Photocurable finishes appear now as very attractive products for industrial wood joinery for reducing volatile organic compounds (VOC). Nevertheless their poor durability is currently reported. In this study, we aimed to enhance stability of advanced formulations based on photoinitiators working under UV-visible light by introducing UV absorbers, the absorption band of which is shifted compared to the band of initiators. We tested the efficiency of these stabilizers for two curable coatings applied onto oak and spruce. Modifications of samples at molecular and macroscopic scales were quantified after an accelerated ageing process by FTIR spectroscopy, measurements of color variations, apparition of cracks. It appears that both UV absorbers tested do not greatly improve the durability of systems and the results obtained allow to better understand the causes of the poor characteristics of the finishing systems. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012