No More Polycrylic for My Tables!

Behold, my newly refinished table - once again!  Yes, this is the second time this little beauty has been refinished.
The table was originally refinished in 2013.  I carefully sanded, stained, and sealed it with polycrylic.  Everyone in blogland was singing the praises of polycrylic, so I thought I'd give it a try.  It went on great, clean-up was easy, and it dried quickly.  

Win-Win, right?  WRONG!!

After about a year and a half, I started noticing some wear on the edges of the table.  You know, the spot where people rest their arms?  As time went on, these spots actually started to feel a bit sticky and you could see them:
It was really difficult to get a picture of them, but, if you look carefully where the arrows are pointing, you'll see dull spots in the finish.  We lived with it for a while, then I told my husband, "As soon as the weather gets nice, this table has a date with my sander!"

Time for my full disclosure.  Normally, I sand things down to bare wood. My husband likes to tease and says that when I get done sanding, the piece is about 1/4 inch thinner.  Such a kidder!  So, I decided to sand and get most of it off - BIG MISTAKE!  The stain wouldn't dry.  So after the second day, I got out the palm sander (again) and some 60 grit sandpaper and got to work.  Yes, my shoulder and hand got a workout! (Let me just say, the carpal tunnel surgery was a success!)

Sanded down to bare wood:

Two thin coats of walnut stain were applied, followed by 3 thin coats of POLYURETHANE.  This time, the table is really done and the dining room is put back together!
Ta-da!

On to the next project, but, before you go, I'd like to explain my thoughts on polycrylic vs. polyurethane.
Polycrylic is not a bad thing.  I have used it on several occasions, and it does best on furniture that does not get heavy-use.  
Polyurethane is my choice for heavy-use furniture, like a kitchen or dining room table.  I used it many years ago on my kitchen table when my children were small.  That table stood up to many school and art projects and the finish never wore off.

Overall, in my humble opinion, polyurethane is a more durable finish.  I'd love to hear your thoughts/experiences though.  Have you had greater success with one or the other?  Let me know in the comments below!

Have a wonderful week.   I hope you'll consider following and/or pinning....Thanks for stopping by the Cottage!






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Comments

  1. Oh wow, I am going through this right now! I've been using Polycrylic since I started furniture refinishing in 2013 and was always really happy with it. It doesn't smell as bad, its easy clean up and fast dry time. However, I also used it on my dining room table and, as far as I can tell, I'm going to probably be doing exactly what you did with your table! Good lesson to learn!

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    1. Sorry to hear you're going through the same thing, Tarahlynn. You are right, though, it is a lesson learned.
      Good luck with your table - let me know how it turns out!
      Ann

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  2. What a bummer that it happened after you first refinished it....after all that work! The second time you did it though made it look gorgeous!!! Great job! :)

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    1. Thank you, Katy.
      Hopefully I can save someone else from having to go through the same thing!
      Ann

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  3. Oh yeah, totally agree with ya! Polyurethane is a lot better. I see a lot of bloggers going with wax, but what they don't tell anyone is that it has to be re-applied 3 times a year, unless in a sunny spot. So I stick with Polyurethane. Much more durable. Thanks so much for joining us at the DI & DI Link Party too, I hope it brings you some new traffic and new friends!

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    1. Thanks, Christine.
      Polyurethane always was my "go-to" finish. No worries about water rings either - not so with wax!
      Have a great week!
      Ann

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  4. You put all that work into the table and the finish didn't last long. How disappointing! Glad your refinish turned out so beautifully. I have never refinished furniture so I am in awe.

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    1. I'm so glad you like the table, Carol. Yes, it was disappointing that the first refinish didn't last, but, I learned a valuable lesson.
      Do stop by the Cottage again soon!
      Ann

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  5. Your table came out so nice! I used Polycrylic on my dining table a couple of years ago. I painted my table though, so I don't know if it had a different reaction. It seems to be holding up okay. But, we'll see. I'll be keeping an eye on it! Thanks for the info!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Lori. I wonder if paint makes a difference, please keep me posted. I'm curious!
      So glad you stopped by the Cottage!
      Ann

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  6. Wow - great and useful information! Thanks for sharing on the Pleasures of the NW's DIY party!

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    1. Hopefully I can save someone else from the same fate!
      Thanks for stopping by!
      Ann

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  7. Love the table and your kitchen looks so charming! I am your newest follower and added your blog to my blog rolls..
    Hugs,
    Debbie

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    1. Thank you, Debbie.
      Happy to have you following and pleased to be on your blog rolls!
      Have a wonderful weekend.
      Ann

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  8. Beautiful transformation! Thank you for sharing. You are one of the fan favorites at the Sunday Showcase from the Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link so you can check out your feature. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2016/07/sunday-showcase-make-pretty-monday-6-9.html Have a great week. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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    1. Thank you, Kathryn - always love your link parties!

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  9. Ann, I love how your table came out! And your home is VERY lovely! Thank you for sharing with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! :)

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    1. Thank you, so much. I'm so glad you stopped by - please be sure to visit again, soon!

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  10. Love this ANN! Featuring you tonight @ Shoestring Elegance's What to do Weekends Party!

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    1. Thank you, Theresa.
      It's always a thrill to be featured!
      Ann

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  11. Your table is gorgeous! Polyurethane was perfect for this! :)

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    1. Thank you, Lori. I no longer own this one - I sold it to the lady who bought the Cottage. But, I just finished a new one!
      http://theapplestreetcottage.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-free-table.html

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  12. I have a table that was finished with Polycrylic, and just as you said, the oils from your forearms wear away at the finish. Thanks for reminding me, I'm just at the stage of finishing my kitchen table that I painted with Chalk Paint. I'm returning the Polycrylic and going another route. Either Polyurethane or wax.

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    Replies
    1. I'm so glad I saved you some work. I'm sure your table looks beautiful!

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  13. Same thing happened to me. Except not a table--it's on a computer desk that gets all day use.
    I see a date with my sander coming up as soon as the weather is better :-(

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    Replies
    1. I'm sorry this happened to you, but sanding and refinishing it is the way to go. I actually sold this table, but have another that I sealed with polyurethane 3 years ago. It's still going strong!
      Good luck with your project.

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  14. Hi, I had this happen also, and need to do this also. Can you tell me what type of polyurethane you used?

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    Replies
    1. Of course. I used Minwax Polyurethane in a satin finish. Great stuff. Good luck with your project, Sharon!

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    2. Ann, the Minwax Polyurethane you used ... was it water based or oil based? There appear to be multiple types including an "oil-modified" water-based polyurethane and a spar urethane. I'm about to start sanding my dining table again for the same reason and want to be sure I use the right one the second time!!

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    3. The second time I used oil-based poly. Happy refinishing!

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  15. Hi Ann! Did you use oil based or water based polyurethane? Thanks so much!

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    1. Thanks for asking...I used oil-based polyurethane.

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  16. You used oil based polyurethane..... do you think the same great results would happen if you used water based polyurethane?
    Did your oil based poly turn yellowish?

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    1. I used water-based poly (polycrylic) the first time and that's the one that wore through. The oil-based polyurethane held up beautifully. I never saw any yellowing because the wood was stained a dark shade.

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    2. What color stain did you use? I love the color!

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    3. It's Dark Walnut by Minwax.

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  17. I finished all our new casings and doors with polycrilic 10 years ago. Cannot remove stain caused by hand contact, the finish gets soft and gummy Help please.

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    Replies
    1. Without actually seeing it, it's hard to say. If there are stains, you may need to sand them out, re-stain, and seal. You also may be able to seal in the stickiness with shellac.

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