Customer Reviews for Varathane 1 Gal. Clear Satin Water-Based Interior Polyurethane (2-Pack)

I'm using Varathane Ultimate Polyurethane to smooth and seal some oak-stained wainscoting in the bedrooms and closets of my vacation home -- for some reason the previous owner left off any sort of finish. The stuff is consistent -- minimal stirring gets it ready for use, and applies evenly with a brush. The material is kind of thin, so I did need to take extra precautions against spatters, runs, and drips. It dries to the touch in about an hour, and to sand and recoat in about 4 hours. At least three coats are required (two gloss coats and a final satin coat - using only satin for all coats tends to get a bit too cloudy.) That's too long to leave a dirty brush, so I've gotten some experience with cleaning brushes. My poly bristle brushes clean up very easily with an initial rinse and kneading under warm water, a brief soak in the sink with warm water and 2 oz of ammonia, and a final rinse or two. I can honestly say I've never had a brush clean up this easily! The resulting finish looks great!

I used the Satin and was happy, until I needed to get a second can to complete the project. The second can, with the same exact date code, had a completely different level of shine - one can was almost a semi-gloss , and the other can produced a matte.

This is an excellent top coat. It flows evenly to give you a smooth tough wear surface. I used a paint roller and it looks like its been sprayed!

I bought this product because i wanted something water based, fast drying and easy to use. This product filled all of those requirements. I used it on a carpetball table i was building. It goes on with a milky look but dries perfectly clear. On a warm, low humidity day it dries really fast. I will probably use this product on most of my projects BECAUSE it is so easy to use and clean up after.

Dries quickly by 2 hours on project, and just soap and water used as instructed to remove residue from brush for later use.

Low order, quick drying. It worked great for my project, I whitewashed my hardwood floors and this was the perfect sealer for it. You do need to apply at minimum 3 coats. I used a brush for the job 3-4 inches wide, did the job beautifully. It doesn’t scratch and I would say it holds up just as good as an oil based sealer, but without the heavy smell and the yellow tone it has.

I bought a gallon of this and on my way home from Home Depot, it spilled all over my trunk. I was advised to reach out to Rust-Oleum customer support, and despite their frequent activity in this review section, it takes weeks to get a reply via email. Portions of my new vehicle's warranty were voided because of this product and the best they'll do is refund me for the gallon. Steer clear of Rustoleum, buy from anyone else.

This products is very easy to use. It goes on very smoothly. I sprayed it on and finished level and beautiful. I will definitely use the as my preferred topcoat from now on.

I used Varathane to re-coat a section of hardwood floor in my den that had worn away from the use of office chairs. I cleaned the area to be coated with a 1:10 solution of white vinegar and water. I used a sponge brush to apply 3 coats. The results were amazing. Cleanup is with soap and water. It couldn't be easier. I've added a plastic floor mat to the room to prevent the finish from future wear and tear.

Great stuff keeps wood looking natural love it.

Beautiful strong matte finish! Maintains super smooth touch after drying. I will use this product for many more projects in the future!

I use the outdoor ultimate spar urethane most of the time but wanted an indoor polyurethane finish for a dresser I was making and this stuff is great. It has great body for spraying. Seems a little thick at first to spray but it is not, it sprays great right out of the can. The spar urethane is slightly thinner, still spray well but will run easier. This polyurethane being thicker hold very well without running on vertical areas. Levels out great and gives a nice smooth hard crystal clear finish. If you are used to spraying finishes this is very similar to spraying a non water based pre cat lacquer except you can apply it quite as thick. I have many years experience as a finisher doing primarily country club, hotel public area custom items.

Excellent product

At first I was a little set aside by the milky shade almost like the urethane was bad or had been frozen after it had dried it gave a tough finish that looked wonderful Just be careful not to use a foam brush and leave bubbles

went on very easily self leveling no brush strokes were left behind did not leave a shiny finish which was the reason for the matte finish.

I was skeptical about using it at first because my experience was using oil based product, now that I've experience using the water based product will definitely recommend it and continue to use it.

Did very well on by paint projects

Great product that is easy to apply, obtain a very smooth finish, bring out the color in the wood, and proven durable. I build furniture on a regular basis and use this product, exclusively, for my final coats in most cases. In this case, I used the matte finish which is extremely easy to apply and get the desired results. The high gloss finish is requires more attention to preparing and cleaning (dust particles) from the surface before application but still much easier than other products I have used. Really superior...hope you find the same results. Cheers, BlueWaterSailor

Worked great on kitchen cabinets. Seems durable.

My rental stairs look like caramel. Love it!

I used a hvlp spray gun fo this product. It worked really well. Watery in the he cup but sprayed out very good. Dries extra fast and clear. I bought the satin. Looked nice when finished.

This product performed beautifully. Two coats and dried within two hours as stated with easy water clean up

Absolutely superior product. Never yellows, goes on smoothly, and provides a durable, long lasting finish. It’s the only poly top coat I’ll use and I refinish a lot of furniture for my small business. Highly recommend for all the qualities above but also the ease of soap and water clean up.

Excellent product, Brush marks layout and you don’t see them after they dry use a fine Scotch-Brite pad between coats And wiped down thoroughly. I don’t recommend more than three.

This poly dries extremely fast which helps keep the project moving

Best product for low price can’t beat that. Used it for kitchen table and 4 chairs

I used two coats over chalk paint and some gold accent paint. If i had done more coats it would have been better for sure. Im ok with my diy finish. It is a shiny durable finish.

I have been working on refinishing a family heirloom 100 year old china hutch. After completely stripping the old finishes (paint, stain and varnish), I applied the Varathane Water Based trio of refinishing products which consisted of water based prestain, water based stain and water based polyurethane. 1qt of the prestain and stain were enough, but I needed an extra quart of the clear satin water based interior polyurethane to finish the project. This is the first time using a water based stain and polyurethane and I am not sure I would use water based stain/polyurethane again. Clean up was easy, but I found the water based polyurethane difficult to work with. The water based polyurethane dried so quickly, it was hard to control brush marks. You have to work fast! I was working in the garage and some days were so warm, the polyurethane dried almost as fast as I brushed it on and brushing over the dried polyurethane caused inconsistencies in the finish that needed sanding and never gave me a professional result. The label clearly states temperature ranges, but I applied while definitely too warm. The polyurethane lifted some of the stain and mixed with the polyurethane causing it not to dry clear, but with milky spots. I had to make sure to clean up any areas that had milky residue. Overall the project turned out nicely, but there are certainly many imperfections. If you know what to expect and don't mind a few imperfections, then water based stain and polyurethane are good options for refinishing projects.

I like it, it gives a good high gloss look.

I was a bit worried since it seemed very watery compared to what I was used to but it applied extremely well. It settled out very nicely making any brush stroke pretty much disappear. Other than raised grain I do not think we would have had to do much if any sanding between coats. Very nice product. Great end result for our simple desktop construction.