chemical/mineral oil; it has definitely exceeded our expectations in look and durability.

I love soapstone! My kitchen counters have a beautiful vein of white across a black background. When cut to fit I forwent the sealing process. With help from rkMills’ consultant Real Milk Paint Soapstone Sealer was the product recommended to finish and protect the countertops.

Following the expert instructions the wax was applied, smoothed, doted upon and buffed by hand. Beautiful!!! Couldn’t be happier with the result. Admittedly I’m fixating on the surfaces now, always giving an extra rub with a soft cloth to deepen the tone.

Disclaimer: I am not a woodworker or finisher. First I brushed on 2 coats of gloss on front cherry door. Looked very uneven with gloss and dull areas. Then made the mistake of applying this matte product right out of the can (without thinning).

Nightmare brush strokes and drip marks and uneven areas where I tried in vain to correct. But somehow when this mess dried completely in around 4 hours, it looked much better. But still not good. Then I read about the product, which I should have done the first time, and saw recommendations for thinning.

Second coat I thinned by 10-15% and went on much better but still difficult and not great. But somehow, when it all dried, it looked great. The super matte finish is extremely forgiving because it doesn’t catch any reflections.

Very happy now and will follow up with 0000 steel wool and paste wax for perfection. Unless someone comments here that this is a terrible thing to do.

I purchased this in 5g container to 1) cover nicotine and tar on a heavily smoked in home. On beginning project realized wallpaper had to come down due to damage, unfortunately, 40 year old wallpaper does not remove from bare drywall easily and paper was covering a lot of damage, so also used it to prime the drywall, then skim coats of mud/joint compound (mud would not have reacted well with any wall paper glue that was remaining on the walls).

Drop ceilings are receiving a coat of primer to cover the damage/stains for at least short term while we decide what to do about the ceilings. This works well on plaster walls, drywall, wallpaper, paneling (I put joint compound over paneling first to hide the “grooves” and make a smooth surface), metal drop ceiling tracks and the foam/fiberboard drop ceilings.

Cons: Pouring oil based primer from a small spout on a 5 gallon container was very cumbersome – would probably pay more and get gallons next time, cleanup (oil based so definitely not simple – but did not expect it to be) and the smell!.

Had a tenant renting my 50 year old, 5 bedroom house and they had 3 large dogs plus 2 cats that they apparently kept indoors and it appeared that they never let their pets out to relieve themselves. nor did they ever clean up the mess the pets made.

I tried everything from vinegar, baking soda, industrial cleaners and more but nothing worked to get rid of the awful pet odors. I almost gave up until I came across articles on the internet regarding the success people were having using Kilz original oil based primer to basically encapsulate the problem.

People, IT WORKS! I used a 3/8″ nap paint roller and basically paired the wood sub floor. It went on smooth & fast and dry time was less than 45 minutes. I only applied one generous coat and when I came back the next day, the place had the new house smell.

and still does 2 weeks later. What a fantastic and amazing product! I don’t know who to thank but am grateful I read some of the comments & reviews online otherwise I never would’ve known. Of course obvious thanks to Kilz for such an amazing product as well!.

We bought our first house which is a 1976 fixer upper and the interior had crazy colors in each room but worse than that was the mixed smell of pet urine and smoke. We cleaned what we could but it only helped so much.

We used kilz original and bc it was one of the few primers that said it helped with odor as well as color block. The product is oil based whi h makes it a bit more difficult to use and a bit strong of a smell but wow! It sealed everything and now it smells like a new house and looks like one too! We painted one room without kilz and we regretted it when we could start to smell the smoke through it.

Another time I went to buy this product the store was out of stock and I got a different brand and it was so much worse in quality and leveling. I returned it and drove to a further store to buy kilz.

This product is great! I’ve seen many of my YouTube channels using it in woodworking, mainly bourbon moth woodworking. I would say he is the reason I bought this and will continue to. This product is perfect, so easy to apply.

You need such a small amount so don’t let the price scare you, if your project is small or medium then you may even be able to use a sample size. We got ice brown and I’ve never used much besides film finish and danish oil.

This was easier than danish oil. Sanded to 180, cleaned the surface with mineral spirits and vacuum. Then I literally just mixed and poured it on, spread it with a plastic spreader, and used a scotch right pad to rub it in.

After a minute I buffed it with a clean rag and it was perfect. It leaves the wood so natural. I had a small blemish in my project. I just sanded it out and reapplied in that small spot and you can’t tell, it blends perfect.

It’s not as shiny as poly, def a matte finish, so if your used to poly get the renew and use that. Just as easy to put on and will give you a great sheen but maintain the natural feel. No plastic feel.

This was a tip from the wood whisperer who has a great video on how to apply. I love the results and will use this on a lot of projects moving forward.

We chose to do our own staining on a stairwell railing. Research brought us to Rubio. The reviews were all great. I also contacted a professional woodworker on line who had posted pictures of a knotty alder table he finished that had the exact look we desired.

He said to follow the directions closely and we will not be disappointed. He was spot on. Our project came out perfect. The online videos were very beneficial in the process. The only part of the process that was challenging was removal of the rubber seal on the mixture.

