How to protect kids' outdoor climbing frames?

[Shandelle]

Hi I’m looking for some advice on how to protect my kids climbing frames. They’ve been recently purchased and need to be protected for outdoor use, preferably a clear sealant to maintain their current look. They’re the “Kinderfeet” brand and made of birch plywood and beechwood.

Link: https://www.kinderfeets.com/product/kinderfeets-pikler-triple-climber-triangle-large

They’ve been finished with a water based varnish but are not recommended to be kept outside which I’d like to do. Please could you recommend a product to make this suitable for outdoor use? I’ve had the Gilly’s brand recommended however I’m not sure how waterproof it actually is. Your help would be much appreciated! Thank you 😊 

[Jason]

Hi @Shandelle,

A very warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us and I trust you'll get loads of help and inspiration for all your projects from our clever and creative members. Please don't hesitate to post whenever you need ideas or assistance.

Let me tag our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @EricL to share his advice on what product he would use, but in the meantime I would recommend you check out How do you protect outdoor furniture from the elements? as there's loads of great suggestions from members in the article. 

Hope that helps,

Jason

[EricL]

Hello @Shandelle

Allow me to welcome you as well to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about how to protect your children's timber climbing frame.

In order to get the best result, I suggest taking the climber apart so that you can sand the surface thoroughly. There is no need to sand it back to timber, the surface of the wood just needs to be prepared to accept another coat of varnish. You can use a 240grit or a 320grit+ to get a smooth finish on the timber. 

I recommend using Cabot's 1L Gloss Water Based Cabothane Clear Polyurethane Timber Varnish. It is water-based and is designed for outdoor furniture as well.

 If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric