General Finishes EF High Performance Polyurethane Top Coat

This is one of the hardest, most durable consumer polyurethane top coats on the market today. It is non-yellowing and offers easy water clean-up. It contains all the consumer-friendly characteristics of PolyAcrylic Blend. In addition, it contains a UV Stabilizer to protect it from breaking down in sunlight and to protect the underlying stains from fading. With its pure polyurethane durability, it's a great choice for hardwood floors.

Details: Dry Time: normally 2-4 hours under ideal conditions (70°, 70% humidity). Cooler temperatures and higher humidity will prolong drying time up to 8-10 hours. Clean up with warm, soapy water Coverage: 75 sq. ft./pint; 150 sq. ft./quart; 600 sq. ft./gallon. Thinning: If necessary, thin with 10-20% water. Direction for use: Oil based stains must be completely dry before using a water based top coat. Wait a minimum of 48 hours before applying GF High Performance. Use a foam brush or paint pad applicator. Apply liberally using smooth, even strokes going with the grain. Use enough material to provide a wet film. Sand between coats using 320 or 400 grit sandpaper. Remove dust before recoating. A minimum of 3 coats is recommended. Additional coats may be applied to increase durability and depth.

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GF High Performance Polyurethane Top Coat Datasheet MSDS: EF High Performance Polyurethane Top Coat

Customer Reviews and Photos for: General Finishes EF High Performance Polyurethane Top Coat Average Rating: 3.9 (19 customer reviews) Add your review...

1) Submitted by KB, from Warner Robins, GA on 4/28/2011 Customer Rating: Easy to apply, dries quickly, and appears to be a hard finish.

2) Submitted by Len Anderson, from Barnegat light, N.J. on 4/16/2011 Customer Rating: As a hobby I build small tables and on occassion refinish other pieces. This product is, bar none the finest and easiest to use on the market as long you follow the directions.I found that the temp at 60 and out of direct sun also laying it on heavy with a foam brush it will lay down great. If you want, after about5 days rub it out. Again follow what tell you. It gets very hard and is worth every extra dollar you pay. Also the people at the company are very helpfull.

3) Submitted by Woody Hitchcock, from Clifton, VA on 12/27/2010 Customer Rating: One of the best clear finishes I've come across. Doesn't fish-eye where another high end poly does and sprays on nicely with less tendency to sag even at 10% thinning. It dries fast so I can easily spray 5 coats in a day, and it rubs out beautifully.

4) Submitted by BJ, from Harvard, MA on 10/1/2010 Customer Rating: This is THE BEST Urethane on the market for furniture, and cabinets. What I really like about it is that it is easy to brush on, leaves NO brush marks and you can sand it and get a nice white powder after a n hour or so of drying time. I just completed a large kitchen project in red birch, and I can rub out a piano finish in no time at all. This is a wonderful product, and the boys that make this in Wisconsin are also great on the phone to talk to. Can’t say enough good things about this product that was rated as the best brushable urethane by FWW.

5) Submitted by Ken Plante, from Castro Valley , CA on 4/29/2010 Customer Rating: Excellent product that produces beautiful results. Goes on smooth and easy, dries fast and the clean up is as easy as it can be.

6) Submitted by Richard Benzel, from Hagerstown, MD on 7/26/2009 Customer Rating: I've been using General Finishes products since the late 80s and was a little skeptical of water based finishes. I had tried other products with so so results. But this product works great. I just finished spraying three large glue-lam beams 5" x 15" x 30'...used GF pre-stain conditioner, GF oil based stain, and the HP top coat, and the results were great!!!!

7) Submitted by Diane Jacobs-Malina, from Omaha, NE on 1/13/2009 Customer Rating: I am making individual bread or sandwich boards. It is January in Nebraska, and I am working in an enclosed space. There are no fumes; the sponge brush is cleaned with soap and water; quick drying; excellent results. I used 0000 steel wool in between each of the three coats. The final board surface feels like satin and looks outstanding. Sandwich Boards (click to see full-size picture in new window)

8) Submitted by Derek S., from San Diego, CA on 2/27/2008 Customer Rating: By far, the best topcoat I've used. Yes, it does take 4-5 coats, but it's really top quality. It DOES dry fast, so work quickly and make sure you do not leave any bubbles. I don't have the equipment to spray, so that might work even better. As the one negative reviewer said, it doesn't self-level very well. So do apply it carefully, but quickly. I use a green brillo-pad type device to LIGHTLY sand between coats to help smooth out the finish. People comment on how professional the results look, and Cherry grain looks amazing with the Warm Cherry stain GF offers.

9) Submitted by John Hulburt, from Charlottesville, VA on 10/21/2007 Customer Rating: General Finishes are the best water-based products on the market today and this is their best product.

10) Submitted by Bob Hathaway, from Depoe Bay, OR on 2/12/2007 I have been using this product for several years and find it to be superior to every other topcoat I have ever used. It does exceptionaly well over a base coat of shellac to pop the grain patterns. Although it does well when brushed it is at its best when sprayed.

11) Submitted by Steve Barham, from Louisburg, NC on 11/3/2006 This is the best water based top coat I've ever used. It is truly a clear finish.

