Customer Reviews for Varathane 16 Oz. Wood Hardener (4-Pack)

After pulling off the old deck boards the nail hole areas in the joist were a bit soft. I didn't want any new screws or nails to follow the same areas. I treated th holes with this stuff (Varathane) with a cheep brush & used an exterior wood filler. Perfect! Fasteners had solid areas.

It hardens wood

I painted the bottom of my chimney chase. It soaked into the wood good, but it softened and dissolved the other good paint on the board. So I had to scrape it (the good paint) off and repaint it. It's clear and thin, and looks just like pure acetone, but it does have some hardener in it. When it dries, it's like varnish or something. It's so thin, it drips from the brush and painting overhead is virtually impossible. I had to sacrifice a spray bottle with this stuff. And it ruined that bottle of course. I painted the bottom of my garage doors, and again it ruined the adjacent paint job. Maybe if you are extremely careful you can get just the bad wood. Lastly, it quickly and completely dissolved the whole bottom of the red solo cup i was using for touchup, and spilled contents on my driveway. It was clear and didn't think much about it, but it dried a pale white, so now i have a 1' diameter white spot on my concrete driveway. You have to dig out all the old wood before painting. I think this stuff is maybe one step up from just replacing the whole wood section. It has drawbacks, and is hard to apply. I would probably do myself a favor and dispose of the remaining can. It was $13 at Home Depot. You have to pour it into another container to use it, as the spout is only 1" diameter.

I bought this to harden rotting wood on a soffit. It comes in a metal can with a hole the size of a quarter. You have to brush it on. I poured some in to a red solo cup and it immediately dissolved the cup. I was not expecting an acid as a hardener? Poured all over my leg and pool deck, which i now have to scrub with acetone to get the hardener off. This should either be a spray or have a removable top so you can actually get a brush on there. I recommend getting a soup can to pour it into

Better than expected, so far at least. It actually made soft, spongy wood quite solid. I was skeptical, because the instructions said to remove all the "decayed and soft wood." And if you do that, what's the point? If the wood were not "decayed and soft," I wouldn't need a wood hardener. Still, I thought it was worth a try, since the alternative would have involved replacing a section of flooring. I removed the parts that were rotten to the point of really disintegrating and hoped that somehow it would work on the remaining semi-rotten wood. It did. The wood soaked it up and, after it dried, I applied a second coat and it got even harder. Then I filled a few large gaps in the wood with Bondo for Wood and, at least so far, it seems to be a very solid surface. If your area is hidden, or if you're willing to paint afterwards, this might work.

I use this to strengthen wood I am repairing on furniture I am refurbishing, and in my woodworking. This is a chalice I made and the maple wood I used needed to be filled/strengthened as I turned it.

I purchased this product to treat a spalted maple hollow form bowl that I turned on a lathe. Spalted wood has very interesting color and pattern but since spalting is the beginning of rot, it is much softer than wood not spalted. This product allowed me to sand and finish to a nice shine. It definitely met my expectations.

This is wonderful stuff. I used it on rotting window sills. Be sure to put on plenty. Hardens the wood nicely as prep for putty.

The Varathane Wood Harder performed as advertised to help me repair a rotten post.?

Doesn’t really hardwood. Other products are better.

Works well to harden rotted wood, and prevent termite damage on all wood

It's the only wood hardener I've used, so I cannot say if it's better or worse than any others. It appears to do what it is designed for. Home Depot was clean, well organized, and has a friendly, helpful but not underfoot staff.

First time using this brand of wood hardener. It preformed well when used as a prep for wood rot repair. Would purchase again.

Great product. Easy to use and a little cheaper than other similar solutions.

Worker great. Liquid as opposed to Bondo. You also get 2x for less money tthan Bondo

Ok, this is helpful for wood of a certain age. If your wood is a little soft, this is the product for you. You can pour it on or brush it on and your wood will become as hard as it was when it was a young 2x6.

Used product to to harden rotted on lower non-load bearing section of exterior door. I used a a plastic syringe to inject product into plies of wood. Two "coats" hardened the wood sufficiently to apply wood filler to complete the job. The product did not dissolve the plastic syringe after approximately two hours.

I have used this several times. It fluid enough to use with a syringe to get deeper penetration. Door bottoms, pillars, Rv panels behind the fiberglass before applying epoxy.

Works as advertised.

Worked as advertised. It is hard to find. I took the last three cans.