I have clear coated over overlays and it was durable. That is not the issue. I have no problems getting the clear coat to stick to the overlay. The problem is over time the wood surface loses adhesion with the overlay and it starts to bubble. This happens mainly around post areas. The twisting of the post installation and the ball hitting the posts will cause the glue on the overlay to loose adhesion with the wood surface. It's no different from mylar and the bubbling issues that can happen.