Articles: Do I need to Treat My Timber?

When purchasing timber, we recommend that you look into what you need to do to treat and maintain it. There’s a vast array of treatment products out there and they all have different jobs to do. Each species of timber has different requirements when it comes to being treated. For example, Teak doesn’t need any treatment which prolongs its lifespan because it is naturally durable and doesn’t have much movement whereas kiln dried Oak does need treating to prevent it from:

1. Losing moisture and shrinking in the summer
2. Gaining moisture and expanding in the winter months

Also, some treatment products aren’t used for increasing the durability of the wood but for preserving its natural colour or staining it.

Extending the lifespan of my timber

It’s important to find out whether you need to treat your timber to preserve its lifespan so that you can treat it before applying. For example, if you leave British Western Red Cedar cladding without treating it in the summer the timber can shrink which if not fitted correctly could cause you a problem.

Preventing movement in timber is key to making sure that your wood lasts as long as possible. Especially in a product like decking where the boards need to fit together, and any movement would leave unwanted gaps between the boards.

It is recommended that you treat your timber before applying it. This will help you to properly seal it and give it an even coating.

Preserving the Colour of my Timber

Any timber that is left in contact with sunlight will turn silvery grey over a period of time. It is common for people to let timber weather, however, if you would like to preserve your timber’s natural colour there are UV protection oils which can help you.

If your timber has weathered it is possible to revitalise the wood by using Osmo wood reviver. This fantastic product brings back the colour to timber which has been weathered over a period of time in the sun. You can see this great product put to use in the video below.

My timber has Sap marks all over it! What can I do?

If there are Sap marks over your timber you can use oxalic crystals to clean your timbers. When you apply the crystals to the timber they soak into the wood and the bleaching process begins. When the crystals are later washed away the timber will be left cleansed of dirt and other stains (You may need to repeat this process more than once).

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