SEPT 2018 : 2+ years later and this dining table still looks perfect. This table had a coat of poly that was supposedly matte but ended up with a sheen. I added a couple coats of Dead Flat to remove the sheen (which it did!) and - 2 years later - zero damage, scratches, or water penetration! Let me be clear: we eat at this table at least twice/day, glasses of ice water are left to sweat on it, etc. We do not baby it, but it looks like we do. We also used this product on raw wood shelving to keep it looking like raw wood, while still being protected from water. Again, perfect condition 2 years later! Highly recommend!JULY 2016 : FINALLY...A TRUE, DEAD FLAT MATTE FINISH! Seriously people, you wouldn't think it would be that hard to find a true matte finish...yet it is. AND...this leaves no paint brush streaks, unlike polyurethane. I did a test strip on a scrap piece of wood that I had tried another "matte" finish poly (that, of course, ended up being shiny). I painted this Dead Flat on top of the poly coat and - wow! - it's dead flat. Water doesn't have a chance of penetrating now that I have both poly + this varnish on top.