WyomingWoodCare.com Answers To Your Questions

Who is giving the answers to these frequently asked questions and why should I believe them?
What is the most important part of getting a lasting exterior finish?
What is the best way to treat exterior wood and logs?
Aren't waterborne products a better choice than solvent-borne?
What about using boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits---inexpensive and proven?
How long will this finish last? (A frequent question when considering what to use.)

Question 1: Who is giving the answers to these frequently asked questions and why should I believe them?

Read Wyoming Wood Care, Inc.---Who is That? (the clickable text on our home page) for a complete answer. The short answer is that we are a full-service wood restoration and protection business, operating in the Rocky Mountain Region of the country, where climatic conditions (particularly high UV due to altitude and extreme daily temperature fluctuations) are about the most severe test of exterior finishes of any place in the country.

We specialize in restorations--removing failed finishes--and restoring abused wood and logs to near new condition. Consequently, our answers are based from in-the-field experience gained in a very severe environment.

Over the years, we have stripped hundreds of thousands of square feet of failed finishes, from all kinds of surfaces -- logs, siding, decks etc. Some finishes come off easily, some finishes are very difficult to remove. The consistent finding has been that the advertising claims used by coatings companies to increase their market share, do not seem to accurately describe finish performance.

We will be happy to share what we have learned over the years with you, so that you do not have to learn the hard way!

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Question 2. What is the most important part of getting a lasting exterior finish?

Several factors combine to determine how well an exterior finish protects the wood or logs and how long it lasts:

Proper surface preparation is critical. Wood should be free of dirt, moisture, failed previous finishes, stains and deteriorated wood fibers. On new wood or logs, the surfaces should be clean and dry and the question of mill glaze addressed.
Proper selection of quality products. Attention must be given to where the product is to be used and what the exposure will be. Choose the right product specifically for its qualities, where and how it will be used and what end "look" you are seeking.
Proper application. Read and follow label directions carefully. Ask the opinion of experienced applicators if in doubt. Don't shortcut directions. Saving a small amount of time by not following directions thoroughly will usually cost you time and money in the long run.
Exposure of the surface to elements. Sun (UV), humidity, moisture, wind, blowing debris (sand/dirt) and temperature fluctuations all conspire to ruin your finish and wood.
Maintenance activities. Taking good care of your wood involves more than "slapping" or "spraying" on a finish and waiting until it looks bad to begin thinking about doing something more.

To get maximum performance and cost benefit from your efforts at protecting wood, there are no shortcuts.

From our experience, the most common mistake people make is being "penny wise and pound foolish." This applies to all five factors noted above. Cutting corners on any one of the five will not pay long term benefits on exterior wood and logs.

It is very much like the old commercial of pay now or later. Perhaps this strict approach can be modified slightly for interior work. Due to dramatically reduced exposure factors, the results of "cutting corners" may not be as severe on interiors as they are on exteriors.

One conclusion that can be drawn from this is that it is better to try to save money on an interior finish than to save money on exterior finishes. You may realize a real savings by cutting costs on interior finish, but that will virtually never be true for exterior finishes, except in very unusual circumstances. Please understand this is a "relative" issue. It is not a good idea to cut corners on the price of any finish--interior or exterior.

The truth is: "You get what you pay for" and "The 'price' of materials is the smallest factor in the cost of maintaining exterior wood and logs."

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Question 3: What is the best way to treat exterior wood and logs?

The way to solve the long term maintenance problem with wood and logs is to rehydrate the wood with natural oils and resins to protect the wood from the inside out. The Norwegians have used this method with their "stavechurches" which are still standing and in use after a millennium--clear testimony to the wisdom and effectiveness of this approach.

Any surface coating or product build-up should be avoided as this will ultimately fail--come loose from the surface. The failed surface coating must then be extensively prepped and removed in order to insure that maintenance coats will adhere properly and not just sit on top of a finish which is in the process of coming off.

The ease of maintaining a beautiful, natural finish over time is also dependent upon the amount of pigment in the product. The more you attempt to change the natural color of wood or logs, the more difficult the future maintenance will be if you desire to maintain a natural appearance. Generally, it only takes a very few coats over a short time to result in a very opaque or "painted" appearance.

Differential fading presents a problem with high pigment levels, i.e., up above the shadow line under eaves and on unexposed sides. Where the sun hits a finish with excessive pigment, the oils and resins in the wood dry, and the pigment loses adhesion to the surface. This requires additional prep work to achieve satisfactory results with maintenance coats.

