6 Wood Finishing Myths You Should Stop Believing

Time and material cost spent in a woodworking project have the ability to turn the final finishing stage into a stressed situation. There are range of ideas you can click when concerned about finishing. Take a look at the usual wood finishing myths along with the actual concepts. Do read it, as you may come across some really useful details about wood finishing products.

1. Myth:Finishing on both sides of wood prevents or decreases warping.
   Fact: Finishing only slows but doesn’t reduce or prevent warping that results from wood shrinking. This is because moisture vapor goes through the finish and leads to warping up to an extent. Warping that’s caused by compression shrinkage on areas open to wetting & drying are not hindered.

2. Myth: For better results, sand to #440 or finer grit.
   Fact: Wood sanded to #440-grit has high gloss as compared to wood sanded to #180-grit, as #440-grit polishes more than #180-grit. However, no major difference is seen after application of any film finish. How about trying it and seeing how many hours you save.

3. Myth:Slow brushing leads to best results.
   Fact: Slow performance isn’t appreciated anywhere. Hence, brushing needs to be done rapidly. Make sure maintaining the control.

4. Myth:Brush should be applied across the grain first and then with the grain.
   Fact: You can opt for slow-curing finishes, like varnishes. Though you may get a coat that’s little more even in thickness but it won’t be visible.

5. Myth:The longer deck stain colors are left on the wood, the deeper they soak in the wood and the darker the wood turns.
   Fact: Yes, wood turns darker when stain is left for longer but the reason is different. Actually, some of the thinner in the stain evaporates, which increases the ratio of colorant to liquid. With high concentrations of colorant, darker colors are produced.

6. Myth:Apply and wipe off stain with the grain.
   Fact: When excess stain is wiped off, direction of stain application doesn’t matter. Also, it doesn’t matter in which direction stain is wiped off. What matters is making final pass with the grain, to ensure that streaks left are not noticeable.

Stop following anything you just hear from someone. Trust the proven results that have been explained to you quite clearly. Good luck!

 

The Role Of Temperature In Staining Outdoor Wood With Perfection

Nobody could ever deny the importance of staining his outdoor wood assets. From decks and patios to benches and railings everything should be treated with superior quality of wood finishing products. It is essential not only for defending them from decay but also they appear as beautiful as new after this.

When homeowners are keen to add to the curb appeal of their property they can select the best from variety of deck stain colors and apply them on the lumber. For staining you can hire professionals or you may keep the job with you if you have got the right tools, enough patience and time and most importantly knowledge of temperature.

Did you read it right? Was it knowledge of temperature? Yes it is all about temperature at the time when you took up the task of staining your external wood. For beginners it can be perfect to plan it on a weekend. After you get up late in the morning, naturally because it is a holiday, you spend some leisure time with your spouse and kids in preparing luxury breakfast. Post breakfast it may again take half an hour to one hour in collecting the things that will assist you in cleaning and staining your deck. Stop if it is already 1 or 2 in the clock. Many of you may ask why?

Well it is important to look for an ideal temperature so as to get the best staining results. For many homeowners it may come as a surprise that they should make use of deck sealer and stain after looking the weather forecast.

Noteworthy Points That Relate Temperature and Staining

1. High temperature may not be conducive for staining schedule as stain may dry too quickly. This will not allow penetration of stain deep into wood and therefore it is important to choose a day when temperature is either less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit or stain early in the morning.
2. A cloudy day is much better choice than a sunny day to stain your outdoor wood, but if rains are predictable refrain yourself from staining. Moisture and rain will not let the stain dry and it might get washed away with a pour.

 

Summer Special Tips For Staining Outdoor Wood

For deck owners summertime is deck time. Modern American homeowners understand the significance of their decks and patios. They are not mere extensions of your living space but they are perfect spots for all family gatherings and BBQs. This is possibly why they buy best of stain colors to beautify the wood decks and keep them in best state.

External wood especially that forms your deck is exposed to lot much of physical abuse. It is undoubtedly the highest traffic area of your house and is not spared from the Sun, wind, snow and much more on any given day.

What Comes Before Beautification of Deck?

