Benjamin Moore Stays Clear · Water-based polyurethane
Protects the wood.
Never hides it.
Stays Clear is Benjamin Moore's water-based acrylic polyurethane for interior wood. It dries clear and won't yellow like oil-based polyurethane, and it stands up to scuffs, household cleaners, and water, alcohol and food stains on floors, furniture, trim and cabinets.
1 hrdry to the touch*
3 coatson a floor in one day
$40.93946 mL from
$249+ships free in Canada
*At 25 °C and 50% humidity. Recoat in 2–3 hours. Cool or humid rooms take longer.
Benjamin Moore Stays Clear Water-Based Polyurethane for Interior Wood
Regular price
$40.93 CAD
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Benjamin Moore Stays Clear Water-Based Polyurethane
Stays Clear is Benjamin Moore's water-based acrylic polyurethane for interior wood. It dries clear and doesn't yellow like solvent-based varnishes and polyurethanes, and it resists abrasion, household chemicals, and water, alcohol and food stains. Use it on new or previously painted, stained or varnished interior wood, including floors, or as a clear coat over faux finishes. Choose Flat, Low Lustre or Gloss.
Key Features
- Non-yellowing, so light woods, stains and painted pieces keep their colour.
- Durable against scuffs, household chemicals, and water, alcohol and food stains.
- Fast: dry to the touch in 1 hour, recoat in 2–3 hours, 3 floor coats in a day.
- Seals and finishes raw wood with no separate sealer.
- Soap-and-water clean-up. CDPH emissions certified.
Finishes and Sizes
- Flat (max 5 @ 60°): furniture, panelling, trim and faux finishes. Not for floors.
- Low Lustre (35–45 @ 60°): floors, furniture, cabinets, doors and trim.
- Gloss (75+ @ 60°): floors, tabletops and stair treads.
946 mL and 3.78 L in every finish. Interior use only. For outdoor wood, see Saman Exterior Varnish.
Specs & Coverage
| Type | Water-based acrylic polyurethane, clear |
| Coverage | 350–450 sq ft (32.5–41.8 m²) per 3.78 L |
| Coats | Raw wood: 1 sealer + 1–2 or more finish coats. Floors: 3 or more |
| Dry time (25 °C, 50% RH) | Touch: 1 hour. Recoat: 2–3 hours. Floor traffic: 24 hours |
| Application temperature | 10–32 °C (50–90 °F) |
| VOC | 239–346 g/L depending on finish |
| Application | Synthetic brush, pad, short-nap roller or airless spray (1,500–2,000 PSI, .011–.015 tip) |
| Clean-up | Warm soapy water |
Application Guide
- Prep: clean off wax, grease and dust; scuff glossy finishes with fine sandpaper.
- Raw wood: sand smooth along the grain. The first coat is the sealer.
- Stir, don't thin, then apply thin coats along the grain, keeping a wet edge.
- Sand lightly between coats after 2–3 hours.
- Wait 24 hours before normal floor traffic.
FAQ
1Will it turn yellow?
It's made not to yellow like oil-based polyurethane. Let oil-based stain or paint dry fully before coating it.
2Can I use it on floors?
Yes, in Low Lustre or Gloss, with 3 or more coats. Flat isn't for floors.
3Can I use it outside?
No, it's for interior wood only.
Canada Shipping
- Enjoy free shipping in Canada on orders over $249. Yukon, NWT, Nunavut not included.
Winter Shipping:
- From December to April, shipping outside of Ontario and Quebec is limited.
- Returns accepted within 35 days from the date of delivery.
- Custom tinted paints are classified as Final Sale items and are not eligible for return or store credit.
Why Stays Clear
A clear coat that stays clear.
Oil-based polyurethane ambers over time. That's fine on dark walnut, but it turns maple, white oak, whitewashed pine and painted furniture yellow. Stays Clear keeps the colour you chose.
01
Won't yellow
Made not to yellow like solvent-based varnishes and polyurethanes, so light woods, stains and painted pieces keep their true colour.
02
Made for real life
Resists abrasion, household chemicals, and water, alcohol and food stains. Use it on floors (Low Lustre or Gloss), tables, cabinets, doors and trim.
03
Done in a day
Dry to the touch in an hour and recoat in 2–3 hours, so 3 coats on a floor fit in one day. Soap-and-water clean-up.
For new or previously painted, stained or varnished interior wood, and as a clear protective coat over decorative faux finishes on any surface. Interior use only. Apply between 10 °C and 32 °C.
Pick your finish
Three sheens, one clear finish.
Tap a finish to select it in your order. All three come in 946 mL and 3.78 L.
Using Flat for several coats? Benjamin Moore recommends Gloss for the first coats and Flat for the final coat to keep the finish as clear as possible.
Coverage calculator
How much do I need?
Enter the length and width of your floor, tabletop or project. We'll work out the cans, using 350 sq ft per 3.78 L, the low end of Benjamin Moore's coverage so you don't run short.
ft
ft
Coats
You need
—
Set up for a 14 × 12 ft floor with 3 coats. For a table, measure the top and add the edges and legs. For doors and trim, a 946 mL can usually does a few doors with 2 coats. Raw wood soaks up more on the first coat.
Compare
Stays Clear, Saman or Osmo?
All-round clear coat
Stays Clear
- Best for
- Furniture, cabinets, trim, doors and floors where you want a clear, non-yellowing film.
