Best Household Paints & Stains
Gel Stains are heavy-bodied, and so do not penetrate as deeply into the wood as liquid oilbase stains do.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Saved me thousands of dollars replacing these horrid oak banisters. Put on some latex gloves, then throw a sock over your hand and go to town that way. You'll still need something smaller for hard to reach areas but don't waste your time trying to be fancy. You will want to finish with a poly coat over top to prevent the stain from fading or coming off."
"I treated every coat like it was the top coat, making sure to not leave any blobs or streaks and just let a little bit of color soak in with every coat. I did about 3 coats of the Brown Mahogany first to get that rich red tone, and then used about 2-3 coats of the java on top just to darken it up a bit. 3 coats of Java Gel stain and the Urethane top coat (3 coats) on top."
"I was able to finish the bathroom (3 coats) and put 2 coats on in the kitchen with one gallon. I used a matte finish polyurethane for the kitchen cabinets and a gloss finish for the bathroom cabinets."
"Also, the finish on most of them looked like an amateur was at work (which I am, but I don't want my work to look it). We tried using a rag (a sock, an old t-shirt, stain pads) but none of these worked as well as a good brush. All you need is a can of gel stain (I would up using 1 and 1/2 cans), a brush (I wrapped it in cling wrap and then aluminum foil between applications - wound up using 2 brushes total), a 3M scuff pad (used 4 total - 2 coarse and 2 finish), tack cloth (3 total) and a surface on which to work - I used two saw-horses with 2x4's with heavy ply plastic under the whole thing."
1 Gallon kit covers around 25 sq.f.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This was my first time with Epoxy so I will share my experience to help the next victim :). Crafted 2 end tables and wanted to inlay a picture below the epoxy, Watched several videos and read how to's on it. ( did mine in garage with door open, don't do that). Prep, MUST do a seal coat, I read this and thought ehh, I prepped the wood enough and skiped this. I fought bubbles for about an hour while top layer dried. Loved how they turned out for my first time, If you take one thing away from my review, let it be to pour thin multiple layers!"
"First time user here, I read the instructions and my product came out perfect."
"So far so perfect!"
"I put off buying epoxy after hearing numerous horror stories and seeing some firsthand mess ups (bubbles galore, sticky finishes, etc...)."
"I used a popsicle stick and made sure that I got the bottoms and the sides. - you have a limited window to work with the resin once it's mixed. continue working against that limited window, and a quick flash of the blow torch or heat gun will remove the bubbles. - since I used mine as an art project, I needed to make sure my canvas was elevated (with the help of cups) so the resin dripped off the sides."
"Made a penny toolbox top."
"Delivered on time, looks great on my outdoor bench and chair."
"another successful project completed thanks to East Coast Resin."
For over forty years, Renaissance wax has been the no. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I rubbed sections of both treated areas with a wet paper towel, and the R.Wax seemed a bit more resistant to being dulled by the wet towel. The Renaissance Wax has a distinct chemical odor & should be used in a ventilated space (altho it doesn't say this on the label); the odor dissipates in 10-15 minutes."
"Once I had (very carefully and thoroughly) cleaned the rifle I applied a uniform coat of this micro-crystalline wax polish."
"I have some antique tables of varying finish and age and this wax is like love in a jar for all of them. What is has done for a two hundred year old table that I have taken very good care of, since I acquired it as it cost a small fortune, is mind boggling."
"It WILL perform a fine cleaning action due to the petroleum solvents it contains which keep its ingredients in solution. I usually wipe on a small amount and then wait for it to "harden" and then buff the solid layer away so that a nice finish remains. This protective layer is pretty hard and persistent, I only reapply if they item is used, such as tools or furniture."
"Update: doesn't keep silver from tarnish, but the antique ivory beads are still nice."
"This wax WILL NOT give a surface shine to an object which is not already smooth."
"For my table saw and other cast iron items I'll be using JPW or another cheap, thick wax from now on."
"Also works great at keeping finger prints off my projects."
Best House Paint
POR-15 is a high-tech high performance rust-preventive coating designed for application directly on rusted or seasoned metal surfaces.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"So just be cautious and wear the right equipment, and protect things you don't want coated black cause this stuff can run and drip."
"A bit of information missing in description did not mention it will not hold up to direct sun--not UV protected."
"One quart is more than enough to complete these projects and still have plenty left for touch ups down the road."
"It is UV sensitive so if you wanna paint a part that is exposed to the sun just give it a top coating with another paint."
"Great product."
"Just check out any classic car forum or classic car parts catalog,you'll find it."
"Looks reasonably good rolled on if you go slow and do a few thin coats."
"guaranteed" to stop rust and it didn't I applied it as it stated not even gave it a top coat to protect it from the elements and the rest still broke through the layer on my left quarter panel."
Best Household Paint Solvents
It restores surfaces to the original color for a perfect match every time and the wipe-on application means no messy paint drips, brush marks or overspray. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Looked online before buying and found most complaints about the need to wear gloves and the fact the bottle of material was too small. Keep in mind this product is effectively stripping the top layer of the plastic away via a chemical reaction, so use the gloves."
"It comes with a soaked cloth in a sealed pouch, a tiny bottle of the liquid, and a couple of different applicators. Once it starts drying you can add more of the liquid from the bottle."
"Make sure you put it on evenly and use long swipes and overlap but watch the amount you use."
"It's an 18 year car, and the paint was off in some places, had oxidized, yet this made it almost imperceptible to find the difference."
