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

Works great

Recently refinished my dining set. This worked perfectly. First- time refinishing anything!! Love the results!

The product worked just as it should

This is an okay polyeurathane but I recommend no more than 3 coats! The can says the apply at least three, I did 4. It darkened the stain a little bit (which I ended up not minding) but on the fourth coat, my finish became cloudy. I later read this is probably due to a 'flattening agent' in the satin poly that causes cloudiness with too many coats. Satin finish (low gloss) is my favorite and looks great. This poly goes on easy and dries very fast (within an hour or two) and has very little odor. I sanded about 300 grit in between coats and the finish came out nice and smooth. As far as scratch resistance, I find it still scratches pretty easily. There were a few small scratches after working with it on my clean workbench top.

This is an okay polyeurathane but I recommend no more than 3 coats! The can says the apply at least three, I did 4. It darkened the stain a little bit (which I ended up not minding) but on the fourth coat, my finish became cloudy. I later read this is probably due to a 'flattening agent' in the satin poly that causes cloudiness with too many coats. Satin finish (low gloss) is my favorite and looks great. This poly goes on easy and dries very fast (within an hour or two) and has very little odor. I sanded about 300 grit in between coats and the finish came out nice and smooth. As far as scratch resistance, I find it still scratches pretty easily. There were a few small scratches after working with it on my clean workbench top.

This is an okay polyeurathane but I recommend no more than 3 coats! The can says the apply at least three, I did 4. It darkened the stain a little bit (which I ended up not minding) but on the fourth coat, my finish became cloudy. I later read this is probably due to a 'flattening agent' in the satin poly that causes cloudiness with too many coats. Satin finish (low gloss) is my favorite and looks great. This poly goes on easy and dries very fast (within an hour or two) and has very little odor. I sanded about 300 grit in between coats and the finish came out nice and smooth. As far as scratch resistance, I find it still scratches pretty easily. There were a few small scratches after working with it on my clean workbench top.

This particular clear-coats' viscosity is thin enough not to produce 'brush marks' if applied quickly. Its' brother, the 'triple coat', I would definitely NOT recommend if using a brush to apply. It dries quickly and tends to leave brush marks. A soft roller would be a preference in either of the two in application.

I used this product with my electric sprayer and it worked out perfectly. The cost is a little high to my liking however the outcome was great. I would buy this product again because of the way everything turned out.

Dried evenly and omitted very few fumes.

Easy to use and looks great

Product worked very well. Use a lambswool or sponge-type applicator to apply. I used a Shur-Line pad for walls and floors and it worked beautifully on my hardwood floor. Remember: prep is everything. Make sure to use a fine grit sand paper for final sanding, then vacuum well and use tack cloths. I used 3 coats of poly and floor looks great! Easy to apply, dries as stated. Did all 3 coats in one day, with 2-3 hours of dry time between each coat. Make sure to wait 7 days before replacing furniture for best cure of poly.

Very good stuff i use it all the time. Only draw back is the dry time is a little slow

I was making a couple of Alder wood table tops for end tables to be used inside the house. I asked the guy at the paint counter at Depot what he thought about this water based product versus oil based. He recommended oil based. Long story short, I ended up not being real happy with the oil based product as even the "Satin" finish was too shiny and it also showed brush strokes, so I put a light sand on the table top and tried a couple coats of this product. Surprisingly, it was better than the oil based product. It dries much quicker, does not have any smell, cleans up with water and I now have the smooth matte finish I was looking for. The product goes on milky white and looks a bit uneven, but it dries quickly, and it provides a nice smooth finish once dry. If you are looking for a matte finish, I recommend this product over oil based poly.

Love this product, easy to spray and it protects your project.

I don't know who thinks this is a matte, non-reflective surface, but I'm in the painting business and this is a low-gloss satin sheen if I've ever seen one. I needed a flat, matte finish and I get shiny. Not good and wouldn't recommend based solely on that.

No odor was great, super easy cleanup with soap and water. Took only 3 coats for wedding card box and loved the matte finish. Loved that it took 2 hours or less drying time between coats. Highly recommend

I bought this to put on as a topcoat on corn hole boards that I built. It worked well. I put this on using a foam roller. It caused a it to bubble. Sanding between coats was required. Interior use only.

The product was suggested by a blogger who had painted her kitchen cabinets with chalk paint and didn't want to use wax for the surface on her cabinets. She loved it and said that it didn't yellow. I have just completed painting my kitchen cabinets with chalk paint and used the product for my final sealer (instead of the wax). It went on smooth - has a soft luster finish similar to using the wax would have been on the cabinets. I have been using the cabinets for about 3 months. Love it. So far it is holding up well in my busy kitchen. I would recommend this product. Only down side is it comes in horribly small containers and it's hard to get a brush that fits in it.

This Matte water based Polyurethane is fantastic! We wanted some projects sealed and protected but didn't want a gloss or semi gloss finish, And this matte finish was perfect, when I open the container and saw it was white on the inside I was a little skeptical about this stuff drying clear, but it sure did and left a great finish, we went over it with 000 steel wool to smooth the surface, I put 3 coats on some serving trays we made, and we couldn't be happier, Also used this on our new coffee table I made same result. Fantastic product!

When you apply it by brush it will look like it's not going to turn out well. However, after it dries, the brush strokes disappear and the finish is fantastic. Just lightly brush with the wood grain through any spots that may look like they are thick to remove any drops. This was applied over a wipe on stain on a pine door I also purchased from Homedepot.

I'm using this product on a basement remodeling project where I'm enclosing the staircase leading down into my basement with 3/8" plywood beadboard. After I cut the panels to the dimensions needed, I sand them with 100-grit on a variable-speed random-orbit sander with dust extraction, then smoothen them with 150-grit, then finally with 220-grit. This gives a silky-smooth wood surface ready for finishing. After carefully cleaning all sawdust, I liberally coat them with the Varathane Clear Gloss Polyurethane, using a mini sponge roller and backbrushing with a good quality synthetic bristle brush. Allowing generous drying time (recommend a few hours), I sand again lightly with 320-grit, clean the sawdust, and apply a second coat. The resulting mirror lustre is ultra-smooth to the touch and great protection of the surface for any traffic area.

Water based finishes appear to have improved since I last tried some years ago. This product was straightforward and easy to apply. My project came out very nice. My brush was easy to clean, the biggest advantage of water based products. I'm very happy with the results. See what you think in the attached photo.

Followed the instructions of the Varathane stain and poly to a T. A week after the last coat of poly was applied, it looked great but since its on a table it also has to hold up which is why the "superior scratch resistance" advertised on the can was so important to me. Well that's the part that couldnt be the farthes from the truth. To show how easily it scratches, I used my fingers on the bench surface and took a picture. Pretty comical except the I had to sand it all back down and start over. That is not comical.

I use this A LOT !! It has never failed to make my projects stand out !! Easy to use, easy to sand, and especially easy to clean up !!!!!

Very good

A very quick drying cover on an antique telephone chair / desk!

Superior natural-looking bare wood protection without the artificial appearance of a gloss or semi-gloss product.

I painted and stenciled my bathroom floor tile. I used this water based polyurethane as a protective coating. I used a flat pad to apply it and 3 coats of polyurethane. It looks beautiful and I still have some left in the first can and haven't used any of the second can.

Easy to use easy clean up

This goes on so easy and the results are awesome