Cabot's Stain And Varnish Water Based

Extremly Poor Quality Product – Extremely difficult to mix thoroughly due to solidified gunk stain ( walnut ) which had settled in the bottom of the can. Took me 45 mins to stir a 1 litre can I applied it to new tassie oak timber I bought for shelving. Had sanded with 180 grit to fine finish and vacuumed all dust etc. Shelves are only 300mm wide but is not possible to maintain… Read more

a wet edge as product dries so quickly even though working in well ventilated shaded area on 25 degree day. Resulted in a very patchy look after one coat - will have to sand heavily in dark splotchy areas in an attempt to obtain some uniformity of colour before the next coat BUT will probably take the product back to Bunnings rather than apply a second coat as so unsatisfactory. DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT

Bad product – My can was full of gunk and sediment when the Shop person mixed it with stick- being my about 7th can of product I thought that not right- it went on purple dull greyish with sediment which wood not mix in. Dreadful product this Waterbase- don’t use it cos thick an all wrong. Show details

Do not use this terrible product – I prepared a light coloured timber floor exactly to the directions - sanded to bare timber to a 120 grit finish, applied one coat of CFP floor as a sealer and then lightly sanded with 240 grit. I applied one coat of this with an 8mm nap roller and it looked terrible. It was impossible to stop roller marks forming and every movement of the roller… Read more

was visible. I have done a lot of staining/painting etc and this is the worst product I have ever used. I don't see how you could ever stain a floor with this and get a good result. Do NOT use this !

A1 Results - Golden Elm – I highly recommend this product, I’ve got a maple veneer door that was lacquered and had an injury that needed some Stain/Varnish, it was the best stain I ever used for touch up purposes, no patches no problems, I stirred it just like tech support said I called tech support and read instruction prior to use, A1 finish for touch up work. It was water based stain and varnish I used for the project.  Show details ·  1

Great stuff! – Just had the window frames done by a Professional and the finish is sensational! Absolutely no complaints - preparation is everything ... quick drying and water clean up ... get back to you in 30 years when the frames need doing again ... Show details ·  1

Great product. Requires care though – Paint drying times and application were as per the can. While it can be time-saving, you have to follow the tin directions and be patient. If you rush it you'll wreck it. I learnt that the hard way. I had a bit of an issue with brush strokes initially. I worked out I had been applying it too thick, a cheap brush didn't help. Switched to a roller… Read more

for my next attempt and much happier with the result. Sanding with 240 grit between coats has left me with a glass-like finish. If you exceed the three-coat system it literally looks like there is a pane of glass covering the surface. Bear in mind this is polyurethane so feels plasticky compared to more traditional finishes, particularly if applied thick. For best results, allow time for it to fully cure then sand between coats.

Horrible – Agree with Paul B. Even with a good brush and lots of care it is unbelievably streaky. An even colour is one of the only things that matters with a stain and this product fails. More coats just makes it darker but still uneven. Buy a separate stain and a clear finish. The 2 in 1 product is hopeless. Show details

Horrible product, needs to be pulled off the shelf and reformulated! – I purchased the cabots stain & varnish in colour ‘hickory’ to restore some pine dressers. After spending a good 20 minutes stirring the gunk from the bottom of the tin, I applied with a brush/wipe technique as per the instructions. However, the formula left the timber looking mouldy, rotten and totally uneven! Timber was evenly sanded & wiped… Read more

before application. I ended up restarting because I thought i might have done something wrong, but same result second time! Hoping to get a refund as this is ridiculous.

Beware this product ruined my timber floor! – Brand new timber floor. Bought Cabots water stain. Like previous reviewer says d it goes on unevenly. The floor is now a series of blotchy patches looks absolutely crap. Person who applied it has been using stains for 40 years never seen a product that was so rubbish. I would never ever use again! We can’t sand it off so I’m not sure what to do now except put carpet over it :) Show details

Extremely disappointed - would never use again or recommend this product – I had a brand new door, side panel both with 'heavy' timber mouldings and door frame fitted and I chose this product because I have been using Cabots stains etc for over 40 years and always been more than happy. I searched TouTube for videos for both how to 'paint' a paneled door and how to apply this product and found a few which I watched and… Read more

took note of iformation which would help me before starting the job.

