[ralfie]

I am a newbie to this site and this is my first post.

I have an old style park bench with rotted wood slats. I purchased white oak to make new slats. I want to finish with staining and then a oil type finish that doesn't require a lot of care, maybe re-oiling once a year.

It sits in the sun and rain for 6 summer months of the year.
I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks! ralfie

 

[Steve Neul]

A marine grade spar varnish is what you need. The best is Epifanes. It's pricy but it is formulated for use for the deck of a boat. I've had pretty good luck with Cabot spar varnish. It's available at Lowes in my area. The Epifanes can be found at boat supply places.

The important thing with any exterior finish is the glossier sheen you can use will last longer and give it a recoat when it starts to look dull. The finish turning dull is the outer surface beginning to fail and if you scuff sand it and recoat it will prevent water from penetrating the finish and making it fail completely.