Uv Absorber
Uv Absorber
Uv Absorber
Film-Forming Finishes
PaintsLatex is Best
Paints form a thin layer over the
surface to which theyre applied.
The pigments in the paint protect
the surface completely from the
damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays of
United States
Department of
Agriculture
Forest
Service
Pigmented water-repellent
preservatives
23 years
Forest
Products
Laboratory
612 months
Clear water-repellent
preservatives
12 years
Varnish
23 years
Solid-color stains
37 years
Semitransparent stains
38 years
Paints
710 years
Varnishes
Varnish is another film-forming
finish. However, because varnishes
are clear, they require frequent
maintenance to be attractive.
Sunlight degrades both the varnish
and the wood fibers directly
beneath it. Some varnishes have
chemicals that partially block UV
radiation, but varnishes all soon
begin to crack, peel, and flake,
taking along the fibers of photochemically degraded wood. The
wood needs to be cleaned and
revarnished as soon as this
breakdown occurs. Varnish lasts
only 1 to 2 years on wood exposed
to full sun, but longer on shaded
wood. The life span of varnish can
be extended by first staining the
wood and then applying many
coats of varnish.
Penetrating Finishes
Penetrating finishes absorb into
the wood, saturating the surface
fibers and partially or completely
filling the surface pores. Many
penetrating finishes contain water
repellents, usually in the form of
paraffin wax dissolved in mineral
spirits.
Water repellents are usually clear.
They can be used alone as a
natural penetrating finish or as a
treatment prior to painting. Check
the label of the finish to make sure
that it is paintable.
Many clear penetrating finishes
contain wood preservatives in
addition to water repellents; these
penetrating finishes are much
better for outdoor use. The preservatives control the growth of
mildew and other fungi. Some
preservatives also discourage
insect infestation. This is especially
important in moist, shady locations.
Water-repellent emulsions have
been developed for waterborne
formulations, but these may not
penetrate as well as the formulations made with mineral spirits.
Semitransparent Stains
Oil is Best
Semitransparent stains are penetrating finishes with inorganic
Wood Properties
Since wood properties vary, the
type of wood is an important
consideration in choosing a finish.
Wood that has minimum tendency
to shrink and swell is the best for
painting because theres less
chance that the paint will crack as
the wood shrinks and swells.
Vertical-grained (edge-grained)
wood is subject to about half the
shrinking and swelling of flatgrained lumber (Fig. 1). Wood
density also affects swelling.
Low-density woods are better for
painting than denser species. Lowdensity softwoods like western
redcedar and redwood have
excellent properties for finishing;
pine and fir also retain paint well,
particularly if the wood is free of
knots. As more wood is being cut
from younger trees, more boards
are containing juvenile wood
wood formed during the first few
years of growth. Juvenile wood
shrinks and swells at a very high
rate and requires a penetrating
finish. Like wood with knots,
juvenile wood easily releases
extractives, which bleed through
paint.
Preservatives
Preservative-treated wood such as
wood pressure-treated with
chromated copper arsenate (CCA)
is frequently used for outdoor
porches and decks. After a few
years, some boards may check or
crack as part of the natural
weathering process. Weathering
can be reduced by using a penetrating finish that contains a water
repellent early in the finishing
process. Allowing a deck to
weather for a year opens the
surface pores and permits the
wood to accept more finish, but
this weathering damages the
wood. Research indicates that it is
better to finish a deck as soon as it
is dry (a few weeks after construction) and to refinish it in 2 years.
To paint treated wood, make sure
the wood is clean and dry. Porches
and decks can be painted, but be
prepared for problems like decay,
a slippery surface, cracking,
checking, and flaking. Use a very
good porch and deck enamel for
the two topcoats. Water-repellent
preservatives and semitransparent
penetrating stains must be reapplied more frequently than paint,
but reapplication is easy. Simply
brush a generous amount of finish
onto the wood; after 20 to 40 min,
wipe off any excess finish that
remains on the surface.