i ned to paint some wood for my pond acnopy which would be better to use yacht varnish or emulsion paint please?will be inside so no sunshine on it
cheers

I take it you meen inside the inside the canopy ?

yacht varnish will last you for many years, and can be used inside and out ,where as emulsion paint is made mainly for inside purposes and if its out in the elements it will still get wet with condensation and morning dew so unless protected it will peel and flake off unless protected by a coat or two of VARNISH , which somewhat defeats the object of using emulsion in the first place, so in answer to your question use varnish , PS make sure your pond is well covered if you cant move your canopy for varnishing.

im with grandad ont his varnish everytime

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cheers for that will go with varnish then

you know it makes sense lol.

There are some paint companies out there who claim that their paint/ varnish is "aquatic friendly" I always contact the manufacturer of the paint/ varnish which the customer wishes to use and ask first. The reason being is this-

Some ( and I stress some) paint/ varnish can not any be toxic to aquatic life if dropped/ dripped into a pond whilst wet, but can also be toxic for some time after it is dry. This happens because the rain/ garden sprinklers/ hose pipe soaks the paint and this then drops into the pond taking the toxins with it!!!

Contact the manufacturer of the product you wish to use (their contact details will be on the can) and ask them. If they say it is safe ask for this either in writing, by e-mail (with a name) or by fax. This way your solicitor knows who to sue if things go wrong!!!
Sorry to put such a negative post up but as a professional pond builder I do not want to see the fish suffer and would rather give the correct advice than keep quiet!

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I have used manders boat and yacht varnish on the inside and out side of a tank hood I constructed 20 years ago and have had no ill affects with it whatsoever.

hello sumo since last I wrote I have been on the net and sadly cant find anyone selling manders varnishes any more,so I have been on the ronseal website and asked their technical services department what they have got. they say that their decking stain is completely harmless to fish and does not leach out any thing after it has dried . so as long as you dont allow any to get in your pond while drying, your fine .hope this puts your mind at rest .(ps was going to e mail their reply to you but you do not accept e mails. grandad.aka brian.

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Re: Ronseal Website Enquiry
From: adickinson@ronseal.co.uk on behalf of Enquiry@ronseal.co.uk
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Sent:18 April 2008 12:47:50
To: [email]gran.dad.





Dear Mr Slade, The Decking Stain can be used near a pond but whilst in it's wet state could harm the fish if allowed to enter the water. It would be wise to treat the gazebo away from the pond if possible, if this is not possible please ensure that the pond is well covered. Once the product has dried nothing will leach out. Kind Regards Andrea Ronseal Technical Services enquiry@ronseal.c o.uk To 18/04/2008 10:21 enquiry@ronseal.co.uk cc Subject Ronseal Website Enquiry Questions:I am going to varnish a wooden gazebo which is over my fishpond.are your varnishes safe for my fish because obviously the wood is bound to get wet at sometimeand the drain off could enter the pond

you like the ol paste n copy dont ya grandad

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