Lacquer and Shellac around water

[Walt_S]

I don't use either of these often as a final finish, but do use shellac as a sealer, so I don't worry about this much. Do both of these turn white when they get wet? I have something I finished with lacquer and wondering if I need to put a clear coat over it in case it gets splashed occasionaly. It will probably be sitting near a kitchen sink so there's the possibility.

[willnewton]

Not going to instantly whiten, but if you leave something on it for long enough, it can. Occasional splashing is not going to hurt anything, but sustained moisture can cause issues.

Shellac will not hold up as well to sustained moisture, but again, occasional splashing, etc. should not be a problem.

You say "near" the sink, not "in" the sink, so you should be fine.

[Burkhardt]

That may depend on the quality of the lacquer. I finished some bathroom furniture with simple spray can lacquer and that turned white and chipped within weeks, just because of the condensation in the humid environment. I sanded that down and refinished with Epifanes Rapidclear which is holding up well for several years now. But I would guess a quality catalyzed lacquer would work as well?

[Walt_S]

Thanks for the replies. I had used Deft spray can lacquer. I may sand it down and use something else or put some spar urethane over it. But it's cherry and the spar has UV blockers in it and I want the cherry to darken. It was more of an experiment to see what the lacquer would look like on the cherry. Have to think about some more now.