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Any thoughts on which is better? I plan on refinishing my bow pulpit and swim platform. I dont really like the appearance of cetol but am not sure if it stands up better to the elements
On another BB I visit this comes up OFTEN. There are those who love Cetol and those who love Varnish. Many who like Cetol seem to prefer something called Cetol Lite. I've never used Cetol but apparently the Lite is not so orangey. All I know....
I have used Cetol and would highly recommend.the more coats you put on the more you loose the grain of the wood.It wears great and is simple to recoat.Never a need to strip.I did it right one winter as a project.I used 4 coats and it last 3 years without touching and still perfect.I did not like the light type,it was too yellow.Charlie
I use a product similar to Cetol called Semco. I like the way it looks and get a lot of positive comments from others. It lasts at least an entire season and can be recoated as long as the finish isn't worn off. I like the Semco "golden" finish better than the clear.
If you go the varnish route be sure to get spar varnish not just the plain. Cut it 10-15% with mineral spirits & use quality brush. Use a bunch of thin coats rather than a couple of heavy coats.
I use Cetol on the outside of my house( I have a lot of natural wood). I've been using it for 18 years now. I would never use anything else. No need to sand, just brush it on. Cetol 1 is for the very first coat ever(on bare wood). Cetol 23 is for any other repeated coats. It comes in a vast array of tints/colors. I brush it on every 2 years.
I used both on my boat, in different areas. They both lasted about the same amount of time. The varnish is way prettier but the Cetol is much less work to apply. 3 coats of Cetol looked good but the varnish took 7 to get the full potential.
