Commercial Finishes for Decoupage - Part One

Super Durable Decoupage

Dear Eileen,

I am helping to open up a sports bar.

I have some old wooden table tops - and by some I mean 15 round and square - and also a bar top - a long bar top!

To my point at hand - I would like to decoupage them all with cutouts of sports pictures.

I have been reading though your information online and it has been helpful, but I need large amounts of the seal coating - not sure of the name - I need that information too.

But my real concern is if someone sets a glass of any type of drink on it and/or spills one, will it stain or leave marks.

Please and thank you for any help before I go though all this work only to have it ruined because I didn't finish it properly.

Elizabeth

Read part two, Hardwood Floor Finishes for Decoupage.

You have several choices and each has its pluses and minuses. Before addressing the seal coat, let's talk about the artwork you plan to use.

Some inks will bleed when a seal coat is applied. Some images will be made transparent by the sealing agent if not pre-sealed with a compatible material.

Be sure to test and have copies available. You can purchase or collect multiple copies or have your own copies made. Laser copies bleed less than inkjet but are more expensive.

Read our decoupage expert, Kay Davies', tips to prevent ink bleed with inkjet copies. Kay's sealing method will also keep an image from going transparent.

Now as to finish coating, I would recommend Two-Part Epoxies or Hardwood Floor Finishes. I do not recommend polyurethane, the most common decoupage finish product, for your particular project.

Two-Part Epoxies for Decoupage

There are products specifically designed for table and bar tops known as two-part bar top epoxies. This is the thickest coating you can get.

There are two types: brush-on and pour-on. With the brush-on two-part epoxies, you can get 3/16 of an inch. With the pour-on type, you can pour up to an inch thick. If you want a nice thick finish like only an epoxy can provide, calculate that each gallon will coat about 6 ½ square feet to a depth of ¼ inch.

Pour-on is best used on tops that have rims to contain the pour. However, if you can lay the tops on the floor covered with newspaper and with wax paper under all the edges, you can do a slow pour with very little runoff waste. After curing, remove the excess and lightly sand the edge. I have used this technique to coat decorative plaques.

It is helpful to understand some of the general characteristics of two-part epoxies. When you combine the two parts, heat will be generated. This is the chemical reaction that fuses the hardener and resin into a shiny, clear, hard plastic. You may see tiny bubbles form, either from the mixing or from a reaction with the wood when you apply.

Don't be too concerned. The heat of the epoxy will resolve most of these bubbles and force them to the surface where they will pop into thin air. If you see any that seem to be setting, run a hair dryer over the area until the bubbles rise to the surface.

Because two-part epoxies set up pretty quickly, work in batches of no more than 1 ½ gallons. Use a mixing container of at least 2 gallons so you can thoroughly stir the two components together. Don't beat vigorously since this will generate a lot of bubbles.

In your particular project, you have an exception to the 1 ½ gallon batch rule. The bar top is more than 9 3/4 square feet (the surface area that a gallon and a half would coat ¼ inch thick).

If using a pour-on, you will need to do large pours. Large pours generate significant chemical reaction heat, which can cause stress cracks or ridges in the epoxy. To avoid this, do two 1/8 inch coats, with a day for (partial) curing in between.

If using a brush-on epoxy, work from one end to the other. Be sure you have enough time and materials to complete the top in one session. Better yet, have a friend work with you, starting at the opposite end so that you meet in the middle.

Whether you brush or pour the bar top, once you have applied the epoxy, hold a small fan above the surface and walk it back and forth to dissipate the heat quickly and evenly.

No matter how well you mix, the stuff around the bottom edge and sticking to the sides of the container will not be sufficiently combined. Whether pouring or brushing, do not try to get every last drop out of the bucket. Epoxy that is incompletely mixed, will never cure.

Epoxies need a warm, constant temperature (68 degrees or warmer) for 24 hours before and after application in order to cure properly. Bring the tops and the epoxy to the same temperature before applying. Avoid applying near windows where sunlight could change the temperature in spots, resulting in an uneven cure and a bumpy surface.

Most epoxies form a visible or invisible waxy finish on their surface as they cure. Carefully wash the epoxy surface with soap and water before adding another layer of epoxy or any other product.

Cured epoxies will yellow over time if subjected to direct sunlight. This can be prevented by adding a UV- protective coat.

Epoxies may feel hard within a few hours, but they take a week or more to cure completely. During the curing period, the surface can be permanently dented if something is placed on it or banged against it. Paper or cardboard laid on the surface will fuse onto the plastic and be impossible to remove.

If there are minor imperfections on the cured surface, they can be sanded out. This will remove the plastic's shine but that is easily restored with any clear topcoat agent. If the spots are small, try clear nail polish.

Some epoxy experts recommend that you first seal the wood's surface with a solvent thinned clear epoxy primer to guaranty a good bond. The solvents help seal the wood and penetrate below the surface so that moisture cannot get between the wood and the epoxy and cause the epoxy to lift.

You can do some tests if you want this extra insurance, but I suspect that, in a decoupage project, the solvents would increase ink bleed. I did not prime my decoupaged plaques and they have stood the test of time - 35 years to be precise.

Like most plastics, epoxies will soften with heat even after curing. Think of the plastic containers that deform in the dishwasher or when you let food in the microwave get too hot.

If hotter than 100 degrees F, something like a hot coffee cup could soften the epoxy to the point of leaving a permanent dent or ring. If coffee will be served in the bar, be sure the owner purchases cups that will not transmit too much heat, for example stoneware cups with saucers or footed mugs.

Kleer Kote Table Top Epoxy is an excellent pourable epoxy. Progressive Epoxy Polymers makes both a pourable (Bio Clear 810) and a thick brush-on (Bio Clear No Blush 2) epoxy.

Read part two, Hardwood Floor Finishes for Decoupage.

Here is a list of all decoupage related articles on The Artful Crafter.