to seal or not to seal, that is the question

[SaltyTemple]

Hi all,

My hubby and I built a bench, cabinet for our fuge. We stained it over the past couple of days to get it to a nice dark mahogany. Here is the question, do we need to seal it? I'm concerned about moisture in the air influencing the chemicals which went into the wood, but am I just being overprotective? What do you think?

 

[bradreef]

yes very good Idea. at some point you will get condensation and it will rot if you dont seal it.

 

[ronj]

i literally just finished staining my stand an hour or more ago...i am going to seal my stand tomorrow...being around water like that all the time, i just want to be sure..the wood could swell if it gets wet or the finish could be affected.. i would definately seal it!!! i am using a satin finish.. i dopn't want it to be shiny

 

[Brenden]

Def seal. If you do not that nice stain job will be gone in no time. You will also have rot issues mentioned above

 

[burning2nd]

sealing will keep it together longer (i dont mean literaly) but sealing will prolong the life of the wood

 

[Ed Hahn]

Shauna, like someone said above, if you want to keep it, stain it. People sometimes even go the extra route and put a caulk in the corners and use heavy duty paint on the insides to keep wood in good shape. If you want it to last keep it protected my oppinion.

 

[Slickdonkey]

I used Varathane to seal my stand. Be sure to read the fine print, i.e. apply and let dry when the temperature is > 55 degrees or you'll get a mess on your hands.

I've also used teak oil in the past.

 

[Krish]

I 20th it to seal it