Summer season is not difficult for human but for your wood too. While your expectations from your lumber patio and decks are high, they in turn need to be properly maintained and prepared for summer gatherings with the help of best quality of deck stain and sealer. You can do a lot like adding hanging pots to your deck for giving it a cool look. Some home owners prefer to shade it up with big and beautiful umbrellas while others bring some artificial fountains to give it special effects. From seating arrangements to lighting you can make it favorite spot for all because it is suitable to host friends’ reunion or family get together. But in absence of below mentioned small but very important steps it can all prove to be a failure.

Look out for dangerous signs. Your wood is subject to rotting and cupping. These when avoided can bring up the cases of injuries and tripping. Get them mended before you get into cleaning and staining your wood surface.

Ask questions to professionals. They know the best what kind of wood finishing products will suit the local climate. In many areas oil based premium wood deck finish will serve for two years or so.

Get engaged in cleaning. Don’t let the BBQ stains settle on wood surface. Clean the spills immediately as grease is not good for the finish. Make sure you don’t leave the debris over a week.

To help it look young and strong season after season you should do a lot when it comes to care and maintenance of timber deck.

Choose The Right Brush For Wood Finishing

Are you planning to buy wood finishes to improve the life and enhance the beauty of your wooden furniture or deck? If yes, apart from buying the best finish, you need to be careful about few things. What are they? Read further to know it and so much more.

There’s no denying that finishing products are possible to be applied with brushes, clean rags and various other applicators. However, for best results and clear look, use the right brush is the best deal. Want to know what is special about a brush? Check out the below given reasons:

• High-quality brush is able to carry more wood finish
• It gives neat work with negligible runs and dips
• It does not leave bristles in the finish
• It responds very well to cleaning and storage
• It can be reused
• It lasts longer

So, any brush can do all these? Well, the answer is no. You have to be very careful in choosing the right brush. Want to know how to do that? Take a look at the below given characteristics:

• It gives a well-balanced feel
• It has flexible, silky and long bristles of varying lengths
• It has bristles with flagged or split tips
• It is made with a non-corrosive metal or plastic ferrule
• It has tapered and well-secured bristles

By now its clear that you need to be careful regarding the quality of the brush when it comes to get neat and appealing finish. However, you must keep in mind what kind of project you are going to undertake. For example, whether you are working with oil-based finish or water-based.

If working with water-based stains and finishes, use brush with synthetic bristles for water-based stains and finishes. As far as oil-based products are concerned, use good quality natural bristle brush.

With this, it’s a wrap. Get up now and buy the proven and environment friendly wood finishing products. And yes, keep these points in mind for the best brush.

3 Reasons To Buy Superior Wood Finishing Products

While planning and building wood-based structures and flooring, paying attention to wood finishes is as important as paying attention to the design and materials. Finishes come in a wide variety of preparations including liquid, paste or gel and are mostly applied thinly on the wooden surface.

As far as general types of finishes are concerned, they have two general types:

1. That create a thin coating in the wooden surface
2. Mixtures that penetrate in the wooden material

It’s good to know that best products cost a few hundred dollars and may consume time. However, when it comes to preserve or enhance the value of wooden surface, this is a major requisite.

Let’s take a look at three reasons buying quality wood finishing products makes sense.

1. To keep the floor clean: If the wooden flooring is prone to heavy foot traffic as well as plenty of household activities, dirt and grime can easily accumulate and clog the pores. Not only it will give an unattractive appeal but also pose health risks owing to bacteria. With a reliable finish, the porous surface can be sealed, thereby, giving a clean look.
2. To enhance the look: To protect the material’s texture, the coat must be thin, as it gives the natural look. To achieve this, use varnish or lacquer. Talking about changing texture of the wood, fill the pores and apply multiple coating before scraping.
   Not to forget, finishes also add a dash of color in the wooden materials, which is possible through staining.

3. To stabilize wooden material: Always invest in high-quality wood coating and finishes. There are many products that are exclusively designed for various surfaces including decks. They create a protective shield against distortion and cracking. Don’t forget, thicker coat refers to limited moisture exchange.