I gave the entire surfaces a light sanding using 180 grit paper before the the first coat and also a light sanding using 240 grit paper after the first coat.

Firstly I found this product extremely difficult to apply evenly resulting in some areas being darker than others and although it states to use LIBERALLY on the label it resulted I had difficulty preventing runs even using a lightly loaded Shur-Line (brand) synthetic brush. It also dried VERY quickly especially on the first coat which made blending from the new area being painted to the previously painted area almost impossible unless working extremely fast even though I limited each new area to probably by panel. I have now applied THREE coats (as per the label) and it still looks 'blotchy' but as it is semi-transparent I don't think a fourth coat will fix that.

I spent nearly $3000 for the door and side panel and fitting and I am very unhappy with how it looks.

As mentioned above I have been using Cabot's products for over 40 years but I don't know if I would ever use them again. I have never had such problems using stains, varnishes or paint either oil or water based in the past.

Maybe if the product was applied with a spray gun it might work better but using a brush was virtually a disaster.

I would never recommend this product.

Cabots did see my review and contacted me and asked for more information and photos to be sent which I did. I was then contacted and advised that my 'case' would be passed onto other people at Cabot's It is now over 2 weeks since that was advised to me. Surely 2 weeks is long enough to wait so I have given up on them. Maybe after viewing my photos which didn't show the problem as clearly as with the 'eye' as often photos don't they considered that the uneven darkness/lightness (blotchy appearance) was within acceptable (to them) standards.

Awful finish , very disappointing – I used this product 5+ years ago to recoat doors and windowframes on our 100 year old home. Previous products unknown. On this occasion the results were outstanding. Currently am recoating the rimu kitchen cabinets. What a mess. I have sanded until old product was removed x 2. Changed the brush.Stired the tin everytime I remove the lid, so its… Read more

well mixed .Stripes is all I get. This doesn't seem to be the same product that I have previously used, although it is in the same can, same finish. I have now applied it to unfinished shelf and it seems to draw out something in the natural timber. Timber is not tanalised . It went on well, then it went stupid. I'm unimpressed. Wont use this again. This is my 4th, 1 litre can. I'm very disappointed, it's not like I don't know what I'm doing or am a newbie at this.

Disappointing outcome – I used this product on my coffee table, the reason why i chose stain and varnish is that it is easy to apply and quick to dry as i was advised at bunnings however it took me almost 2 weeks to finish my project cause i had sand it and paint it twice here is a list of pros and cons Pros -Easy to apply -Quick dry Cons -Patchy finish -Brush strokes… Read more

-You have to apply many coats to get a darker look minimum 7 coates. - You loose the natural grain or look of the real wood. - easy to get scratches.

Not recommended at all.

Undesirable outcome – Should have not trusted the in-store sample, as per other reviews came out mission brown, destroyed my brand new front door. Cedar does in fact look like brown paint not the rich red display sample of stain. Have no idea what to do now unfixable. Show details

Terrible finish – Wish I had read reviews before buying and using this product. It does not enhance the timber and looks as other reviewers have stated like mission brown. Absolute rubbish, but the old stain then varnish products not easily available very disappointed and won't trust Cabots again. Show details

Horrible finish – My son has spent weeks sanding and fixing my dining room chairs and applied 2 coats of this today and its absolutely awful. It looks like a bad coat of mission brown paint and y ou can't see the wood grain at all. I'll never use this again. All I can think of is rubbing these 2 chairs back AGAIN and getting oil based varnish. I've restored lots… Read more

of my furniture over 25 yrs and never had a problem until today! I followed all the instructions and won't use water based again.

Very very disappointing result from this product – Cabot’s waterbased stain and varnish. The coats dry extremely quickly, so much so that the brush strokes remain. After literally weeks of stripping and sanding 2 chairs, I have just applied one coat of this product to one chair and am shattered. It is a dreadful product. I’m an experienced painter and have never encountered such a poor finish.… Read more

The beautiful chairs look like they have a ‘fake wood’ finish. I dont have a clue how to rectify this. Any suggestions?