Seeing this dark mixture going on the wood makes you think you somehow made a mistake but when you wipe it off it is beautiful! Even our installation contractor loved how the wood looked but even more how it felt.

Great results!.

We hired someone to help us stain our new wood deck. The gentleman suggested applying Cedarshield before staining. He had so many great things to say about it; how it protects the wood from water, bugs, ect.

I was so happy to hear he recommended and loved the product. We had purchased it a while ago but had not had time to apply it. I was surprised that he knew about the product but he was more surprised to see we knew about it and had it in our basement already.

We ended up ordering more because our deck is very large.

I did not use a respirator and got rather ill from breathing the fumes. I have no sense of smell so I was not able to perceive that I was breathing much in. I was outside in the breeze so I’m very surprised it affected me.

I Heard from your company that it’s not typical to have any problems with the fumes. So I may be hypersensitive. I am eager to see how my recycled deck boards will fair over time after this cedar shield treatment.

In the past I sealed a log cabin with cedar sheild and it was awesome.

I’m not allowed to do electrics but can rewire a plug, my woodwork is passable but my plumbing is a disaster. After fixing a toilet cistern leak that had me tearing out what little hair I have left, I asked this tube of sealant to marry me.

It’s worked like a dream!.

What can I say, it sticks just about everything even under water. Comes in a convenient size tube (80ml). It is also a very good sealer that is mould resistant–a good all rounder.

This stuff is brilliant. It is strong, completely clear, rigid but flexible and easy to work with. It dries fairly quickly and gives great results. I will definitely buy more when I need it.

HANDS-DOWN, ‘KILZ’ -(Multi Purpose Primer)- has been our choice for YEARS!! For as long as I can EVER remember, there has been at least 2 different types of ‘KILZ’ products in our home, at ALL TIMES! -(I’m now 63 yrs.

young!)- & when I was in my late elementary yrs, we decided to renovate & restore an old farm house & a barn on property. My mother is quite the ‘dynamo’ & ‘Kilz’ products were the first things she purchased for it all! Every single ‘KILZ’ product has always given us superior results, no matter what we used it for or put it on! Wether it using the Original Primer or the Multipurpose, depending on the project needs or location-(interior or heavy duty exterior, at the time)-there were always excellent results & have never needed to repeat any steps when applied, on anything, anywhere! A few years after that experience, we purchased a large property and built a new house & barn.

Shall I say again what were the first few items we purchased?? Right! ‘KILZ’ products and we were armed’ with confidence and ready for anything! Many years later, as I return each time back to that home & property, I always think how beautiful & sturdy it still is! And how we began those projects have stood the test of time with great endurance & maintenance free KILZ products.

Today, I always have several projects going on at all times, and am never without my tried & tested KILZ! Only now, I get the opportunity to test & use the newer products that time & technological advances have allowed and looking very forward to everything! Thank you, KILZ Company, for always being able to trust in you & still supplying joys for this ‘do-it-myself’ gal! -(Oh & P.

S. :each of my three children are believers as well! And no less important, thank you so much for adding the color pallets!! I see even more opportunities ahead & looking very forward to the entire spectrum! Here’s to a great colorful future! Bravo! Well done!.

I’ve used plenty of primers in my homes over the past 40 years. I’ve started with the inexpensive primers as I thought primer is primer. Boy was I ignorant. Sometime in the 1990s I was trying to “cover up” my infant child’s fancy new artwork in our rented home.

I certainly didn’t want to forfeit my deposit so I planned to paint the walls to hide the “art”. The primer I started using didn’t cover much at all. The black markings were still vividly visible through several coats of the cheaper primer.

I believe an employee at the local hardware store told me about Kilz. As I felt I had nothing left to lose a can went home with me and soon I applied another primer coating. The Kilz did exactly as the clerk said.

It “killed” the markings completely after 2 coats. Nothing was visible! That was an awesome product and I have been sold on Kilz ever since. For the past 12 years my home is a 120 year old farm house that I’ve been working on seemingly continually and we’ve used Kilz or Kilz 2 almost exclusively.

The only time we will deviate from our “go to” primer is when it’s not available. Then we only get enough to do the job and that’s it. I’ve used Kilz on fresh drywall and over top of existing paint with stellar results even with lower cost paints.

I can not say enough good about Kilz. Thank you for such a good product. Success breeds success. Exceeding expected results instills confidence and creates repeat customers as well as customers willing to try new products.

Keep up the good work.

We needed this for our garage as our former tenants broke their lease, rolled cheap cigarettes and smoked heavily inside the garage causing a strong odor and we agreed to use this just to see if we could reduce the unpleasant odor.

It works, perfect with multiple layers. The odor has been eliminated by 80-85%. We paint almost every surface to reduce strong odors and block stains. Good thing it dries to a brilliant white and is a sealer in one.

I am very impressed with this painting. I also used it for another room that had several pet urine stains and the entire house reeked of wet dog. After one coat of this paint, the pet smell was barely noticeable.

I think one coat would be fine, but I’ll apply two just in case. I highly recommend this product. It works great and exceeds all of my expectations, giving my home an incredible restoration so I can breathe a clean environment free of unpleasant odors….