MARINE SPAR VARNISH  (PRINTABLE PDF)

Marine Spar Varnish was developed by Sutherland Welles Ltd.® as an exterior finish for all types of wood exposed to moisture and sunlight. Sutherland Welles Ltd has addressed the challenge of producing a high performance exterior wood finish by using a unique combination of the finest phenolic resin combined with pure Polymerized Tung Oil, the cleanest solvents available, low toxic driers, and the best ultraviolet guards and mildewcide.

Sutherland Welles Ltd.® Spar Varnish is the best spar varnish on the market today! We can make that claim because our Spar Varnish is formulated using only the highest grade resin system. Our Spar Varnish creates a film that offers strength, durability and the high gloss that is characteristic of Marine "bright work". The color of our Spar Varnish is light amber and remains stable over time. The addition of solvents with the lowest toxicity available, while still allowing a reasonable dry time, has been a major goal and accomplishment of Sutherland Welles Ltd.® throughout our entire wood finishing line. The formulation is perfected by adding the best and broadest ultraviolet guards and a high performance mildewcide to protect the finish.

The key to the high performance of the Sutherland Welles Ltd.® Spar Varnish is the addition of Polymerized Tung Oil to our formulation. Polymerization is the process of cooking Tung Oil to alter its molecular structure, thus making it into a finishing oil; that is, an oil that will dry and cure in a timely way. Sutherland Welles Ltd.® uses a process that perfects the cook to its furthest points and thus creates a more durable, yet pliable, water resistant wood finish. Flexibility of a finish is an essential characteristic that improves adhesion of the finish to the wood as well as enhances the flow and workability of Spar Varnish, which is usually very viscous . A Polymerized Tung Oil finish actually creates a film which remains intact over time with minimal deterioration and acts as a waterproofing agent.

Most manufacturers formulate their Spar Varnish with linseed oil and Tung Oil. The larger the portion of Tung Oil, the better quality of Spar Varnish. Other companies choose to put more linseed oil in their formulations, primarily to lower the cost. Tung Oil is about four times more expensive than linseed oil. However, linseed oil is an inferior oil for Spar Varnish for many reasons. Sutherland Welles Ltd.® Spar Varnish is formulated with 100% Polymerized Tung Oil - no other oils are added. There is no linseed oil in our Spar Varnish.   Over time linseed oil completely deteriorates causing the finish to breakdown. Additionally, linseed oil's drying and curing time is very long. The increased dry and cure time allows moisture to remain between coats which eventually permits competing products to crack and peel and stops protecting the wood surface. Linseed oil has no waterproofing properties. Finally, over time, linseed oil turns a wood finish very dark, almost black.

Sutherland Welles Ltd.® proven Loc-Lamin ® Finishing System allows multiple layers of thinly applied Polymerized Tung Oil to bond in a three-dimensional locking system which prevents peeling of the finish, especially when exposed to harsh environmental conditions which continuously challenge the integrity of any exterior wood finish. This process is another feature that makes Sutherland Welles Marine Spar Varnish such a unique, high performance product.

The finishing process is initiated by applying an exterior sealing Polymerized Tung Oil which penetrates the wood, sealing the wood pores and preparing the surface for the finish coats of Marine Spar Varnish. Successive coats are a mixture of Polymerized Tung Oil Sealer and Marine Spar Varnish in proportions that build the sheen characteristic of the 'bright look" that is classic to a high quality, marine grade, wood finish.

There are two factors that determine the longevity of an exterior wood finish; proper technique in applying the finish and regular maintenance. As with all finishing projects, the correct preparation of the wood surface and following the manufacturer's instructions are key to the success of the finishes performance.

The exposure to harsh environmental conditions makes regular maintenance of an exterior finish imperative to avoid the costly and time consuming process of refinishing a surface that hasn't been properly maintained. Over time, any exterior finish will give way to small hair line fractures that allow moisture to enter and begin to deteriorate the finish. Sutherland Welles Ltd.® has minimized this process by the addition of Polymerized Tung Oil to the Marine Spar Varnish making a more flexible finish with superior adhesion qualities. The amount of exposure to sunlight and moisture will determine your maintenance schedule. Timely maintenance is a process of removing grime with a Sutherland Welles Ltd.®  Cleaner according to the product instructions and then, depending on the integrity of the finish, re-coat with one or two thin coats of the Marine Spar Varnish. The Loc-Lamin® Finishing System permits bonding of additional coats of our Spar Varnish even after the initial finishing process is completed.

We believe we have developed the finest Marine Spar Varnish available on the market today. Applied according to the directions on the product label and maintained on a regular basis we are confident that the finish will protect exterior wood surfaces for years!

Coverage: 150-200 sq.ft./quart or 600-800 sq.ft/gallon after two coats of Exterior Polymerized Tung Oil Sealer.

Key Benefits

Quantity discounts are available.

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Last modified: December 03, 2008