I was sitting on my brains the other day watching my favorite 60s sitcoms (F-Troop anyone? ahem. anywho . . . ) when my better half suggested I sand and refinish the deck. Hmmmm, TV, or deck refinishing? I’m still not sure how refinishing won over sofa inertia.
Once I overpowered the strong pull of the sofa’s gravity, I jumped up and grabbed my sander with a twinkle in my eye like Ernest Borgnine in McHale’s Navy. After a few days of dust storms and exclamations that would have the Skipper hitting Gilligan furiously with his hat, I was ready to choose a finish. I wanted something like the penetrating oils I’ve used in other woodworking projects but more durable, and completely natural.
I was happy to stumble upon a cool-looking product from my local Boulder, CO eco-store Ellie’s called TimberPro UV. TimberPro natural oil deck finish has a bunch of different color choices and even just straight out of the can looked good. It’s water bourne and 100% natural. I bought a gallon and prepped to apply. I was initially startled at the conisitency out of the can, it looked/applied more like a varnish than any penetrating oil I was used to. I re-read the can again with a bead of sweat forming on my brow as I eyed its suspicious viscosity. It definitely said oil. Thankfully, in a matter of minutes I could see that it was soaking in nicely. Phew!
After 24 hours it looked great: a nice dull natural sheen and good color. The rain beaded up well and so far the finish has not changed color or texture. All in all, a darn sight better than a rousing Hogan’s Heroes marathon, so far. I’ll keep you posted. TimberPro UV Oil is available for about $40 / gallon at Ellies Eco Home Store.
