Most Durable Furniture Finish Around Children

Two Main Types of Furniture Finish

• There are two basic types of furniture finishes: clear finishes and opaque finishes. Clear finishes essentially include lacquer, shellac, varnish, tung oil, linseed oil and polyurethane. Opaque finishes typically include a combination mixture of oil and latex, paint and lacquers. Whereas these two types of finishes might contain other materials, these are the main ingredients. Generally, opaque finishes hold up better against stains and scratches because they are darker and thicker. However, clear finishes can always be reapplied to cover up marks, but opaque finishes may be difficult to paint over.

The Most Durable Finishes

• Varnish is a good option for people who want a clear finish but do not want easily scratched surfaces. Varnish takes a long time to dry, but is resilient against scratches and water. A polyurethane finish is one of the easiest finishes to apply, and it is a more durable version of lacquer or varnish. It goes on clear, and can withstand a variety of childhood messes. Perhaps the best type of finish for any furniture that is around children, oil based paint provides the heaviest and most durable coat for a surface. This type of paint can withstand spills, scratches, water and stray marks of almost any kind.

Types of Stains

• Stains may help accent the wood grain patterns and knots in the wood. The two types of stains are semitransparent and semisolid. Semitransparent stains are applied to bare wood or wood that was previously semitransparent stained. Semisolid stains are applied to bare wood or wood that was previously stained or painted. Semisolid stains are particularly resilient to wear and tear, and so these are the best types of stains for families with children.

Finishes to Avoid

• There are positives and negatives with every type of finish, certain types of finishes are particularly poor in terms of durability. Lacquer, commonly used on wood grains, is particularly susceptible to scratches and water damage, making it hardly child proof. In addition, shellac finish is extremely thin and stains very easily, and so you most likely want to avoid this finish if you have children. Both of these finishes look very nice but do not hold up very well.