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Would you use this poly?

14 years ago

I bought special order return Thermatru finishing kits at Home Depot earlier this year. Thought it was this summer, but it was spring (June was a washout).

Anyway, I should have checked the expiration date sooner, it says "21 20.09" Thermatru told me last week it should be OK since it's still 2009. Called again today and talked to Tech Support instead of Customer Service and they said they can't check the batch/lot number (?) but that it could have expired Feb 1 2009? I don't know why they can't read their own codes. Home Depot won't take it back since it's over 90 days (though I bought it after 2/1/09 so if that's when it expired they were selling it months after expiration date).

Thermatru suggested I test it, so I opened one can and brushed a little on some scrap pine I had - can recoat this evening or tomorrow AM. I can't finish the door for a couple of days anyway, and still have to stain the sidelights so probably won't get to it til Friday or Sat. So I have time to put 2-3 coats on the pine and let it dry, set it outside for a couple of days.

Thermatru can't tell me if the poly will be OK for a couple of years if it goes on OK now. I don't know why they even told me to test it in that case. Do I chance it if the scrap looks OK, and don't have problems putting it on the door? Or am I just asking for trouble (and have to eat $68 worth of stain and topcoat that can't use)? I am *not* going to strip and refinish this door next year!

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