I wouldn't put any finish on it.
Just leave it natural.
It will have a long life because of the wood and construction.
There is one way to keep the wood from rotting a good soak in creosol or motor oil. The stuff they put on telephone poles. That should do it.
Have you thought about a cover like barbecues have?
Good Luck

 

I use linseed oil, thinned 50% so it soaks in more, for outdoor stuff.
Looks like some mildew got started, so maybe covering it didn't help.

 

Nevermind i should have read the whole post first….deleted my response

 

I would not recommend using creosote on a piece of furniture. It is a petroleum by-product not intended for human contact. It is used on telephone poles because it's cheap and involves little human contact.

 

Thanks for the responses guys. I like the linseed oil idea, but it seems like that's something that's going to need to be re-applied quite often. Is that the case? Has anyone used True Oil for outdoor applications? I think that's a mixture of linseed and other oils. It's my favorite finish to use for inside stuff, but I have no idea how it would hold up outdoors.

 

My house is wrapped in cedar sheathing, and it needs to be treated every 5 years or so… pressure wash then sealed. I've used several brands over the years (Cabot, Cedarshield, etc..) and they all seem to work about the same. House is over 20 years old and it still looks fine.

Cheers,
Brad

 

Thanks for the responses guys. I like the linseed oil idea, but it seems like that s something that s going to need to be re-applied quite often. Is that the case? Has anyone used True Oil for outdoor applications? I think that s a mixture of linseed and other oils. It s my favorite finish to use for inside stuff, but I have no idea how it would hold up outdoors.

- JackStraw42

Basically any clear finish exposed to sun & weather will not last that long. The more opaque, the longer it resists UV light, but surface films fail & make a mess after a while.

 

I use clear waterproofer from rust oleum. I think the table stayed wet under the cover. Cedar holds up outside, but turns gray if un sealed. Store it at an angle so the water drains off. You may need a new layer to make it look good, but bleaching may take out the stains.

 

Though not as nice as a redwood patina,a cedar natural patina isn't bad

 

What stuff did you use? Something like Thompson's is pure garbage. I did my cedar fence with Ready Seal and the stuff was totally idiot proof and an annual reapplication keeps it looking good as new.

 

Basically any clear finish exposed to sun & weather will not last that long. The more opaque, the longer it resists UV light, but surface films fail & make a mess after a while.

- jwoodcraft

Best answer. A spar Varnish probably stands up as good as anything but even a good brand of marine grade isn't going to make it more than a couple years. Ask anyone with at boat. Nothing stands up for long in the sun.

 

The real answer is mother nature always wins. Make the work surface replaceable for when it shows the wear. Is that a pre manufactured top with all the short pieces end glued?

 

The op said he wanted it to have a longer life. So if creosote is out . Then paint it that should extend its life it might even look charming one day with some of the paint fading and some chipped away.
It's a very desirable look the shabby chic.
Good Luck

 

My last home had cedar siding. We used Behr solid color stain, seems like a weak paint, but we got 11 years out of the first painting before she felt it needed a redo. Since then we redid it same way, and have been out of the house for 12 years, so that coat has been on 23 years all together. I go by once in a while to visit old neighbors, and to me it's still looks good, colors are distinct, and not muddled at all. Across the street neighbor used Olympic, and he HAD to redo every 2 years. Everybody else around out area swapped to the Behr.

Place has been sold 3 times since we sold it. You know people clean up a house to sell it, same exterior coat for 23 years. Product impressed me.

 

I did my new fence in Ready Seal here in Houston. The UV decimates outdoor wood furniture and fences here without coating. I read that I should be able to get about 3 years between recoats using a natural cedar color (some solids to block the light) I can't speak to the longevity yet but it was the best I could find from my research without going with a high solid content to be like paint.

 

Creosote, made from coal tar, has been unavailable to consumers for 20+ years. When it gets on skin, it burns. Not something you would want to do to your mother.

 

Other than painting the siding and trim on my house, I have a policy that I will not use any top coat finishes on outside projects. I've had this policy for about 10 years now. My reasoning is that top coats degrade over time. To "refinish requires removing loose and flaking finish and applying the new top coat every few years. A PIA. What I've been using this past decade or so is Penofin oil or Tall Earth Eo Safe wood treatment depending on the project. The penofin oil soaks in, preserves and doesn't require any sanding or scraping to RE coat, which I do every 2-4 years with a rag (wipe on, wipe off) I use it on figured or premium woods like the Ipe deck or the Redwood ceiling of a patio cover. The Tall Earth Wood treatment looks like crap for almost a year, but then it starts turning a very nice gray and is a preservative to protect the wood from rot. I applied Tall Earth on my Douglas Fir timber patio covers and posts more than 4 years ago and they all look great, no maintenance required. I realize we have different weather effects in Southern California than most of the rest of the country. Not as much wet and cold , but UV from sunlight has a pretty significant impact here. So far my strategy has been working fine.

 

Creosote, made from coal tar, has been unavailable to consumers for 20+ years. When it gets on skin, it burns. Not something you would want to do to your mother.

- ibewjon

I wasn't serious I was actually trying nudge the op to accept his project will not look or last forever. All woods turn gray in sunlight. Nothing will protect from the power of a star. The most important part of a outdoor project is it usable after it gets cycled through hot and cold wet and dry a few hundred times. Function before form.
I used to have a bucket of cold tar pitch. I could seal a leak under water. And yes it burn it's not for sissy's
Good Luck

 

if you want a clear finish, behr exterior latex non tinted or sherwin williams A100 non tinted
without the tints to make the color, both dry clear.

 

The real answer is mother nature always wins. Make the work surface replaceable for when it shows the wear. Is that a pre manufactured top with all the short pieces end glued?

- ibewjon

No, i had a bunch of scrap cedar that I glued together to make the top. A lot of it was cupped, so it turned out to be quite a lot more work than I wanted hah.

 

What stuff did you use? Something like Thompson s is pure garbage. I did my cedar fence with Ready Seal and the stuff was totally idiot proof and an annual reapplication keeps it looking good as new.

- JohnCageBubblegum

Thompsons hah… now i know!