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Newsletters>
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. DECK CLEANERS | DECK CLEANING MOLD INFO | RESTORE-A-DECK DIRECTIONS | DIY DECK FORUM | FAQ | NEWSLETTER | ORDER RESTORE-A-DECK | DECK TOOLS | CLEANING CONTRACTORS | BAKERS GRAY AWAY | Contact US
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