Don’t use this if you want to see the grain of the timber – I’ve successfully used stain and varnish several times previously. I should have read other people’s reviews first on this product. Hours of sanding back a bed frame to raw timber, getting a beautiful finish with sanding and noticing how lovely the grain was. Then followed the directions for stain and varnish, sanding in between each of the 3… Read more

coats, I now have a bed frame that is chocolate brown, not the “Brazilian Roast” it was supposed to be. Oh and I can no longer see any of the beautiful grain in the timber. This stuff is more like paint. “Not Happy Jan”

Absolutely rubbish – Used this to stain our new pine $500 fish tank cabinet. Followed directions to a T. Just looks like a redish "mission brown" paint. Cant see any of the timber grain at all. Its just like paint. So extremely dissappointed that we ruined a brand new piece of furniture that was meant to be a center piece for our lounge.  Show details

Terrible product, stick with oil based for floors – I have renovated 2 homes. First home I used oil based 20 years later the floors are still glossy and hard wearing. My new property I was encouraged by Bunnings sales person to go water based. Well 8 years later I am stripping back all the floors due to stain lifting and damage to surface (the stain has lifted). Colour Old Baltic Pine Satin. Yes I… Read more

sanded the floors down properly - they were unstained when I bought the house. I then applied 4 coats of stain and 3 coats of clear over the top. Had a pristine finish. Did everything right even sanded between coats. The floor colour has lifted and worn badly especially in traffic areas and is peeling near the edges. A terrible stain I will never use a water base again EVER. Oh and less than a week ago a Bunnings person told me I could use a water based colour stain and put an oil based clear coat over the top. Clearly an uninformed IDIOT.

Satisfactory results if prepared and applied like it should be – I'm a professional painter decorator and have found this product a real time saver. Can be multi coated in a days work, water wash up, and looks good IF, the surface is sanded and clean, and applied with the grain keeping a wet edge, no dry overlap. A lot of negative reviews are from DIY that blame the product for poor workmanship. It's like giving a novice a hammer, and they blame it for not being able to build a house.  Show details

Not the best finish unless – I got this product in a shop tinted 1 litre can, the timber is pine and was fully prepped final sanding with 220 grit damped cloth wiped to remove any final dust and allowed to dry for 3 hrs, (all coats with brush)1st coat I found it hard to match strokes as the dipped brush content appeared a bit thin in viscosity, but went on ok, able to see the… Read more

grain once the 1st coat cured, as I started to apply the 2nd coat, I noticed that I lost the grain of the timber, once started I had to complete the whole coverage, I left this to cure overnight. On inspection next morning, I realised that I wasn't getting the grain back, and because the wooden item was to get a lot of use in its life, I was prepared to apply a 3rd coat, well, that was a bigger mistake, as it is darker and also now looks like I have coated it in plastic paint, doesn't even look like a wood item anymore, even though it is now a week later, I believe the durability should last as this finish is rock hard, and rubbed back lightly with 0000 steel wool, and polish is applied, it is such a smooth finish but very disappointed in not being able to tell that it is made with a nice grained pine of which I spent so many hours making my item to near perfection. In conclusion, I will Not buy this one can finish again, I am a believer in Cabots, but not this product. The worst of all this is that I have to now try to match this color the two step way, the old way for the rest of the items. Not impressed.

Rain affected 2 days later blotchy appearance – Used product on colonial windows. Initially satisfied with result. But after 2 warm, dry days of completing job it rained leaving exposed ledges with pale blotches/patches. Very disappointed. Need explanation and solution. Product recommended to me by local reputable paint shop. Seeking advice from manufacturer and retailer in order to decide whether to strip all windows and use a different product.  Show details

DO NOT USE! Completely destroyed our new $830 door! – I never bother to write reviews on products but this warrants a WARNING so other customers do not have the same disaster I have had! In 10 years of renovating houses I have never been more upset and angered than when I used this product. After working hard all weekend making a new door frame and sidelight from scratch and hanging a beautiful… Read more

1200mm wide door I went to Bunnings in the search of the perfect stain and varnish. This product was recommended as the door is not exposed to any sunlight or any elements and matched our request for the merbau colour.

I followed all the directions on the can and applied the two coats adhering to all re-coat times. The result? An extremely dark blotchy mess which looks like a 2yo painted it with instant coffee / tar. Not only has this product destroyed an expensive door but it has wasted two hard days of work the tools. Having pride in my workmanship and the way in which my home is presented means there is no way that I can leave the door like this.

My only solution is to buy all the wood, new door and start again from scratch.

