Thinking about keeping a finished epoxy piece outside? Weather conditions can alter the look of your project. Here are some points to know before you decide to keep the piece outdoors.
Sun and UV Exposure
All our woodworking epoxy products (both FlowCast and UVPoxy) cure to a crystal-clear finish when used without pigments. UV exposure will discolor all epoxies over time, making the piece yellow and lose its clear effect. The discoloration will also happen if you pigment your epoxy, although it will be less noticeable with a darker pigmentation. Unfortunately, there is not yet a protective coating in the market to completely prevent this yellowing effect.
Extreme Temperature Fluctuations
Wood and epoxies expand at different rates. After fully curing, EcoPoxy resin on its own should not shrink or expand with subtle temperature changes, however, with extreme temperature fluctuations there is a risk of separations or cracks where the wood and epoxy meet. This could happen with any other substrates that change size due to temperature change.
Recommendations
If you live in a place where the temperature drastically changes, we do not recommend keeping any epoxy project outside; instead, keep it indoors at average room temperature.
If you are going to try an outdoor piece, we suggest using a UV-resistant finish or coating for additional protection i.e., any UV stable polyurethane or finishing oil.
Remember to follow the EcoPoxy instructions about the mixing ratio for your specific product. Failure to follow the mixing ratio could result in premature discoloration of your project.
At EcoPoxy, we have a professional research and development team dedicated to creating new and innovative products. Have an innovative product idea? Or a project tutorial you would love to see? Please reach out to us through email, phone, or our live chat. We use customer feedback as part of our R&D processes and value your opinion!
Email: info@ecopoxy.com
Ph: 1 855 326 7699
Photos by: Saw Live Edge