Behr Spar Varnish?

[CarlZog]

I've read Jay Greer raving about this stuff in some past threads but I can't seem to find it online anywhere.

Does anybody know, have they stopped making this? Or perhaps just changed the name?

Carl

[Dan McCosh]

I've read Jay Greer raving about this stuff in some past threads but I can't seem to find it online anywhere.

Does anybody know, have they stopped making this? Or perhaps just changed the name?

Carl

They seem to sell it in Canadian Home Depot stores, but not in the US.

[Yeadon]

TrueTone Spar Varnish. It's the exact same stuff as Behr Spar Varnish, just packaged under a different name.

You can buy it online from McClendon's Hardware. Here (http://www.mclendons.com/item.asp?sku=134761&from=search).

[Dan McCosh]

TrueTone Spar Varnish. It's the exact same stuff as Behr Spar Varnish, just packaged under a different name.

You can buy it online from McClendon's Hardware. Here (http://www.mclendons.com/item.asp?sku=134761&from=search).

If it is the same stuff, why does a different company manufacture it?

[Yeadon]

A very brief internet search revealed ...

Masco Corp. (http://www.masco.com/our_companies/index.html#anchor-m) owns Behr (http://www.masco.com/our_companies/behr.html), who packaged the stuff for Home Depot.
Masco Corp. (http://www.masco.com/our_companies/index.html#anchor-m) owns MasterChem (http://www.masco.com/our_companies/masterchem.html), which owns TrueTone (http://truetone.masterchem.com/tt/actnMainHome.do).

I doubt the parent company cares what label is slapped on the stuff, as long as people buy it.

[Dan McCosh]

A very brief internet search revealed ...

Masco Corp. (http://www.masco.com/our_companies/index.html#anchor-m) owns Behr (http://www.masco.com/our_companies/behr.html), who packaged the stuff for Home Depot.
Masco Corp. (http://www.masco.com/our_companies/index.html#anchor-m) owns MasterChem (http://www.masco.com/our_companies/masterchem.html), which owns TrueTone (http://truetone.masterchem.com/tt/actnMainHome.do).




I doubt the parent company cares what label is slapped on the stuff, as long as people buy it.



It's not the ownership. Behr is a paint manufacturer, as is Masterchem. They both make paint, but are not the same company.

[Yeadon]

Okay.

[pcford]

I've read Jay Greer raving about this stuff in some past threads but I can't seem to find it online anywhere.

Does anybody know, have they stopped making this? Or perhaps just changed the name?

Carl

I respect Mr. Greer's work, but have you heard one other person "raving" about this stuff.

The Behr varnish episodes are one of the strangest on this forum. And that's saying something.

[CarlZog]

I respect Mr. Greer's work, but have you heard one other person "raving" about this stuff.

No, but considering it's only $10 a quart, one respectable person is enough to make it worth giving the stuff a try!

Carl

[Dan McCosh]

Given we use about two gallons of varnish annually, the price does seem attractive. In the past, when I've used low-cost varnish, it was low in solids, hence needed more coats. I was using it to build and ended with a couple of coats of more conventional varnish. The Behr product seems interesting. Generally, the markup for "marine" is a bit much for enamels and such, but different formulations do perform differently.

[StevenBauer]

I like it. :) But I've only been using it for a year or so. I have two gallons in my shop that I got from the Behr 800 number.


Steven

[Lew Barrett]

Why didn't you use Behr again, Rick?

[Rob Stokes, N. Vancouver]

I used the stuff on my screen door (over red cedar) a few years ago and it's held up amazingly well - far better than I'd hoped.

Rob

[Jay Greer]

We were putting on the last coat of "Behr" on our own boat "Bright Star" last week and another pro-painter stopped in and asked about the varnish we were using. We told him of how economical, long lasting and easy to apply Behr is and offered to give him some to try out. He refused, saying that he was happy with Captain's Varnish. I am always amazed when a slam dunk good thing is offered and gets rejected.
Jay

[RichardH]

I just got back to Reno from the Bay area where my boat is. (Phillip Rhodes Windwward 33). Been varnishing most of the day. I bought the Behr on Jay's recomendation because I couldn't beat the price. It cost me about $17 a gallon. I had to order a case of 4 gallons. My son is hauling out his boat in two weeks. 28' gaff sloop with a bright hull. It's going in my back yard for a year while we reframe and redeck and everything else we find. Anyway, He handed me $70 to order another case. I'm sure there are varnishes just as good, yet I cut about a hundred bucks a gallon off the cost. I like the flow and I don't fight the bubbles. It also evens out well. Oh! One other bonus. I bring home all of the removable parts to varnish at home in a spare room. My wife and daughters don't raise a stink about the smell like they did with the other brands.