I just wish I had read the online reviews of this product before purchasing it on the weekend. So many disgruntled customers who have wasted thousands of dollars on timber only to be destroyed by your product.

Never again will I use or recommend Cabbots.

Fantastic product!!! – Huge fan of the Cabots water based stain and varnish in Walnut Satin. I have used this product on many different types/colours of furniture and love the easy way it applies and stains. Easy application and clean up. I love the dark, rich colour. I have tried other brands and this one is easily better. I definitely prefer the factory tinted product… Read more ·  1

compared to getting it tinted in store. I feel there is a difference with the way it applies. It's also good to know if there are any issues the Cabots team are swift to reply and super helpful!! Love it

Impressive product – The stain was very easily applied and provided excellent finish.have used other products previously,never again,this was far superior. My wife was extremely pleased with the much improved deck,Australian not New Zealand pronunciation,which is a great benefit for any husband,after all reward is all we ask. I'm a Cabot's man from hereon in.  Show details ·  3

Do not buy! Ochre looks like orange paint! – We are so disappointed.....my new $6,000.00 deck looks like a large pumpkin now. This looks like paint not stain! Go with another brand! I hate my deck now! Everytime I look at my deck...I just cringe. Please note this has nothing to do with the store that I purchased it from ...this is all about the product. Stay away from Cabot's stains.  Show details

Interior water based stain too opaque, no grain showed through and looked crap, just like mission brown paint – Like Mark I also found the in-house stain very opague and quite disappointing. I used Crabwood and it just looks like brown paint, coffee table now looks like it's painted and disappointing there is no grain after so much sanding. Wouldn't recommend, pick another brand if you want colour choice.  Show details

Our new door is looking good! – We bought a brand new door from Bunnings - St Clair Woodcraft with frosted glass panels. We have always painted our door but thought this time try stain and varnish. After reading all available products from Cabot's and others, oil vs water and stain and varnish separate. I decided that this Cabot's product (Cabot's Exterior Stain and Varnish -… Read more ·  1

Water based Green label) is easier to handle and if it stated what it does as a 2 in 1 product (stain and varnish) in one step, I will be happy. I don't really want to spend 2 weeks to paint a door with oil paint!

OK. As the door is new so we lay it flat on a couple of saw horses and this is important as if you need to paint in situ, you may find the paint quite thin and not only will it drip everywhere, you will find it hard to control the extra settlement of paint on low spots as it dries.

You will need to get your technique right to achieve the glossy finish. Not enough paint and it will come out semi gloss. Brush over when paint started to dry, you will get semi gloss. So the right technique is to ensure you use enough paint and finish a section off at a time. Look at your finish before moving on to ensure it is glossy all over, the gloss level won't change when it dries!.

We went with the Maple colour and the finished product appeared much darker than the sample displayed in Bunnings. We are not unhappy with the result just glad we haven't gone for a darker shade like Teak.

I will have to wait and see how well it wears. As it is installed in a position that wont get too much direct sunlight. I am hoping I don't need to recoat every 2 years!

Disaster - Patchy - Streaky & unworkable – Dressed pine (standard from Bunnings 19x42) prep as can spec'ed 180G sandpaper - Stain & Varnish repelled of the Pine as if it was Silicone - Cabot's should find a place for this product in a war zone - not for us DIY'ers - can't work it - Disaster - help  Show details

Shop-tinted Interior Stain and Varnish is unfit for use – I purchased a shop-tinted 4 litre tin of water-based Interior Stain and Varnish from Bunnings. The colour is completely different to the 250ml tin of factory-tinted product I used to decide on the colour. Worse still, the shop-tinted product is 80% opaque with only 1 coat and with 2 coats it simply looks like cheap paint. There is no warning in… Read more

Cabot's brochure that shop-tinted product is no longer a translucent stain. Cabot's nonchalant response was that the product is to "industry standards".

I now have to sand back my window frames to bare timber and this time I'll be using an oil-based product from an alternative major manufacturer. I caution all prospective customers (a) DO NOT shop-tint Cabot's products (even though the retailer will be willing to do this) and (b) taking all the bad feedback about Cabot's water-based product line into account, I recommend sticking to oil-based. For me personally, I've wasted a lot of time and money on this little episode and I'll be boycotting all Cabot's products in the future.