Show Me Your Interior Woodwork: Satin vs Glossy

[Beersmith]

I am having trouble deciding on a glossy or satin finish for varnishing my interior teak. If you have interior photos that show some good natural varnished teak in either satin or glossy, please post so I can get a feel of how they look. I plan on having bulkheads and cabin walls off-white (Herreshoff style), with varnished wood trim. I love the glossy look, but fear it will show scratches too easily and might be a bit too shiny for the inside.

Any pictures or words of wisdom regarding the decision will be appreciated!

[Stillraining]

IMHO Gloss is for the outside..saitin inside,

[cburger]

Hand rubbed pure china tung oil on old growth Burmese teak, boats 36 years old and this is all origional.

[CharlieCobra]

This is gloss, 50 years old and it was looking good.

[cburger]

I really like the look of the exposed cabintop beams!

[CharlieCobra]

Makes it easier to check the boat. One of the nice touches to an old wood boat.

[cburger]

would love to see some exterior pictures

[CharlieCobra]

Ok, Oh Joy some time ago:



and



Oh Joy lately:



There are a ton of threads about her on this site if you've the time.

[cburger]

Very nice!

[imagine2frolic]

The ceiling is satin, and the windows are gloss........i2f

[gonesail]

if you go with the satin varnish .. remember that you should use gloss for the base coats and satin for the top coat only.

[Beersmith]

Originally Posted by gonesail

if you go with the satin varnish .. remember that you should use gloss for the base coats and satin for the top coat only.

yep on the pieces I have started varnishing, I've used glossy for 5 coats. I'm ready for the final coat and am torn over the decision.

[gonesail]

one of the things you can do is dilute the satin with gloss and you get something else that really looks good.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by gonesail

if you go with the satin varnish .. remember that you should use gloss for the base coats and satin for the top coat only.

OK Teach me something.....Why is that?

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

OK Teach me something.....Why is that?

Applying to many coats of satin will make the finish cloudy and muddy looking. Using three or four base coats of clear then a final coat or two with satin will leave a beautiful, clear and deep finish.