250 Products
When layering, General Finishes says to let oil-based products dry 72+ hours before a water-based topcoat and let water-based products dry 24+ hours before an oil-based coat. Above 75% humidity, water-based finishes can blush; GF suggests its Accelerator plus extra air movement. Never pair a water-based topcoat with linseed or Danish oil systems.
| Type | Lines in this collection | Brand pages |
|---|---|---|
| Water-based poly and clear coats | GF High Performance, Flat Out, Enduro Clear and White Poly; Varathane Ultimate Water-Based Poly, Triple Thick, Soft Touch; Minwax Polycrylic; Old Masters Armor and Water-Based Clear; ZAR Exterior Water-Based HP | General Finishes, Varathane, Minwax |
| Spray-grade and 2K | GF Enduro 2K Poly, Pre-Cat Lacquer, Conversion Varnish, Enduro Extender; Minwax and Watco aerosol lacquer | General Finishes, Watco |
| Oil-based poly and gel | Minwax Fast-Drying Poly, Super Fast-Drying Poly for Floors, Wipe-On Poly; Varathane and ZAR interior oil poly and ZAR OMU; Old Masters oil and gel poly; GF Arm-R-Seal and Gel Topcoat | Old Masters, ZAR |
| Exterior, spar, and marine | GF Exterior 450; Varathane Outdoor Water-Based and oil-based spar urethane; Minwax Helmsman Spar spray; Old Masters Spar-Marine; McCloskey Man O'War; ZAR Exterior UV Poly | McCloskey, Varathane |
| Sealers and shellac | Zinsser Bulls Eye shellac and SealCoat; ProLuxe and Gemini lacquer sanding sealers; Old Masters sanding sealer; GF Seal-A-Cell | Zinsser, ProLuxe |
| Oils, waxes, and specialty | Watco Danish and teak oil; Old Masters and Minwax tung oil; Daly's SeaFin and Messmer's teak oil; Howard butcher block products; GF Wood Bowl and Wood Turner's finish; paste waxes; EnviroTex Lite pour-on; Flood Penetrol | Watco, Howard, EnviroTex |
A few prep products also live here: wood conditioners (Varathane, Old Masters, GF), GF Water Based Dye Stain, CitriStrip stripping gel, B-I-N primer, and Okon W-2 masonry sealer.
| Spec | General Finishes High Performance (GF data) |
|---|---|
| Type | Water-based acrylic/urethane blend; dries clear, non-ambering; interior only |
| Sheens | Dead Flat (<5), Flat (10 or less), Satin (25–35), Semi-Gloss (50–60), Gloss (80+) |
| Coverage | Up to 600 sq ft per gallon (TDS); about 125–150 per quart |
| Coats | 3–4 total coats recommended (TDS); no sealer required |
| Dry time | Touch 30 min; recoat 2 hr at 70°F / 50% humidity; full cure 21 days |
| VOC | Flat–Gloss under 173 g/L (Dec 2021 TDS); Dead Flat under 225 g/L (GF spec sheet) |
Shop related: wood finishing oils and paste wax, spray polyurethane and clear spray finishes, polyurethane for wood, shellac and SealCoat, GF High Performance, wood stains and gel stains, cabinet refinishing, and the furniture refinishing cart.
General Finishes calls High Performance its best choice for high-use areas such as tabletops and kitchen cabinets. It brushes, rolls, or sprays and dries clear.
GF lists High Performance as water white in the can and non-ambering. Oil-based topcoats such as Arm-R-Seal and Gel Topcoat amber as they age.
Yes, once it is fully dry. General Finishes says let oil-based products dry 72+ hours before a water-based topcoat, and not to use water-based products with linseed or Danish oil.
General Finishes warns against any clear topcoat over white or light paint because it can yellow. Use a white poly or a self-sealing paint instead.
High Performance is interior only. For outdoor wood, look at GF Exterior 450, spar urethanes, or marine spar varnish.
Use this collection to choose the core product, then add the prep, applicators, cleanup, and finish supplies from Weekend Project Carts. For a common starting point, open the Paint Cabinets Project Cart, or read the Project Guides.