Epoxy glaze is cracking after 3 months of use

Question

My husband made a beautiful kitchen table out of a barn door. He sealed all the cracks, and then we put 3 coats of the epoxy on it. Just recently, we noticed a few spots on the table top are starting to crack open. Does anyone know why? And how to fix it?

Stephanie DuWig · Answer

try oiling the cracks for 3 treatments. Than go over with epoxy. It is very old and dry wood. may involve more treatments with oil before the epoxy finish!

Ramona V · Answer

I see yours is outside. I had similar issues (mostly hazing and yellowing) with using epoxy to cover a mosaic table for weather proofing. there is an exterior products better suited for exterior use.

Jean Myles · Answer

Is your table outside? If so did you use exterior Epoxy? Cracking could be from too much temperature change. As for fixing the cracks I would get in touch with the manufacture of the product. That way you will get all the info on possible reasons for the cracking and how best to fix the cracking Good Luck

April Pearson · Answer

We made it in a heated workshop and then brought it in. So it's never been in the outdoors

Hope Williams · Answer

Hi April.  Being an old wood, you will never know what has been applied to the wood long before you got it.  With that said, it looks moldy/mildewy underneath the epoxy.  If the growth was not completely stopped before application, it will cause cracking.  Was it left damp?  Did you get and and all chemicals off prior.  I would recommend calling the 800 number on the box of epoxy.  Be 100% upfront with as much info as possible.  I believe this is your best bet to salvage your beautiful table.  Best of luck to you.

Special Effects Decorating · Answer

The wood is obviously old but will still continue to expand and shrink, especially in a heated environment and changes in temperature or changes in seasons. Do you have a wood stove in your home or a wood fireplace?

Co · Answer

Was the door completly stable before epoxy? It looks pretty old beforehand. The epoxy will strengthen it yes but did it flow into all the cracks? And was it dirt free? If not completely stable small movements can cause new cracks..

Sheri L. Putnam-Cline · Answer

Wood acclimation is “the process of adjusting (conditioning) the moisture content of wood to the environment in which it is expected to perform”.

Cindi · Answer

I had a friend years ago that owned a bar with a central bar with items donated by his customers, tickets, postcards, bottlecaps, foreign money ( it was a bar located right outside an Air Force base). It was highly epoxied, thick to cover everything, and he told me that it would get scratched up over time and he just put more epoxy over it to make it look new again. I have a rocker that someone epoxied, and it's starting to have some fine cracks, so I plan to try that some day, if it gets worse. Not sure what product he used, it was many years ago, but it seems like it would work to fill in the cracks and scratches and bring back the shine. It's worth a try.

Rus1058682 · Answer

Have never seen a barn door made with tongue and groove, but it sounds like the framing underneath is allowing flex...

Rus1058682 · Answer

I would put a border underneath, such as 1x3, and stain it accordingly.. Hope that helps... R

Rus1058682 · Answer

And picture A. and picture B. don't like the same table, unless it was cut down to about 40'..

Nur3199750 · Answer

Wood expands and contracts with the seasons (dry or humid). Most epoxies are not flexible. 
 You should be able to fill cracks with same product ,then sand with finer and finer sand 
 paper up to 1400 or even 2000 grit . Buff with buffing compound a little if necessary.Sealing the bottom and edges of the table will help in slowing the expansion and contraction.

Epoxy glaze is cracking after 3 months of use

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Epoxy glaze is cracking after 3 months of use

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