Just saw a table I finished a year ago and the color shift is wild

Used a water-based poly on some maple for a client in Phoenix, and after 12 months in their sunroom it's gone from a nice warm honey to this pale, almost washed-out blonde. Ngl, I thought that stuff was more stable. Anyone else had a finish change way more than expected in a sunny spot?

3 comments

3 Comments

river_allen2d ago

That color shift is crazy, but not totally shocking for Phoenix. What @craig.john said about the UV blockers breaking down makes a lot of sense. So is the lesson here that water-based poly is just a bad pick for any project getting direct sun, or are some brands way better than others? I had a cedar planter on a patio that got bleached out in one summer, but that was just the wood itself. Makes you wonder if any clear finish can really win against a south-facing window.

craig.john2d ago

Remember reading about how water-based poly can have clear UV blockers that break down faster than the old oil-based stuff. It makes sense in a place like Phoenix where the sun is basically a laser. My uncle had a similar thing happen with a red oak floor near a big window, it lost all its warmth in about two years. He ended up using a different top coat with more stable blockers, but it was too late for the original color. Sunlight just cooks everything in the end.

wesley_adams1d ago

Ever think about how much heat the glass itself puts out? That radiant heat might be breaking things down just as much as the UV light.