"Best product ever."
"I used this on my shutters on the house."
"But when I applied it the first time like OMG. it got all of the wax build up I had on my Rhino cover I have for my bed of my pick-up ."
"Tried this product on a combination of plastic ladirondeck lawn chairs, one very faded others mildly faded with oxidation."
Best Primer Paint
The Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Water-Based White Interior/Exterior Primer and Sealer can be used on a variety of surfaces throughout the whole house. The Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Water-Based White Interior/Exterior Primer and Sealer can be used on a variety of surfaces throughout the whole house. Water-based formula sticks to most surfaces without requiring sanding for ease of use; Cleans easily with soap and water.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Instead of cutting in around everything first and rolling later, I painted one 12" tile at a time (cut in around the edges with the brush and rolled the center of the tile)."
"I needed to prime a large bed frame which already had a stain applied to it."
"No sanding needed, used this to prime dining room chairs from the 60s."
"Good coverage, good protection, easy to apply."
"Great primer!"
"Used this on west facing steps that get fried 300 days a year, so they were cracking and peeling badly Two coats of this and they looked great and the finish coat went on like ice cream on a two year old's face--smooth and easy!."
Best Spray Paint
Size: 11 oz. Enter your model number to make sure this fits. Workable fixatif spray protects computer prints, pencil, pastel and chalk drawings.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Works great but smells terrible."
"Great quality even though some of the lids were cracked or damaged but still a great product."
"Does a great great job in protecting my coloring pages but the smell is horrible."
"It covers well, really stops the smears."
"Ok......use this for pastels."
"I got this for school and as fixatives go, this is probably one of the best products available, although I do wish it were more low odor."
"I can work over it, erase it and depend on it."
"I used this to set a pencil and watercolor picture my daughter-in-law painted."
Best Household Varnishes
1 Gallon kit covers around 25 sq.f.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This was my first time with Epoxy so I will share my experience to help the next victim :). Crafted 2 end tables and wanted to inlay a picture below the epoxy, Watched several videos and read how to's on it. ( did mine in garage with door open, don't do that). Prep, MUST do a seal coat, I read this and thought ehh, I prepped the wood enough and skiped this. I fought bubbles for about an hour while top layer dried. Loved how they turned out for my first time, If you take one thing away from my review, let it be to pour thin multiple layers!"
"First time user here, I read the instructions and my product came out perfect."
"I put off buying epoxy after hearing numerous horror stories and seeing some firsthand mess ups (bubbles galore, sticky finishes, etc...)."
"So far so perfect!"
"I always wanted to play with resin and there are a lot of products on the market."
"Good product at a fair price."
"Comes with excellent step by step instructions."
"Works well and looks great on my bar surface."
Best Household Wood Stains
Gel Stains are heavy-bodied, and so do not penetrate as deeply into the wood as liquid oilbase stains do.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Saved me thousands of dollars replacing these horrid oak banisters. Put on some latex gloves, then throw a sock over your hand and go to town that way. You'll still need something smaller for hard to reach areas but don't waste your time trying to be fancy. You will want to finish with a poly coat over top to prevent the stain from fading or coming off."
"I treated every coat like it was the top coat, making sure to not leave any blobs or streaks and just let a little bit of color soak in with every coat. I did about 3 coats of the Brown Mahogany first to get that rich red tone, and then used about 2-3 coats of the java on top just to darken it up a bit. 3 coats of Java Gel stain and the Urethane top coat (3 coats) on top."
"I was able to finish the bathroom (3 coats) and put 2 coats on in the kitchen with one gallon. I used a matte finish polyurethane for the kitchen cabinets and a gloss finish for the bathroom cabinets."
"We tried minwax gel stain initially and we were very unhappy with the results."
Best Decking & Fencing Weatherproofing
3.0 High Performance Window Door Trim and Siding Sealant. Dap 3.0 high performance window door, trim & siding sealant offers superior flexibility and adhesion for a durable, 100% waterproof seal that won't crack or shrink. It is ideal for sealing windows, door frames, corner joints, siding, trim, butt joints, baseboards, molding, pipes, ducts and vents. Dap 3.0 high performance window door, trim & siding sealant offers superior flexibility and adhesion for a durable, 100% waterproof seal that won't crack or shrink.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have tried this stuff and the roof/gutter variant."
"Much easier to use than silicone as it has more body, firmer."
"Previously I used Phenoseal Vinyl Adhesive Caulk but that eventually shrank and cracked after a few years."
"Stuff goes on well."
"Used this to seal up a few small holes outside of my home and it worked perfectly."
"Doing wood siding on the house, needed protection, though not painting its paintable of needed, It's truly clear, and fast setting, Perfect for what I am doing and worth the extra expense."
Best Automotive Touchup Paint
), Finish Polish (.88 oz.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I nervously bought this after no longer being able to find my go-to Turtle Wax scratch removing kit."
"I had many types of scratchs small w just clear coat and deep to the primer, but none are gone not even the smaller ones can still see them pretty easily."
"I was skeptical after having no success with other products but it worked at least as good as advertised."
"Even when it works the scratch is still there - you can see the scratch line in the sun but the white is gone so you don't see it unless you are bending down to look at it. It can take 10 minutes to do a long scratch since you need to work at a right angle and do it in sections."
"Have used in the past."
"Disappointed - Didn't work on a very minor scratch."
"Absolutely did NOT work."
"This may be good for simple scratches only."