Customer Reviews for Varathane 1 qt. Clear Matte Water-Based Interior Polyurethane

Really surprised at how easy it was to work with. Applies evenly. Dries quick. Applied 2 coats. Waited about 2 hours in between. Was dry to touch after 2 more hours. Then fully dried overnight. It kept the original color of the wood. Maybe a slight shade darker, but barely noticeable.

I loved the Polyurethane! It made my project look great. And it’s durable!

I used the Matte poly on a new, bare, pine table top. Stained with Varathane carbon grey. I used 9 coats. Very little sanding with 2000 grit between the first 3 coats and then no sanding with the other 6. I final buff at completion. I let it cure for 6 weeks. It’s so smooth it looks like Formica. It dries fast! Easy to apply with a foam brush.

Great! We used this to seal our bucher block and it woked great!

I can’t speak to the quality of the product, but the packing was apparently insufficient since the box arrived leaking on my porch.

I tried to spray this product with an airless sprayer, but it was way too heavy and wasted a lot of product. I switched to an HVLP gravity feed sprayer. You do need to spray closer to the wood than with other paints. Turned out better after switching to that method.

I refinished a desk from the 1950’s. This was the finishing touch. I had never used it before and 2 coats was enough. Super easy to use and finish looks amazing

This is my go-to varnish for my furniture painting business. Only complaint is that my closest store no longer carries it (because they're switching to another brand ONLY) and I have to travel a distance to get it or have it delivered.

Great product for sealing painted furniture!

We used this as a finish coat for painting our half bath floor tiles. A top coat wasn’t suggested to us, but once we finished painting, it was obvious we needed it. A quick google search suggested a water based polyurethane top coat. This was perfect. It was pretty easy to use. I would suggest however, if you need to “touch up” a spot, that you just do an entire extra layer. We have one square of tile w an extra coat and you can see it from certain light angles It dried quickly, it’s holding up great and it’s really what we needed to complete the project . It feels sturdy, like it will last a long time. The Matte is perfect

Used for dining room table. Tried spray oil based first which was bad; sputtered a lot. Sanded off worst of sputter blobs and then used this water based stain with a brush. It was easy to apply & dried fast. Put on about 7 coats; have been using the table w/ no apparent scratches or wear so far. Some coats I didn't apply uniformly and you could see different sheens, but was easily fixed by just applying another coat. So really you only need to get the last coat right.

Excellent, smooth finish. Always dependable.

I tried out the Clear Semi-Gloss Water-Based Interior Polyurethane, and it's pretty awesome. This stuff gives a nice glossy finish to my wood projects without the hassle of oil-based products. It's water-based, so clean-up is a breeze, and it dries super fast too. The only downside is that it can be a bit thin, so you might need to apply a few coats for a really smooth finish. For the convenience and quick drying time, I'm willing to overlook that. It's a solid choice for my interior woodwork.

So far it looks okay. Waiting to see how well it holds up. However, i needed more 1 gal product and no stores carry it and it will take a week to get it. That's just not acceptable.

refinished countertops with granite-look contact paper. Used water-based gloss polyurethane to seal the seams, for added durability/protection and the keep glossy look of the contact paper. I also coated peel-and-stivk PVC tile used as kitchen backsplash. Again to seal the seams, for added protection and to extend durability. The backsplash tile was slightly textured, which minimized the gloss, which was good. I usually also add a coat to spray-painted wallplates to help the spray-paint last.

Applies easily and dries smoothly with multiple coats and light sanding between. Looks AMAZING!

Worked perfectly. Sanded, cleaned, 1st coat, lightly sanded, cleaned, 2nd coat, lightly sanded, cleaned, final coat, light polish. Beautiful on the red oak library ladder!

Excellent poly. Dries super fast and looks awesome. Use this on most of my “indoor” projects!

I needed to refinish a dining room table and a butcher block countertop with a resilient finish, protective wood from scratches and hot items. I did a lot of research and decided not to pay attention to negative reviews because it sounded like the problems came from user error. This product is perfect. It is easy to apply with a high-quality, synthetic, bristle brush, it dries very fast. The finish strong and smooth and beautiful. Just remember to stir frequently when applying.

I needed a high gloss finish on a table I was repurposing. I knew I needed multiple coats. The water based Varathane worked well

I followed the instructions on the can to the letter. I applied three coats, with ample drying time (4 hours between coats). Then I applied 2 more coats, sanding before each. Then I let it dry for three days to cure before normal use. So far it has been soft to the touch, scratched by my fingernail and soft, blunt, plastic objects, and gouged by my cat. Very unhappy with this finish.

I sanded and stained a wine barrel lid. I didn’t want shiny, glossy, or even a hint of satin but I did need to protect it from water marks. This was going to be a table top on a pool house. This made the wood look so natural and raw. No sheen whatsoever. It dries fast and had practically no odor. Love this stuff!!!!

Turned all the bits of grain on my project yellow. Totally destroyed my fireplace mantle

Great product! Goes on very smooth, dries fast! Nice clear finish that doesn't detract from the natural look and feel of the wood. Only downside is that I can't seem to find it in a gallon sized can!

This has turned my white painted floor yellow since first painted July 2021. It wasn't too bad because the bright white became a cream with the poly added. But overtime it has turned yellow with obvious large patches of yellowing where it settled-NOT self leveling over wood. Luckily the bathroom is small. But I will need to sand this off and repaint.

Coated a piece on 24"x24" Ash 6 times with a paint brush. Sanding between every 2 coats. It did well. I would use again on small projects.

I had a bunch of maple furniture that needed refinished and we really like the way this Varathane Poly gave us a fresh clean surface. We sanded with 220 to get the surface smooth first. I applied with a good brush and even wetting the brush before starting we did get some slight tiny bubbles while brushing. I suspect that is a user issue as I don't do much painting.

I was leery of trying this after reading reviews of water-based varnishes. So far, I'm glad I did. While it's too soon to gauge the long-term quality and yellowing of it, the application and appearance are beyond 5 stars. Yes, you can sand it after only 2 hours without it balling up and loading up your sandpaper. I refinished our oak dining table with this, applying with a paint pad for the main surface. It appears milky white when first applied, but dries clear.

I, only, appled it 7 days ago. So, I will have no idea how it will last. But it did go on very easy and looked beautiful after 2 coats.

I purchased this product based on a recommendation as a floor finish by a Home Depot employee during a time when inventory was limited. I discovered after the fact that this product is not recommended for use on floors. This product frequently left distorted white areas and over time, a white haze on the treated areas. I noticed white marks on the floor. I needed to re-sand, re-stain and re-finish the entire room. I ended up finishing the last room with Minwax with excellent results.