Epoxy!? What is best for outdoor use?

I've been navigating through Tiki Central for months, admiring all the incredible work and collecting ideas for my own outdoor tiki room.

I've spent months collecting ideas and planning the construction of my room and now I'm just about ready to begin construction.

I do have a question that I'm hoping someone can help me out with.

My tiki room will be outdoors, located here in So. California. The bar top I have planned will be partially exposed to the outdoor elements.

My plan was to use a clear epoxy to weather proof the underlying wood and give it that shiny durable bar top feel.
I wanted to use clear epoxy because the plan is to have some pin striping and murals painted on the wood, that I want exposed.

I've done some research and it looks like the majority of expoxy's will turn yellow and discolor when exposed to direct sunlight, which I would like to try and avoid.

What have others used here to protect your bar tops? Is there something else that would work better?

I thank you in advance and I just can't wait to get this thing constructed.

Thanks!

I am curious to see what is suggested. I've also read that epoxy, particulary two-part bar-top epoxy, is not UV stable and will yellow or fog. I've used spar urethane, but found that it has to be re-coated frequently.

What about a marine urethane?

Valspar McCloskey Man O'War spar marine varnish is what I use here in the Midwest. Stuff is tough as nails.

Thanks WestADad.... I'll check it out.

I'm assuming that it dries clear and being marine grade, I'm hoping it can stand up to the elements?

Thanks again!

Yep, it's clear when dry. Many coats may darken a little but it's negligible to my eye. It's not for constant water contact or anywhere you might walk.

I use it on doors, outdoor furniture and crafts. Good stuff!

Good luck on your project and maybe you'll show us some pictures??

Chris
WestADad

Are you trying to just finish the wood?
Or do you want a thick layer of clear floated on top?

I wanted the thick layer of clear floating on top.

I was just reading yesterday that if you put down a layer of epoxy and then once that's dry, add a few coats of high grade marine varnish, the marine varnish should be sufficient to protect against UV and other elements.

Has anyone tried this?

I've never tried that. It might work. You'd still have
To make sure that the varnish coat was maintained.

I assume that the bar-top isn't going to be in full sun.

I've seen clear marine gel-coat built up pretty thick.
It won't yellow from UV. But I don't know how it would
hold up as a bar top.

On 2011-11-14 06:47, Hula Dog wrote:
... put down a layer of epoxy and then once that's dry, add a few coats of high grade marine varnish, the marine varnish should be sufficient to protect against UV and other elements.
It's done a lot in home boat building; stripper canoes etc. Expect to need to apply lots of coats, not just a few, and be prepared for annual scuff and recoat. IMO, probably best to go with a traditional spar varnish rather than a polyurethane, since the polys are a pain for touch-up.

I have used the two part epoxy ( bar top ) resin. Keep in mind im in michigan BUT the product is awesome and I have pics of my bar top so you can see what the finished product looks like. The product works great and is pretty easy to use, basically have the bar top level, mix and pour and remove air bubbles with a hand held propane torch, cover and let dry. My problem here was that THIS PRODUCT CAN NOT FREEZE! So guess what happened my first winter, it cracked and broke and had to throw it away, I was bummed,
I now have a concrete bar top with broken glass and shells as accent pieces and fiber optic lights to bring interest to the whole project, it looks awesome I must say. I dont have pics here but should ad some.
Im sure for you it will be awesome to use the epoxy, you can ad stuff under it to personalize your bar top, so good luck.

My husband and I had a custom made tiki bar built in our backyard. The guy who did it is a custom cabinet maker. He make the bar from wood and put a poly/stain on it. It is beautiful but I really want that thick high gloss look that I see online on other tiki bars. I also think it would hold up better with a high gloss finish. It is partially exposed to the elements so when it rains we are covering it for now. We live in St Louis MO so half the year it will have to be totally covered. My contractor doesn't seem to know how to make it shiny. Can anyone help me out???

I built my tiki bar 2 years ago in my backyard in Maryland (Super hot and humid in summer, super cold and snowy in the winter, rainy the rest of the time), and used a spar urethane on the top. It's held up pretty well, but I do sand it and apply a few more coats every year. I think the top has around 15 coats on top now. It is possible to get a nice glassy thick coat on a bar top with spar urethane, but it takes time. You have to apply it with thin coats over the course of weeks. Otherwise it may not cure correctly if you use too thick of a layer all at once. Here's a pic of my bar top from last year. It's not very clear, but i've got postcards, copies of menus, as well as fake palm leaves under the many coats of urethane, and it's all smooth and level. Like I said, you just have to put on lots of coats over time.