1 qt. Matte Triple Thick Polyurethane (2-Pack)

Found myself refinishing some oak cabinets in an old house I bought. Had intended to do a color coat using General Finishes Java gel stain in a standard way (brush on, wipe off). Discovered that flaws and discoloration of the old wood was going make this plan unsuitable unless I completely stripped the cabinets and did considerable work. Changed the plan to using the stain as you would paint (brush on, let it dry, repeat as needed). This gave better results but I found that each coat of brushed on stain further reduced the oak grain texture that I wanted to retain. I also found that the cold winter weather was making the stain dry very slowly (3+ days instead of 24 hrs.) making the job take forever. Finally got the formula all worked out and settled on 2 coats of stain as being adequate and was ready to move on to a poly coat. The grain was still mostly visible but not as strong as I'd hoped. This is where things started to really go south. Since the GF gel stain was oil based, I decided to go with an oil based poly coat. I went with a Cabot satin finish. I applied one coat on the lower doors and waited for it to dry. And waited. And waited some more. 3 days in, it was mostly dry but still very tacky in some areas. I re-read the label and confirmed that this poly was 'fast dry' and that I hadn't made any mistakes. I hadn't done anything wrong but the finish was a high gloss one that didn't seem to be getting any duller with time. I waited some more and eventually moved the doors to an area near a heater duct. After about a week, it finally dried but I still had a finish that I would describe as 'high gloss'. The temps in the house were above 60 and indoor humidity was in the 40-50% range so I don't really know why it took so long to dry. I could have lived with the long drying time but the high gloss finish looked terrible and I hadn't done the extra prep work needed for a glossy finish. Now it was time to do some research. I found that GF made both a 'matte' and a 'flat' poly coating that I could switch to but it would cost twice as much as everything else and I'd have a 2 week wait. Looking online, I found that I could buy this Varathane product from my local Home Depot. It was in stock, cost far less that the GF product, had the 'matte' finish that I was looking for, was water based and a claimed drying time of only a couple of hours. I considered the 'not thick' version but when I saw that 3-4 coats was required for a good, even protective layer I went with this '3x' version. 3-4 coats would have taken lots more time and many more chances to screw something up. Got a quart and tested it on a sample piece of dark stained flooring. On opening the can I discovered it was milky white and almost as thick as latex paint (the Cabot poly had been like water). I applied my test coat with a foam brush and was so surprised to see that it looked almost dry after about 30 minutes. Wasn't so happy about the finish with the foam brush so I switched to a fine bristle paint brush and applied a second coat. The paint brush gave a much better finish but I found that you need to work pretty quickly because it starts drying so fast. As would be expected, this thick poly doesn't level as well as the thinner stuff. You need to work in small sections and work fast. Also, be careful to not get any drips or blobs in corners or gaps. If you do, it'll look like tree sap and never dry completely clear. If you go with a single coat, expect some faint brush marks. A second coat will improve that some and give a more even gloss. My situation was probably different than most people since it was being applied over gel stain and I wanted the grain texture but I decided that 1 coat looked OK. I'm not so sure about protection though and may eventually go with a second layer. Overall, I was very satisfied. The gloss level was only slightly more than the finish of the stain alone. It was slightly darker but that was no problem. Best of all, slight imperfections don't really show with the matte finish making this the ideal top coat for older wood that you don't plan to put tons of effort into. It can also be touched up without being obvious. I loved the quick drying time compared to my previous experience with the Cabot poly. The water based formula makes for simple and easy cleanup. This will save you money as you are able to reuse the same brush over and over. A couple of minutes in the sink and the brush is almost the same as before you started. No wasting time and money with mineral spirits and no waste to get rid of. One quart goes a long way. Maybe not quite as far as the single thick but I should be able to do my whole kitchen with just the 1 can. Got a couple of small drips on the counter. It dried for a day and was very hard to clean off with a scrubber pad. This speaks well for durability. The brush marks left were fairly minimal. A second coat will reduce them without a noticeable change in the finish. I had no issues apply this water based poly over the barely dry oil based stain. 24 hours of drying was plenty for the stain although it supposedly takes up to a month to fully cure. This stuff may not be totally idiot-proof but it's as close as you can expect and far better than the thin stuff that loves to drip. What did I not like? The drying time is actually a little too fast. Within about 5 minutes you'll notice it getting too tacky to work with. The cost is also a little steep compared to the single coat polys but for the work you save, it's probably worth it. It's still way cheaper than the premium GF stuff. That's really the only negatives I noticed. Make this your go-to top coat and you'll most likely be satisfied with the results. I am. Now the real work begins as I have to waste hours fixing the 'satin' Cabot mess on the lower doors.

This is a good water based polyurethane that is easy to apply and clean up afterwards. The product is a thick milky fluid that turns clear when it dries. The milky color helps because I can see where it has been applied. It is very thick but the claim that one coat is enough is not accurate as I had to apply 3 coats on my raw wood shelf to get the smooth finish I desired. Because it is water-based, it does not have a strong smell and is not volatile which makes it ideal for babies' or children's furniture. It also dries pretty quick. I will stick to the oil based polys for my floors or items that need to endure a lot of use and wear, but this is good for furniture or shelves and the clean up with soap and water instead of mineral spirits is very nice.

This seems to be a nice product for indoors. It is very thick , levels nicely, low voc. When you open the product it's is Mikly white this clears as it dries. Good for building up a finish dries fast and levels nicely. I mainly use oil base products and was happy with this product for it Low VOC along with being much clearer than oil base . See my pictures where the darker yellowing color is the Oil base product from the same manufacture other than being exterior the Same color Clear. Drying time is quick however it takes a while if your sanding between coatings. My sample pictures were on dirty wood to see how long it really took to,sand the product not peel it. Overall on a finished product I was happy with end results. Time will tell if this is really as durable as an oil base product. Easy to apply, fills voids , clear . Easy to clean up, low VOC.

This Varathane Triple Thick Polyurethane is 3X thicker than traditional polyurethane. The advanced water-based, self-leveling formula allows most wood projects to be complete with just one coat. I applied one coat on my white painted hand rail leading to my basement. With this Matte finish providing a soft look, the railing stays cleaner than before. I just wipe with a damp cloth occasionally. After heavy usage of the railing, I see no signs of wear or scratching. I thought I was going to have to apply at least 2 coats for my desired finish, but the one coat was all that was needed. I did notice a slight "ambering" of the white color, very slight...as advertised. Be sure to follow all of the instructions for the best results. This is NOT your traditional Varathane. Use a high quality synthetic brush. Cleans up with soap and water.

The Matte Triple Thick Polyurethane is easy to apply with a brush. Clean up of the brush can be done with soap and water. The Polyurethane is white when it is applied and dries to almost a clear finish. I painted it over painted white stool. When it dried, it has a slight yellow tint, but is only noticeable under certain light. This would not be a problem if use over wood tones. Although this only took one step, I prefer using multiple coats of the traditional Polyurethane.

Good for protection but If u want a chalk type finish matte this one is NOT the one. The reason i used chalk paint was for the matte finish, now its shiny thanks to this poly.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Great product. Covers and without brush strokes.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

This “matte” clear coat ruined my entire project! I have to now reorder my paint and would never recommend this brand or finish to anyone. It is glossy. I am so devastated that all my work was for not because of this product. And I followed the instructions to the letter.