Kids' furniture and high-wear finishes

Overview

Children's furniture gets spills, crayons, scrubbing, dropped toys and sometimes teeth. The sources agree on the broad choice. The USDA Wood Handbook says smooth film-forming finishes such as varnish are generally easier to clean than penetrating oils, that thicker films also protect better against scratches and dents, and that thicker, harder films are needed for high-wear uses. Fine Woodworking adds that red wine and ketchup come off a durable film such as varnish or polyurethane far more easily than off bare or oiled wood. This entry is for furniture. For toys and teething items, which have their own rules, see Toy and child-safe finishes.

Pros

• A hard film wipes clean with a damp cloth.
• Water-based polyurethanes are one of the film options below; General Finishes lists its water-based topcoat at under 175 to under 225 g/L VOC depending on sheen (maker figures) (Water-based polyurethane).
• The film is renewable: you scuff it and recoat before it wears through.

Cons

• Films wear away under repeated cleaning and abrasion (Wood Handbook). A film that is worn through is harder to blend than an oil is to renew (Repairing finish damage).
• Bob Flexner notes that thicker coatings protect better but thin ones usually last longer because they crack and craze less, so more coats are not automatically better. General Finishes, a maker, says more than three coats of its topcoat will not improve durability.
• Wax and plain oils are low-durability choices for a surface that will see frequent use; General Finishes calls wax "absolutely not strong enough" for frequently used tables.

Suitability

Desks, play tables, chairs, bed frames, dressers and bookcases. For items a child will put in the mouth, see Food-safe finishes and Toy and child-safe finishes. For tabletops that take daily scrubbing, look at Tabletop finish schedules and Waterborne acrylic and urethane-acrylic topcoats. For pre-finished boards and panels, see Pre-finished and factory finishes.

Coats and application

1. Prepare as for any furniture: Sanding schedule, clean surface, no dust (Dust removal and tack cloths).
2. Apply a hard clear film: Water-based polyurethane, Oil-based polyurethane, Catalyzed polyurethane (2K) or Conversion varnish. The only schedule I opened is General Finishes' for its water-based polyurethane: 2 to 3 coats, about 2 hours or more to recoat, 7 to 10 days to light use and 21 days to cure. Its own test figures for the product (Koenig hardness 59, Taber wear 34.4 mg loss) come from the maker and have no independent check here.
3. Finish every surface, including undersides, so the panel stays flat (Wood moisture and acclimation before finishing).
4. Allow the full cure before heavy use or cleaning. General Finishes gives 21 days for a water-based and 30 days for an oil-based finish before cleaning. Other makers differ; read the can.

Compatibility

A wax topcoat is optional. Fine Woodworking says almost all waxes contain solvents that can damage a film that is not fully cured, and advises waiting about a week for most finishes and at least a month before waxing solvent-based lacquer (Paste wax). Paint on children's furniture must meet the lead ban: 16 CFR 1303 bans paint and similar surface coatings with lead above 0.009 percent by weight, and covers furniture articles such as beds, chairs, tables and dressers. As my own cautious advice rather than a sourced rule, use new paint whose maker states compliance, and avoid reusing old painted wood of unknown history. See Milk paint and Latex and acrylic enamel paint.

Care and repair

Wipe with a damp cloth and mild soap; see Cleaning and care of finished furniture. Use placemats under hot or wet items. Flexner lists scratches, water and heat damage as the main physical abuse of finishes. Fix chips early: Repairing finish damage.

Safety and environment

Do not let a child use a surface before the cure. The Forest Products Laboratory's FinishLine on toys says a drying-oil finish should dry thoroughly for several weeks before use; film finishes also need the maker's cure period. Ventilate while finishing, and keep finishes out of children's reach, as General Finishes' label says (Finishing shop ventilation and PPE). Oily rags self-heat: Oily rag safety. Check each product's label for low-VOC claims; see VOC regulations and low-VOC finishes. This guide is US-only and does not describe CPSC testing or certification for products you sell.

Related

• Toy and child-safe finishes, Food-safe finishes
• Water-based polyurethane, Catalyzed polyurethane (2K), Tabletop finish schedules
• Cleaning and care of finished furniture, Long-term finish ageing and patina
• Hard maple