Finishing Your Outdoor Table: What I Wish Someone Told Me

So my neighbor asked me to help him refinish his patio table last summer. Nice teak piece, been sitting outside for about five years, looked pretty rough. He wanted to know what finish to use. I asked him one question: do you want it to look like furniture or are you okay with a natural weathered look? Because honestly, that answer changes everything about how you approach this.

First Things First – What Kind of Wood Are We Talking About

This matters more than people realize. Teak, ipe, and cedar have natural oils and rot resistance built in. You could honestly just let them go gray and they will last decades. My folks have a teak bench on their back porch that has never been finished – just washed occasionally – and it is still solid after like twenty years. Gray as a winter sky, but solid.

Pine and other softwoods? Those need help. Without protection they will soak up water, rot, crack, and generally fall apart within a few years. If you built your table from construction lumber, you absolutely need to finish it or plan on rebuilding it eventually.

The Oil Route – My Preferred Approach

I have moved almost entirely to oil finishes for outdoor furniture. Specifically penetrating oils like teak oil for the fancy woods, or just regular exterior oil like Penofin for the common stuff. Here is why I like them:

They soak into the wood instead of sitting on top. That means they cannot peel, crack, or flake. When the finish starts looking tired – maybe a year or two on a table that gets used a lot – you just clean it and wipe on another coat. No sanding, no stripping, no drama.

The downside? You need to reapply more often than film finishes. But honestly the reapplication takes maybe an hour. Compare that to scraping and sanding a peeling varnish for a full weekend and tell me which sounds better.

For teak specifically, I use tung oil cut with a little mineral spirits to help it penetrate. Pure tung oil is thick and takes forever to dry. The mineral spirits thin it out so it soaks in better. About three coats, letting each one dry overnight, and the wood glows.

When Varnish Makes Sense

Look, I am not anti-varnish. If your outdoor table lives under a covered porch and only occasionally sees rain, a good spar varnish can look incredible. That deep, glossy finish you see on wooden boats? You can get that on furniture too.

The key word there is spar varnish, not interior varnish. Spar varnish has UV blockers and stays flexible so it moves with the wood as it expands and contracts. Regular interior poly will turn cloudy and crack within a season outside. Trust me, I learned this one the hard way on a set of planter boxes.

Application takes patience. Thin coats – like really thin. I use a foam brush and barely load it. Let each coat cure for at least 24 hours, sand lightly with 320 grit, wipe off the dust, apply the next coat. I usually do four or five coats on a table top that is going to see use.

Maintenance means a light sanding and fresh coat every year or two. If you let it go too long and it starts to crack, you are back to stripping it down. So stay on top of it.

Polyurethane Outdoors – Proceed with Caution

I see people asking about exterior polyurethane a lot. It exists. It works okay. But it is not my first choice for a table that is going to see direct sun and rain.

Water-based exterior poly dries faster and stays clear. Oil-based develops that amber tone over time which might or might not be what you want. Both are more durable than indoor poly but neither is as flexible as true spar varnish.

If you go the poly route, same rules apply: thin coats, sand between coats, and plan on maintenance. Any film finish outdoors is going to need attention eventually.

The Prep Work Nobody Wants To Do

Whatever finish you pick, the prep matters. Old gray weathered wood needs to be cleaned and brightened before finishing. I use a deck cleaner (works fine on furniture too) followed by a wood brightener. The brightener is basically oxalic acid – opens up the pores and restores some of the original color.

After cleaning, let the wood dry for at least a couple days. Seriously. I know you are eager to get the finish on but wet wood plus oil or varnish equals problems. Moisture gets trapped under the finish and causes bubbling, peeling, and general disappointment.

If the wood is really rough, you might need to sand. I start with 80 grit to knock down any raised grain or fuzzy patches, then work up to 120 and finally 150. You do not need to go as fine as you would for indoor furniture since the texture of a slightly coarser surface actually helps oil penetrate.

My Table Specifically

So back to my neighbor table. It was teak, in pretty good shape structurally, just gray and dirty. We cleaned it with oxygen bleach, let it dry for three days, and then I walked him through applying tung oil. Three coats over a week. Looked beautiful when we were done – that warm golden color teak is famous for.

I told him to plan on recoating once a year, maybe twice if the table sees a lot of use and weather. He said that sounded like work. I said yeah, but less work than rebuilding a table or dealing with peeling varnish. He grumbled but agreed.

Quick Reference By Wood Type

Teak or Ipe – Let it weather naturally, or use tung oil or specialized teak oil. Do not bother with film finishes unless the piece stays under cover.

Cedar – Clear penetrating oil or semi-transparent stain. The stain adds UV protection which helps prevent graying.

Pine or Fir – Needs protection. Exterior oil-based stain works well. If you want natural color, an exterior oil with UV protection, but be prepared to recoat often.

Painted tables – Good exterior latex paint over primer works great. Just make sure you get paint made for exterior use.

At the end of the day, there is no perfect outdoor finish. Everything requires some maintenance. The goal is picking a finish that matches your willingness to maintain it. For me, that means oils because I do not mind wiping on a coat once a year. For someone who wants minimal fuss, maybe a solid stain or paint is the better answer. Know yourself and choose accordingly.