Restoration & Preservation of Wood/Timber - What product to use and where to use it

Date: 3rd May 2019
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Barrettine Woodcare Products are widely used by Trade & Professionals but are easy to use and ideal for the keen DIY enthusiasts and members of the Public. 

There are huge number of different types Woodcare products across the market and within the following article, Barrettine hope to help make your choice of Woodcare product more measured and straight forward.

Woodcare Products can be classified in many ways:

• Oil/Spirit Based
• Water Based
• Indoor & Outdoor Application
• Biocide Based Preservers
• Non-Biocide Protectors and many more

For this article we are looking at Biocidal Wood Preservers & Non-Biocide Protectors:

Biocidal Wood Preservers 

• Biocidal Preservers usually contain an Insecticide or a Fungicide and in many cases both. These biocide preservers protect timber from insect attack such as woodworm and the fungicide protects against fungal decay.

Insect attack/woodworm as a rule of thumb is generally an internal issue where the conditions are dry and away from the external elements. As such, structural timbers i.e. roof and floor joints, external doors/door frames and windows/window frames (internal elevations for woodworm) are at risk from both insect attack and fungal decay and as such a high-quality outdoor wood protector is recommended. Fungal attack is most common in damp and dark conditions where timber is intermittently exposed to moisture i.e. floor joist resting on or in concrete/brick work. A good quality Wood Preserver such as Barrettine Premier Wood Preserver which contains both insecticide and fungicide would be a good choice to protect wood/timber in these situations. Barrettine Premier Wood Preserver as well as containing effective biocides, is an oil/spirit based formulation that penetrates deep into the wood fibers and structure. The rich blend of natural oils, wax and resins also nourishes and protects the timber from water ingress and splitting. 

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Internal wood/timber articles such as internal doors and furniture could potentially be at risk from insect attack/woodworm. Barrettine Woodworm Killer would be a great choice for such situations. Our recomendation is that a top coat is applied after the woodworm treatment, such as a paint or varnish/lacquer. (click to see our range of Varnishes & Waxes) 

External Wooden articles around the garden such as sheds, fencing, gates, pergolas, decking, etc. are highly unlikely to be affected by significant insect/woodworm attack, and therefore Barrettine's opinion is that an insecticide-based preserver is not necessary for these applications. 

Furthermore, applying an isecticide-based preserver externally could have a negative impact on beneficial insects commonly found around the garden, such as bees and wasps.

Where you have an expensive outbuilding such as a summer house or log cabin, at the time of construction and if the timbers have not been pre-treated, applying an insecticide-based preserver to hidden joints, roof trusses and floor joists assuming these timbers are not left exposed, would be advisable. 

If an Insecticide biocide preserver is considered desirable as a belt and braces approach for exernal projects, our recommendation is that a Protector Top Coat is applied to seal in/cover the biocide to protect non-target beneficial insects that might come into contact with the surface. 

Non-Biocide Protectors

• Non-Biocide Products that we categories in our protective range do not contain an insecticide/biocide and are ideal for use on pre-treated timbers and articles such as sheds, fencing, pergolas, facia boards and balustrade etc.

Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment  gives an excellent level of protection against fungal decay by repelling potential water ingress into the wood which can lead to fungal spores growing and then advance to fungal decay.

The oil/spirit based formulation penetrates deep into the wood fibers and stucture. The rich blend of natural oils, wax and resins nourishes and protects the timber from water ingress, UV damage and wood splitting caused by direct sunlight.

Once dry, the product poses no risk to beneficial insects, plants of animals, hence the bee friendly symbol on the tin. 

Repeat application/treatment will protect your wood keeping it beautiful for years to come. The time between subsequent applications will depend on the location, elevation and exposure to weathering, but as a guide every 3-5 years would be our recommendation.

Decking & Decking Protection

• Good quality decking boards are usually pre-treated/pressure treated with a wood preserver at the time of manufacture, therefore pretreated decking boards do not need an additional biocide preserver at the time of instalation.

Barrettine All in One Decking Oil  is an insecticide/biocide free oil/spirit based formulation that penetrates deep into the wood fibers and structure. The rich blend of natural oils, wax and resins, nourishes and protects the timber; once dry the timber is protected from water ingress, UV damage and wood splitting caused by direct sunlight.

A similar formulation to the Barrettine Wood Protector but with additional hard-wearing natural waxes and resins needed for horizontal decking boards that are affected by a greater degree of weathering and foot traffic.

Our view is that natural oils/resin products such as Barrettine All in One Decking Oil penetrate deeper into the wood structure and are easier to maintain and repair compared with decking paints that sit on top of the wood and over time are more likely to peel or flake. 

To professionally repair/renovate painted decking to a good standart, takes much longer as the old coating needs to be fully sanded back/removed. Barrettine All in One Decking Oil can simply be reapplied over the previous application subject to the surface being wiped clean before a retreatment. 

Steps and areas prone to slipping-

Due to buildup moisture, dirt and debris, decking boards at certain times of year can become notoriously slippery.

Barrettine's award winning Anti-Slip Deckin Oil is a premium quality, anti-slip, decking oil top coat, which incorporates anti-slip technology to improve grip on decking, wooden steps and other wood surfaces where improved grip is desirable. 

Anti-slip top coat is designed to be applied over decking boards treated with Barrettine All in One Decking Oil ( it may be compatible with other coatings - carry out a test area first). It is not suitable for use as a stand-alone product applied dirrectly to untreated/bare wood. 

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Which formulation type should I use - Water Based or Oil/Spirit Based?

As previously discussed, there are many types of woodcare products on the market but with regards to the main body of the product they generally fall into two groups: Water Based or Oil/Spirit Based. Barrettine produce both Water Based and Oil/Spirit based woodcare products. 

Whether to choose a water-based product or oil/spirit based can depend on a number of factors. Our own general view is that natural oil/spirit-based products penetrate much deeper into the wood fiber and structure. The combination of rich natural oils and resins feed, nourish and protect the wood which is ideal particularly in harsher environments.

Water based products have improved significantly over time and the latest micro emulsion technology means that water-based products can also give a high level of protection and are a good choice, particularly for interior applications and for wood/timber structures and articles in occupied areas/rooms. (click to see our new range of Water-based products)

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Help Celebrate Barrettine's 140th year of business, with a number of special promotions within our wood care range:

For our 20% OFF Promotion via our distribution partners: CLICK HERE