[Benoit Girard]

Well, Jay you got another follower. I also bought Behr Super Spar Varnish at Home Depot Canada. Surprisingly much more expensive here as I paid 33$ a gallon!

I will start varnishing in two weeks. Anybody knows what to use to thin it? There is nothing about that on the can and the girl at Home Depot had no idea what to do with it...

[Mrleft8]

I use turpentine (not paint thinner) to thin my varnish. (Benjamin Moore 440 spar varnish)

[FSS172]

I will start varnishing in two weeks. Anybody knows what to use to thin it? There is nothing about that on the can and the girl at Home Depot had no idea what to do with it...Try it unthinned first. It flows, levels, and maintains a wet edge much better right out of the can than the varnishes I've used before... I've found no need to thin it so far.

[Iolaire]

Can I put Behr varnish on over my existing epifanes or do I need to take my existing varnish down to wood?

[Lew Barrett]

Compatible, I'm sure.

[Jay Greer]

The only time I thin Behr is for the first coat on bare wood.
Jay

[Jay Greer]

Can I put Behr varnish on over my existing epifanes or do I need to take my existing varnish down to wood?
Stephen, your private message came through with a corrupted return address.
I have no problem with applying Behr over other varnishes, providing the surface is in good shape. A thinner wipe down to remove oil and dirt from air pollution and a good sanding with 120 is all that is necessary.
Jay

[Iolaire]

Thanks Jay, will let you know how it goes.

[Iolaire]

Yesterday (the first in about 3 weeks to be able to do any paint or varnish) we used the Behr (full strength) after prep as described. The amazing thing is the ability to hold a wet edge and be able to "go back into it" if needed for those heavy spots that you know are going to sag or run. Also on the transom with an external hung rudder it was always difficult to get behind the rudder because by the time you finished one side and went to the other the Epiphanes always left a dry built-up edge. Seemed to really "shine" but will let you know later, after several more coats, how it is holding up. Also, it started raining about 6 hours after the varnish went on and will have to see if we got any blush. But for now, given the price, the ease of use and the look of the finished product it seems to be our varnish of choice.

[soba]

Yesterday a guy showed up in my shop wearing a Behr shirt. We yakked a bit and I found out he was the guy in charge of product training for the Western Canada region. I brought up this thread.

He said the Behr varnish product is an old formula, unchanged for more than 60 years!! I gotta take that with a grain of salt, though. Even unchanged for 40 years would be ok with me!!

He also said some of the materials used in the varnish were coming down in price...it should get cheaper soon. Unbelievable.

I'm going to try it on my Albacore next month. I have always used Z-Spar or Epifanes...should be interesting...!

[redbopeep]

With lots of varnishing to do this spring and summer, we had my brother in Las Vegas order two cases (8 gallons) from his local Home Depot (it was right under $200 total, would have been cheaper but they charged shipping in addition to the per can price...) and we picked it up two weeks ago (5 hour drive $100 gas, but we visited with my brother, so, hey...) The San Diego HD couldn't get it (not allowed to ship it to CA, argh!)

We've been putting it on deckhatch frames and the scuttle that haven't been re-installed on the boat yet. So far, so good. Easy to apply, the bubbles fade away. Not a finicky finish at all. Didn't thin it (went over CPES..that will probably get a few comments here...). Only notable thing is that I've got 7 coats on right now and it looks more like 4 or so. I "hot-coated" 3 coats one day; lightly sanded and hot-coated 3 more coats the next day. Warm dry days. Coat number 7 yesterday am, but it was overcast so I stopped; its raining today.

Looks good. And, very, very, very EASY to work with. This is a no-brainer varnish--both cheap AND easy to use. If it lasts as long on my boat as Jay has had it last, I'm just going to be totally in awe of this as a simple solution for my brightwork.

As an aside, I guess its still sold in Canada, but when I was trying to order it here in the USA, I was told there were 48 cans (not cases) left in the Behr distribution center (and that was from the guy who works for the company and was trying to figure out how to get the product to me (in California).

And, finally, about thinner--while one can use gum turpentine, I though one was supposed to use either mineral spirits (slow drying, and may change clarity a bit) or naptha (fast drying and crystal clear). You can get a good handle on thinners at Jamestown's site (see here) (http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/siteMap.do?action=map2&catId=38)

Take care, all :)

[Jay Greer]

I am happy to see that some of you are trying Behr and having positive results! As I have mentioned before, I have absolutely no financial or commercial connection with the makers of Behr Spar Varnish except that I have been using it for nearly fifty years and swear by it. The only thing I am interested in doing is taking a bit of the hassel out, for others, when it comes to dealing with bright work.
Jay