Tech Tip - Varnishing an Outdoor Mural

Question: I just finished an outdoor mural and I want to apply a varnish; the mural is 12’ by 12’. How much varnish will I need?

Answer: The Golden Artist Colors, Inc. suggestions and recommendations for coverage are the result of considering industry standards and our own performance testing of the products and materials being recommended. When figuring varnish or paint for murals we generally suggest 400 sq ft per gallon.

This formula takes into consideration that the paint or top-coat is of a particular consistency - that of house paint and that the application method is brushing.

For our MSA varnish, which is the varnish you would use for an outdoor mural - if you were to choose a product of ours - you would be thinning the product with about 25% full strength mineral spirits, so if you had a quart of vanish, you would really have about a quart and a quarter to actually use. A quart of varnish could cover over 100 square feet after thinned properly. This would be one coat, and we typically recommend at least two coats for an outdoor mural. I imagine you will need about 2 quarts of MSA varnish for your 12'x12' mural.

Here are links to our varnish literature, mural tech sheet, and a mural article:

http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/varnapp1.php
http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/varnapp.php
http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/murals.php
http://www.goldenpaints.com/justpaint/jp10article1.php

Related recommending reading:

http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/fiberglass.php

If you have other questions on outdoor murals, fiberglass sculptures, or any other specific project, please contact GOLDEN Technical Support at:

Technical Support
Golden Artist Colors, Inc.
607-847-6154
800-959-6543
techsupport@goldenpaints.com