12) Submitted by Ken Lucy, from Jackson, MO on 3/21/2006 I've been using this water-based poly topcoat on all my projects for several months. Durability and color transparency are keys for me and this is the best product I've used. Three coats makes it superb, but five coats makes it furniture quality.

13) Submitted by George H. Sutherland, from Paradise Valley, AZ on 10/25/2007 Customer Rating: Not only do I agree with the other reviews about what a great product this is, but it pops the grain like an oil based finish usually does, without adding a yellow color I don't want on light maple. I tried using shellac as a wash coat under it on half each of some samples, but I couldn't tell the difference after adding the GF High Performance. I found its effect on the appearance of the grain amazing.

14) Submitted by J Whit, from Chino, CA on 2/12/2011 Customer Rating: Pro: Dries very hard and clear, easy clean up. Flows on well. Needs at least 3 coats. Nice finish. Con: Lifted General Finishes water based stain from wood surface leaving bare and unrepairable spots even though I let the stain dry 48 hrs and used a foam brush with only one or two strokes to apply first coat. If brush gets a little dry, or you use more than 1 or 2 strokes the minimal friction apparently softens the "stain" and lifts it off. Take a lot of gentle application care on the first coat!! Hard to beat traditional oil stains with a lacquer top coat!!

15) Submitted by Andy G, from San Diego, CA on 6/2/2008 Customer Rating: I have sprayed, brushed, foam brushed and wiped many types of finishes over the years and by far, this is the most difficult product that I have had the displeasure of working with because of its overly rapid drying properties. It's also quite expensive. I am in the process of finishing a large built-in entertainment center. I have a high quality HVLP conversion gun with appropriate (based on product specs) set-up. I used a significant amount of product on waste stock trying to 'dial-in' gun & finish..un-thinned initially and then thinned to recommendation. I completed spraying on 1/3 of my project before the gun clogged. I took gun apart, cleaned and tried again...it work for a few minutes then clogged again. I cleaned and used the gun on another project later that day w/lacquer and it worked perfectly...so it wasn't the gun. I attempted to apply with a foam brush at that point. Again, because of its rapid drying nature, it was very difficult to lay down a nice, smooth finish on the large, flat surfaces I was working with. I then tried a finishing pad from Rockler. This seemed to work well because of the quick application but on further expamination, the fibers from the pad came out onto the finish. I ended up have to sand and pick them out between the 1st and 2nd coat. I am sure that this product, once it's down on your material, provides a nice finish, but it's certainly not worth the hassle. In my experience, there are many other quality products on the market that are much easier to apply and provide durable, high quality result. I only have 2 coats down and will be changing to a different material to salvage & finish this project off. This product was used in ideal (68 to 70 degree conditions). I can only imagine how poor the application process would be in warmer/hot conditions. I would definitely not endorse this product to anyone that's looking for an easy product to work with.

16) Submitted by Jerry, from Fenton, MO on 12/22/2009 Customer Rating: The best top coat I've used. Spray applied using HVLP over water based dye and GF gel stain. I also added General Finished crosslinker additive to the top coat for added durability on a set of bookshelves.

17) Submitted by Sean, from Windham, NH on 3/6/2011 Customer Rating: Unimpressed! This is by far the most difficult product I have ever worked with, it dries too fast to be able to get a great finish, it doesn't self level at all, and the worst part was that it almost acted like a stripper when applied over a stained surface. Everywhere the brush touched it pulled up the stain from below. I have had to sand to bare wood and start from scratch. I was working at 68 degrees as reccomended and prepped the wood exactly as instructed by general finishes. Maybe this product works better sprayed on but I'm a big fan of rubbed finishes, so spraying is out of the question. It may be the hardest product out there but at twice the cost of the other leading brands and as some others have posted 5, 6, even 7 coats or more...it's not worth the money.

18) Submitted by Bill Meyer, from Bainbridge Island, WA on 5/15/2011 Customer Rating: I am very disappointed in this product. It may very well work on other surfaces, but on what my project required it was pitiful. My project, being a secretary writing desk, was built of cherry with a boiled linseed oil finish that was allowed to dry for 3 weeks or more. The GF finish went on smooth and level but as it dried it lifted sections of the cherry at random leaving dry whitish wood in its path! The only consolation here is that the primary finish was BLO and can be repaired easier than oil stain. I would not recommend this product with anything that has been stained beforehand. Editor's note: Presence of the whitish areas are a result of the presence of moisture and most often an indication that underlying stain is not sufficiently dried/cured.

19) Submitted by Greg Smith, from Corning, NY on 11/28/2007 Customer Rating: I have to go against the trend here on this product, maybe I got a bad batch or something. However, I find it incredibly hard to work with and the finish is far less than I expected. It dries within seconds ! So you get one chance to brush it on then any imperfections are left in the finish. It does not self level hardly at all so all brush marks are left in the finish, even bubbles dry frozen in the finish. I ordered gloss, and is looks like semi-gloss. I have thinned it now down 20% and while improving it slightly it still has all the same problems. Yes it is very hard, and clear, but I am up to seven coats and still trying to get a glossy finish free of imperfections ! At the same time I have another project in parallel using my old trusty Minwax poly and after three coats is shines like the sun and no problems. Sorry for the bad review but I want to save anyone who tries this from my headaches. I tried to contact General Finishes but to no avail.