Spring 2007 Newsletter - What makes a wood sealer?
Happy New Year, readers! Though it seems a little preliminary to introduce the Spring Newsletter, the temperature this weekend is forecast to be 67 degrees on Saturday. I'm beginning to think we won't even see a winter here in the northeast. The warm weather and sunshine bring thoughts about spring maintenance. I want to try and dispel some of the myths about wood stains/sealers.
How Do I Know Which Stain/Sealer Is Best? (For a quick lesson in types of sealers and application questions, check out the archived Spring 2006 issue of this newsletter)
The key to sealer longevity once you get beyond good prep is the quality of the raw materials in the product. Unfortunately, with ever restricting VOC standards, many "once were" outstanding sealers have been reformulated into inferior products. The reason is, these products were not designed with VOC compliance as a design variable and most manufacturers have had to retro-develop (yes, I made that phrase up) their formulas. The problem is, being VOC compliant is expensive. Mineral spirits (a VOC) are relatively cheap. Replacing those spirits with quality oils and alternate carriers while not raising your price at shelf significantly is a very difficult balancing act. In my opinion, most of the larger manufacturers have turned out mediocre offerings.
What Are Some Of The Issues With the New Generation Products?
Shortcomings I have seen in commercially available coatings include excessive color shift, sealers with rapid sloping failure (once it begins to go, it goes quickly), less than adequate mold resistance and recoating issues. Without getting too technical as to why these occur, the majority of it is rooted in having to reformulate. The VOC (volatile organic compound) levels standards around the country are tightening. A company such as Cabot's, Wolman's or Flood (CWF) has to fight a battle. Instead of having the liberty of starting from scratch they have to use their existing branding and make their offerings compliant while keeping the product compatible with their older formulas. I do not envy them, as this is a very difficult task. Couple the fact that corporate profit margins as well as end user price are prevalent design factors, is the best one can hope for a mediocre sealer..something with no field longevity testing? From this author’s perspective and field experience, it appears so.
I get asked often which is the best product to use on exterior wood. There really is no 'one-product-fits-all'. Factors such as species, age of the wood and exposure have to be taken into consideration. A fence sealer will not need nearly the durability as a sealer applied to the floorboards on a deck. It is for this reason we are offering three stain / sealer lines that will give a person the best possible solution for their application.
Paraffinic Oil Based
This type of oil can be best characterized as a conditioner. It is non-drying which simply means it never cures. This type of product is very easy to apply and maintain. It requires a minimum of two coats to look good and last. Maintenance is a very simple wash and reapplication. No stripping necessary unless changing color dramatically. The cons of this type of product are that it may not hold up quite as well as other true sealers (the curing variety) and although rare, some people have had problems with it leaching onto wet feet and tracking onto a carpet. Every time it rains, it can be subject to minor degradation so in very wet climates more frequent maintenance is necessary. Since it is so easy to apply, recoating is recommended every 1-2 years. Multiple coats give more protection. The finish is semi transparent meaning you can see the grain.
Alkyds/Curing Oils
The most prevalent kind of oil based product. Alkyds are man made and are a class of polyester coatings derived from the reaction of an alcohol and an acid. You may also hear the term resin used when referring to alkyds. The products usually have a mineral added to promote curing. This type of sealer (depending upon the quality of materials in it) can last the longest and provide the best protection from the elements without resorting to a solid stain. The finish will not have the deep penetrating capabilities of a paraffinic, but it will also not leach out. It is considered a semi-transparent finish (you can see the beauty of the wood under it. It will repel water longer and hold up to foot traffic longer. It is a bit more difficult to apply, as drips left under a railing will show up when the floor is coated. Maintenance is also a bit more involved as you have to make sure the surface is "open" to accepting new sealer. The way you test for this is to place some water droplets onto a surface and se it the water absorbs into the wood. You could also use Step-1 of the Restore-A-Deck system to remove the top layer of the sealer and allow for instant recoat. If proper prep is performed and a high quality product is utilized, you should be fine recoating every two years.
You can get longer life from an alkyd-based product by applying a 'wet-on-wet' second coat (meaning you seal a portion of the wood and ten minutes later you apply a second coat). Most alkyds will protect your deck adequately with one coat.
Note: There are proponents of using an alkyd/drying oil such as TWP wet-on-dry. That is applying a coat of sealer, allowing it to cure and then applying another coat several days later. I believe that is a poor practice as it may appear more rich and give you a sheen, you are setting yourself up for coatings failure and a very difficult stripping job.
How About Sealing Hardwoods Such As My Ipe Deck?
None of the conventional wisdoms apply with ipe. It is very difficult to keep a finish on. Our Hardwood Wiping Stain is going to be the product with which I think most people are going to have success. We have combined very expensive resins, double the industry standard levels of pigmentation, double the industry standards of mildewcide, and an efficiently drying oil as well as non drying oil to come up with a product that we have thus far tested for 18 months. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag just yet but come March 1st, 2007 you will begin to hear the buzz.
Also look for our new premium quality non-hardwood sealer, which will be hitting the market at the same time. We are streamlining the website with calculators and web assistants to guide you through making a purchase. We are also introducing Restore-A-Crete concrete restoration system, concrete sealers, and Restore-A-Wash a DIY house washing kit to make your siding look good and leave your windows sparkling.
Thank you for a great year, 2007 is going to be fantastic.