Adding a finish and coating can be done anytime you are ready. You may find the project expensive and time laborious but it is essential to keep your wooden stuff lively for long. Just like finishes, be careful when working with wood stain colors. Take ample time and buy the best ones.

The Many Benefits of Hiring Deck Staining Professional

Deck owners are so much soaked in the pleasure of having deck that they forget that lot of responsibilities come with this part of ownership. They sometimes think that buying wood finishing products will preserve and protect their wood. Unfortunately it does not happen. Your external wood gets abused and exposed to many harmful elements like harsh Sun, heavy rainfall and much more.

Why to hire professionals?

Deck maintenance is no choice but is obligatory for every wood deck’s long life. By maintaining the wood deck you will not only beautify your wood, but also you will extend the life of your wood.

Deck maintenance requires lot of attention. Your outdoor decks need to host guests and hold family dinners too. Enjoying barbecues in the greatness of the outdoors is out of this world experience. Compromise with the quality and beauty of your deck can be an unsightly sight. Of course quality wood finish paint can help you get rid of temporary stains but for the finest staining results you need to hire the professionals.

They are worth hiring for the experience and exposure they have gained over number of years. They not only get your outdoor wood the best exterior wood finish but also they have the tools and technique to complete the staining project.

Your deck is part of your home and overlooking its health for long will affect your whole house’s appearance. Hiring professionals have some clear benefits such as saving time. You being an inexperienced person cannot do justice to the staining job. It demands high level of knowledge and proficiency to complete the staining project. Moreover it is very difficult to carry out the project with consistency throughout the period. It requires a lot of patience and focus. In the absence of which you will find unevenly stained surfaces with patches.

On the other hand if you hire the professionals to do the job, you will be able to enjoy a weekend with your family.

 

Avoid Deck Finishing Disappointment

Do you want to impress your special guests at home? Deck owners have easy way out for doing this. They can buy some excellent wood finishing products from reputed company and use them to protect and beautify the deck or patio you have in your backyard. Most of the deck owners trust the deck staining professionals to give them exceptional results. But some differ in their perception and try to carry out the project of deck staining on their own. While you take up the responsibility of revamping your wood deck you should learn a lot about the variety of wood stain colors available in market. However staining is a lot more than just selection of the right colors for your wood floor.

Tips To Get Best Wood Staining Results

• Wood deck gets weathered due to unlimited exposure to Mother Nature elements. Remove the left out paint or stain coatings before starting the application of new stain. This will avoid the bad results of staining.
• Before you start the actual process of staining be it a year or two after building it, make sure it is structurally sound. Any cracks, loose nuts and such things may cause injuries to the person working on the deck.
• Don’t keep unrealistic expectations from your deck; it will not be getting ready any sooner. Yes it will take more time than your wife takes to get ready for any party.
• Achieving optimal results from staining project will depend on how well you prepare your deck surface. It requires you to clean the dirt and dust of the deck, pressure clean the deck you want to beautify.
• Apply the wood deck stain on the fences first and then get down to the floor. This will be saving the mess done on the just stained deck as even when the stain spills over the floor it can be easily corrected while staining the floor.
• Leaving the deck floor and fences to dry naturally will allow a better penetration of the stain and don’t forget to seal for the lasting results and best finish.

Encompass Safety Tips in DIY Deck Staining Projects

Staining wood is decades old practice for protecting, enriching and extending its life span. The wood decks are revived either with the application of deck stains or wood paint. Both the given options have their own set of pros and cons. While wood paint offers better life, stains come in budget of every deck owner. This takes second to nothing that you should take best care of wood deck so that it continues to enhance the curb appeal of your sweet home. At the same time deck owners get troubled with the call to take between hiring staining professional or take up the project on his own. For many reasons, the price factor in center, D-I-Y staining is preferred by a large number of deck owners. When you deal with wood finish paint with your soft hands, you are vulnerable to lot many related troubles, allergic reactions just to begin with.

Project Yourself Too While Protecting Wood

Staining is somewhat easy if you stay protected all the while. The experts share some great tips to use when you decide to stain the wood yourself. These effective and useful tips are mentioned below for your perusal.