- What you get
- Benjamin Moore acrylic polyurethane, three sheens, dry in an hour and 3 coats in a day.
- From
Floor specialist
Saman Floor Varnish
- Best for
- Hardwood floor refinishing where floors are the main job.
- What you get
- A water-based floor varnish with aluminum oxide for abrasion resistance, in four sheens and an 18.9 L pail.
- From
Natural oiled look
Osmo Polyx-Oil
- Best for
- A natural, oiled look you can touch up without sanding.
- What you get
- A hardwax oil that soaks into the wood instead of forming a film on top.
- From
More options in polyurethanes and varnishes and interior wood finishes.
Specs
The details.
| Type | Water-based acrylic polyurethane, clear |
|---|---|
| Finishes | Flat F425 (max 5 @ 60°), Low Lustre F423 (35–45 @ 60°), Gloss F422 (75+ @ 60°) |
| Coverage | 350–450 sq ft (32.5–41.8 m²) per 3.78 L |
| Coats | Raw wood: 1 sealer + 1–2 or more finish coats. Furniture and trim: 2 or more. Floors: 3 or more |
| Dry time | Touch 1 hour. Recoat 2–3 hours. Floor traffic 24 hours. Washable after 2 weeks |
| Apply at | 10–32 °C (50–90 °F), air and surface |
| VOC | Flat 269 g/L, Low Lustre 239 g/L, Gloss 346 g/L |
| Apply with | Synthetic brush, pad, short-nap roller or airless spray (1,500–2,000 PSI, .011–.015 tip) |
| Thinning | Do not thin |
| Clean-up | Warm soapy water. Mineral spirits rinse for spray equipment |
| Certified | CDPH v1 emissions certified, LEED v4 and CHPS eligible, MPI #121 (Low Lustre) and #130 (Gloss) |
Dry times at 25 °C and 50% humidity. Protect from freezing.
How to apply
Get a smooth, clear finish.
- Clean and prep. Remove wax, grease and dust. Strip peeling finishes with a varnish remover or sand them off, and scuff glossy finishes with fine sandpaper or synthetic steel wool (never steel wool, which rusts in the finish).
- Sand raw wood smooth with fine sandpaper along the grain, and fill holes with wood filler.
- Stir, don't thin. Stir well before and during use so the sheen stays even.
- Apply thin, even coats along the grain with a good synthetic brush, pad or short-nap roller. Keep a wet edge and don't go back over areas that are starting to dry.
- Sand lightly between coats after 2–3 hours (3 on floors), then wipe off the dust. If the paper gums up, wait longer.
- Let it harden. 24 hours before normal floor traffic, extra care with furniture for the first week, and 2 weeks before washing.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Will Stays Clear turn yellow?
It's made not to yellow like solvent-based varnishes and oil-based polyurethanes, so light woods, whitewashed finishes and paint stay true. One note from Benjamin Moore: any clear acrylic applied over fresh oil-based (alkyd) paint or stain can make that coat underneath yellow, so let oil-based coats dry fully first.
Can I use it on hardwood floors?
Yes, in Low Lustre or Gloss (Flat isn't for floors). Apply 3 or more thin coats, wait at least 3 hours between coats and sand lightly in between, so you can do 3 coats in a day. Wait 24 hours before normal foot traffic and take care moving furniture back in the first week. Doing a big floor? Compare it with Saman Floor Varnish.
Which finish should I choose?
Low Lustre is the all-rounder for furniture, trim, doors and floors. Gloss gives the most shine and the clearest look on floors and tabletops. Flat looks like bare wood and suits furniture, panelling and faux finishes, but not floors. Using Flat over several coats? Benjamin Moore recommends Gloss for the first coats and Flat on top for the best clarity.
How many coats, and how much do I need?
A 3.78 L can covers 350–450 sq ft per coat and a 946 mL can roughly a quarter of that. Raw wood takes 1 sealer coat plus 1–2 or more finish coats. Furniture and trim need at least 2 coats, floors 3 or more. Use the calculator above.
Can I put it over stain or paint?
Yes. It goes over new or previously painted, stained or varnished interior wood. The surface must be clean and free of wax, grease and dust, and glossy finishes need a light sanding. Don't apply it over sealers that contain silicone, wax or stearates, and remove old finishes that are peeling or chipping.
Do I need a separate sealer?
No. Stays Clear seals raw wood itself: one coat as the sealer, a light sanding once dry, then your finish coats. Don't thin it, as thinning reduces its sealing ability. On open-grained woods like oak or mahogany that will see spills, fill the grain with a wood grain filler first.
How long before I can use it?
Dry to the touch in 1 hour and ready to recoat in 2–3 hours at 25 °C and 50% humidity. Floors take normal traffic after 24 hours, and the finish can be washed after 2 weeks. Cool or humid rooms take longer.
Can I use it outside?
No, Stays Clear is for interior wood only. For outdoor wood, use Saman Exterior Water-Based Varnish or Old Masters Spar Marine Varnish.
Can I spray it?
Yes. Airless at 1,500–2,000 PSI with a .011–.015 tip, or brush, pad or short-nap roller. Clean up with warm soapy water, then rinse spray equipment with mineral spirits to prevent rust.
Sizes and shipping?
946 mL and 3.78 L in Flat, Low Lustre and Gloss. We ship across Canada, free on most orders over $249, or pick up free in Mississauga.
Ready to protect your wood?
Not sure which finish or how many coats? Ask our team. We've been helping painters and DIYers finish wood since 1997.