A year-long furlough from maintenance coats and touch ups can be just enough to push your unprotected varnish over the edge into failure territory, bringing yet another unexpected project this season. Some varnishes are easier to remove than others. The two-part urethanes are notoriously tenacious.

Takedown methods for varnish include sanding (for removing thinner coatings), dry scraping, or heating and scraping (best for thicker finishes), and chemical stripping. Heat guns and strippers should be used with caution around painted and fiberglass surfaces; rinse the stripper thoroughly from the wood as any residue will cause adhesion problems.

For varnish alternatives: Sand with 80 grit and move up to 220, clean, and re-coat. Industry tests have shown that adhering to a tighter scale of increasing grit gets the job done quicker; a 80-120- 150-200 step down is more productive than going directly from 100 to 220. Although you may be tempted to use courser grit, you run the risk of shaving away precious teak.