Customer Reviews for Varathane 1 qt. Amber Satin Interior Polyurethane

We redid our kitchen in 2014 with new cabinets and I used some of the old ones to make a 2x3 foot island. Laid 1/4 " birch plywood on side and used Varathane Cognac stain, followed by their satin polyurethane.. I believe I used a 3 inch foam roller on the flat sides and a brush to get into the crevices on the door side. Yes it is a milky color in the can but dries clear. The stain and poly matched up very close to the new cabinets. I did put a second coat of the poly on but don't think it made any difference. I suggest using a small spare piece of wood as we did to see what your finish will look like. The wife and I love these products over the M brand with stain and poly in one can, which gives you one shot at the stain and finish.

Not a pro here. But I believe most of the water based clear finishes are milky white then finish clear.. I have used the MinWax version of this product and found this to be every bit as good and may prove to be better as claimed on the label. It was very easy to apply and the finish was rich and smooth after 2nd coat. If someone is looking for clear out of the can, I think you can find that in an oil based product. p.s. used on new pine casings of Pella Designer slider.

The more the coats. The more desirable look.

I went to the store intending to buy Minwax Polycrylic, which I love, but the store had discontinued it. It was recommended to use the Polyurathane satin, that was supposed to be equivalent to the Polycrylic. Unfortunately, it made my paintings look dull, where as the Polycrylic makes the colors more vibrant, as if they are still wet paint. I found another store that carries Polycrylic, so will go there to purchase.

Easy to apply. Gave the sheen expected

Super fast drying. I finished a dining room table in an afternoon. After a shellac seal coat I rolled on the first coat and then used a foam brush for coats 2 and 3. I sanded with 400 after the second coat. Very happy with the results.

Worked great

Loved this easy to apply dries quick no harsh smell

goes on easy and is self leveling with the warm amber hue you usually get from oil finishes. has most of the oil based perks, without the drawbacks. Those complaining about the lack of tint warning should really do their homework as it actually does. Unlike the others it does not say "CLEAR". Simply look at the other cans. Clear gloss, clear satin, etc. nobody to blame but themselves.

Easy to use and cleanup. Results were much better than expected. Dried to touch in about an hour.

Nice finish, easy to work with and simple clean up

The polyurethane was easy to apply and had a great finished look.

Very easy to brush on with no streaks, and the soap / water clean up is awesome for such a great Poly finish.

I refinished all of the woodwork in my master bath and my wife says it looks brand new. The two best things about this product are it is quick drying and you don't have to sand between coats. I would definitely recommend for projects around the house!

To say that I am extremely upset is an understatement!!! I went into the store and asked for help and told her I was refinishing my kitchen table to be a light weathered gray. She handed me the correct stain and this can of polyurethane. After spending 4 painful weeks sanding down my huge table and getting all the grooves and everything done and three coats of stain for that perfect weathered grey color I was hoping for, I used the polyurethane and was a little worried with how dark it went on but figured it would be ok and would dry clear. Wrong!!! My beautiful grey is gone. I’m literally crying as I write this!! No where on the can does it say that it’s amber and I’d like to give that sales lady a piece of my mind!! Now I have to re sand that whole thing!!! So MAD!!

Used this with Varathane wood stain to redo my kitchen cabinets. Liked everything about it. Applied over stain after about an hour according to label. Stain was still tacky but it covered just fine. Applied three coats per instructions. Pleased with the results. Pluses? Very fast drying time (even over tacky stain). No sanding in between coats. Dried smooth with no brush marks and brushes cleaned up easy with soap and water (water based). Should note that this polyurethane has a very slight amber tint. Was good for my purposes but might be a consideration for other colors.

I use this product because it is good. I like the water clean up and lack of smell. It works very well for indoor projects.

Bought this item in store. The can doesn't make it obvious that the poly is not clear, it's amber tinted. I painted this on top of light gray chalk paint, and it's all yellow now. I may have to repaint five pieces of furniture because of this. Very displeased that I wasted my money and my time on this product. Other than that, this poly goes on smoothly, dries fast, and is easy to clean up. Use on dark woods and dark paint, not light colors!

A bit weird to be applying a white milky Polyurethane to dark hardwood recently stained floors, when I thought would be a clear product, but although it goes on milky white, it dries clear. I am not sure why they don't write this on the label, as would save a lot of concern/confusion for the home DIY'r. I applied first coat with a brush, and was worried about brush lines, but it all evened out perfectly within 1 hour, and dried within 2 hours, allowing a second coat (I applied by roller to be quicker), to be applied the same day. Brushes wash clean in water.

I opened the can and found that it is not like the Varathane product that I have used in the past. It has a white thick milky consistency. It doesn't spread well and and is difficult to spread evenly. I'll be returning it to the store and looking for the original clear varathane.