Articles: Treating your timber

Each species of timber has its own set of advantages and disadvantages based on where it is grown and the conditions it is grown in. For example, Siberian Larch is an extremely hardy softwood with innate resilience to frost and snow which is due to the harsh conditions of Eastern Siberia.

It’s because of this variation that we recommend all our customers thoroughly research the timber they’re intending to use for their project before making a purchase. While we are Oak specialists, we would still recommend a Siberian Larch over Oak for decking despite Oak being a lot more expensive and considered by many, far more aesthetic. Which is where we move onto the purpose of this article and that’s to outline treatment and its uses in your timber project.

All timbers have one thing in common and that is no matter what the conditions, overtime they will weather and alter in appearance. Often that is sought after and part of the appeal in using timber instead of other materials but there is a way of delaying this process by using various different treatment.

We are a wholesaler and do not treat the timber but instead we direct customers to our trusted associate Wood Finishes Direct. They have top quality products with knowledgeable specialists who will guide with more in-depth support.

As a rule of thumb, we suggest treatment with a couple coats of OSMO 420 UV protection to protect the timber greying overtime which in an aesthetically popular timber like Canadian cedar you’d want to keep the rich variation in colour for as long as possible.

OSMO 420 UV Protection has various other advantages also, its water repellent and contains biocides which safeguard timber from fungal, mould and algae. Being water repellent also stabilizes the amount of moisture in the timber reducing the movement and shrinkage/swelling which is ideal for timbers used outside where shrinkage may be a problem such as cladding or decking.

On each page on our website, we have specific treatment recommendations based on the species of timber and the cutting profile.

There is also a treatment called oxalic acid which can be used to remove unwanted staining on the surface of a timber such as blue stain, this is a circumstance that occurs when the timber comes into contact with ferrous metals leaving a dark blue mark.