• Start from the basics and simple things.Don’t get yourself stained. You should wear old clothes while staining the deck and fences. As there are high chances of getting the stain on clothes, use old clothing only. Tie your hair in a tight bun and wrap it with the cotton scarf or cloth. Make sure you wear safety glasses to keep stain out of your eyes.
• Keep the stain away from fire and dispose the used rags. You may not be aware that the stains are inflammable and can catch fire easily. If you make use of any rags for cleaning the stain or reaching in the gaps between boards, dip them in bucket of water before disposing them in dustbin. This way they will not be catching fire.
• You may feel light headed so inhale fresh air going at a distance from the deck and stains.
• Always use best wood deck paint, and especially when you have kids around you cannot take chance with quality of the stains.

Easy Guide on Wood Oil Application Technique

When it comes to choose the best wood finishing oil, it is high-quality and natural. Most of these oils can be easily used on almost every type of wood finishing projects including decks, furniture, interior surfaces, tables, cabinets, panels, wood floors and various other porous surfaces.

If you are in search of superior quality oil that gives clear finish, try going for tung oil base which has got no cheap filler oils and added driers. It is important to understand what does a good oil refers to. Well it refers to durable, deep penetrating, water resistant and durable oil that lasts for years and gives the expected results.

Once you have purchased the needed wood finish oil, it is important to know the right application technique. This is because if not applied the right way, it will not give the desired results and you may come across various problems from time to time.

How to apply oil the right way?

Well, now that’s a smart question and its answer is explained clearly in the below mentioned points. Check it out below:

1. Apply the oil liberally with a cotton cloth that’s lint free. You can also use a brush for a smooth application.
2. Now allow the oil to penetrate evenly for 15 minutes. Make sure to remove excess oil with the clean cotton cloth.
3. Never allow the oil to dry before you have removed the excess finishing oil. Generally, 3 coasts of oil are recommended at an interval of 24 hours between each coat.
4. Remember that additional coats increase the surface protection as well as sheen.
5. For best results and for a silky smooth surface, rub the surface gently between each oil application.
6. To enhance the wood, you can apply a coat of traditional paste wax or all-natural beeswax after the final coat is done. This will add depth and extra surface protection.

With these easy techniques, you can apply wood finish oil the best way. What else? The results will definitely meet your expectations.

How to maintain wood finishing oil?

That’s another important yet simple thing to do. Want to know how? Here they are in the below given points:

1. Dust with a soft and dry cloth. Slightly damping the cloth is also a good way.
2. Apply a fresh coat of oil when needed.

With these simple things in mind, you can get a standard finish that will shine for years.

Cool Treatment Your Deck Secretly Wishes For in Summer

Ownership of a deck gives you rewarding experiences. Maintaining its beauty is a part of your home care job. If you succeed in maintaining your deck, it can up the value of your property to the prospect home buyers. At the onset of summer, every homeowner tries to fix the issues with his deck to the best of his knowledge. But, sometimes it is not enough as it is evident with the early damages to the deck sealer you applied. Though it is best to get the deck staining project done by the professionals but if you want to do it on your own, read its step by step procedure.

Warm weather of summers makes your deck more vulnerable to weathering and damages. Start the summer preparation of your deck with cleaning the deck at the first place. After winter, there are lots of leaves, debris and dirt underneath furniture. You may also find the insects hidden throughout winters. Remember to remove dry leaves and other unwanted elements from your deck only after removing the furniture. Follow sweeping with deep cleaning for removing the embedded dirt particles in the cracks of the deck. If you do not own a pressure washer you can rent it from local shop.

Also, make full use of it by cleaning the house as well while you are at it. It is not every day when you are into the cleaning shoes, so make full use of the same. Replace or repair the boards depending on the condition of them as they can age or their damages can go beyond repair due to poor maintenance.

While you prepare your deck for summer, it is the time to revamp the stain of the deck. Renew and refresh your deck with a high quality wood deck sealer. The rails are the parts of your deck, so don’t forget to clean and stain your deck. Think about cushions, hanging flower baskets and lighting to make your deck happening.