On the issue of pigmentation, we diverge from most of what is written on the topic. The consensus in the media and the industry is that higher amounts of pigment are necessary to protect from the sun's power - even in retail products advertised as UV protectors.

Industry opinion is that a "clear look" product with good UV protection is not available. This has been true, and still is for the mass-marketed retail products.

However, we have the confidence of proven results in the severe UV climate of the Rocky Mountains, that Renegade exterior wood finish provides a solution - clear look, long term UV protection, easy maintenance with NO sanding, scraping, or day prep before recoating.

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Question 4: Aren't waterborne products a better choice than solvent-borne?

We have seen no real world evidence that the technology is present in the mass market coatings industry to provide satisfactory long term results with waterborne exterior finishes. Advertising copy should be taken for what it is. From our experience in removing failed waterborne finishes, they do not protect and perform like a quality solvent-born product. Note the word quality.

There are solvent-borne products which are very low in solids, even less than ten percent. In general they will not outperform waterborne finishes. Even at the twenty-five percent solids level, which is very common, oil based, solvent-borne finishes only protect wood and logs about one year in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Without trying to cause hard feelings, our opinion is that there are many reasons for so many companies bringing out waterborne exterior finishes. To my knowledge, better performance was not the main impetus. Reasons (justifications) for waterborne exterior finishes include: being seen as "green," meeting consumer desire for something "easier to apply" or "safer" or "environmentally green."

Proposed VOC regulations have played a part, particularly in the lower price, lower solids content end of the available products. Considering the consumer and regulatory climate, and keeping a sharp eye on profits seem to have been larger forces behind the move to waterborne exterior products than improved performance. Of course, others are free to disagree, after all this site is a forum. But what we have seen where the rubber meets the road, we would not recommend using waterborne finishes at this time.

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Question 5: What about using boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits--inexpensive and proven?

Boiled linseed oil, even thinned with spirits, will not fully penetrate into the wood or logs. Generally, glaze or buildup occurs that weathers unevenly. It also darkens over time and crystallizes where exposed to the sun. Linseed oil is a food for spora (mildew) and hence encourages mildew growth (the black appearance typical on linseed treated wood, particularly on areas with little sun exposure).

Since linseed oil provides virtually no (zero?) UV protection, the sun will literally shine right through a coat(s) of linseed oil and dry out the wood fibers under the coating, resulting in deteriorating wood fibers and the loss of summer grain. While linseed oil in a refined form is fine as an ingredient in finishes, it is a very poor choice as a stand alone application. In addition, multiple, piled up coats of linseed oil are extremely difficult to remove.

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Question 6: How long will this finish last? (A frequent question when considering what to use.)

When considering how to maintain your exterior wood logs, it is a challenge to get beyond the slick advertising hype and get to the bottom line. One major issue is, "How long will it last?" When evaluating different products, it is critical to know their definition of "last."

Many people ask, "How long will this last?" The answer, of course, depends upon several factors: 1) the condition of the wood, e.g. how dry and weathered it is or how new; 2) how the surface is prepared for finishing; 3) how the product is applied (It should be brushed or rolled in to assure maximum penetration. If it is sprayed, it needs to be back-rolled or back-brushed. NO product should just be sprayed); 4) the UV protection quality and solids content of the product; 5) the exposure of the finished surface, particularly sun exposure.

The important issue is what does LAST mean? Conventional wisdom is that a finish has LASTED if the cosmetic appearance is acceptable. However, when we use the word LAST, we mean how long the wood was protected. After about a year, wood treated with ordinary retail products with around twenty-five percent solids will be getting dried out. Due to the low solids content of most products, the wood does not retain enough resins and oils to bind wood fibers together.

As wood dries out from the sun and elements, the wood fibers separate and come apart and the excessive amount of pigment used for sun protection in most products begins to come off. You can check this on your home by rubbing across the grain with the heel of your hand. Typically, pigment and wood fibers come off, indicating the wood is not being protected. Folks who believe that their finish has lasted six or seven years will be surprised if they apply this test!

You need to monitor closely the surface of exterior wood and logs and do regular maintenance when needed--before wood fibers begin to separate. DO NOT use cosmetic appearance, i.e. how your wood looks from a distance, as a guide to deciding when to apply maintenance coats. By the time the surfaces look so bad that homeowners decide it is time to act, it is usually too late. Consequently, the wood gets worse and worse over the years.

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