9 tips on choosing wood preservatives against rotting, moisture and fire

Contents

1. №1.From what and in what cases to protect the wood?
2. №2.General principles for the choice of wood preservatives
3. №3.Methods of wood protection
4. №4.Means to protect wood from moisture
5. №5.Means for protecting wood from rotting, mold and insects
6. №6.Means to protect wood from fire
7. №7.Means to protect wood from ultraviolet
8. №8.The sequence of applying protective equipment
9. №9.Manufacturers of wood preservatives

Wood is a versatile building and finishing material. Houses, gazebos, fences are built of wood, furniture is made of it, it is used as exterior and interior decoration. Such popularity is explained by the environmental friendliness of the material and its beautiful appearance, but, alas, there are many enemies near a tree - it is afraid of fire, moisture, insects, temperature changes and sunlight. Previously, wood was protected with compositions based on salt and vinegar - today the industry allows to produce more effective means that give the tree durability and resistance to negative environmental factors. There are so many of these compounds that choosing the right means to protect the wood from rotting, fire and other influences becomes difficult. We will understand the main aspects of a competent purchase.

№1.From what and in what cases to protect the wood?

Wood protection products are directed against various negative impacts, and the choice of depends on the conditions under which the material will be used. The main enemies of wood are:

• moisture ( fog, rain, high humidity in the room).The tree is characterized by its ability to absorb moisture and swell with its high content in the environment and, conversely, shrink in dry time. Such fluctuations in volume lead, at a minimum, to cracks, and during the construction of a building made of wood, the entire structure can be seriously affected. Therefore, it is necessary to treat wood with means that reduce water absorption, but do not affect the ability to "breathe";
• mold, fungus, mosses and insects often infect wood with increased humidity and limited access of air. The rotting, the appearance of moss, the spread of bark beetles, termites, tree breeders and other pests affect not only the appearance of the wood, but also its structure;
• Fire .The wood is highly flammable and burns quickly. So far there are no means that would be 100% protected from fire, but there are substances that affect the structure and increase the non-flammability time;
• The UV rays of the , with long-term and intense exposure, destroy wood, affecting lignin most of all, a substance that provides rigidity and hardness.

To increase the resistance to all these factors, there are a number of specific means - a complex composition does not yet exist, so if the wood needs to be protected, for example, from moisture and fire, several means will be required.

№2.General principles for the choice of wood preservatives

Regardless of which factor is used to combat, when choosing, pay attention to such nuances:

• service life coverage .Protective agent can hold out on the surface for about 2-5 years, and if the manufacturer indicates similar numbers on the packaging, then he probably does not lie, but durability in 20-40 years should be treated with caution. Most likely, this is just a marketing ploy, and it will be indicated in small letters in an inconspicuous place on the packaging that such a period of protection is possible only when the product is applied by a deep impregnation method( this is industrial equipment) or under the condition that the composition is washed out, which cannot be achieved;
• Consumption .Often cheap means are unpleasantly surprised by the increased consumption of the composition, which is why all of their cost effectiveness is reduced to nothing, so when buying, you should pay attention to the figures given to manufacturers. The average consumption of bioprotective agents is 200-250 g / m2, but not 500-600 g / m2, which can be seen on the packages of some inexpensive formulations. Such a high consumption is peculiar only to flame retardants;
• manufacturer name .High-quality protective equipment can be made only on high-tech production lines that can afford large enterprises with a known name. For the sake of your peace of mind and guarantee the result, it is better to overpay a little;
• versatility .Some companies offer complex means that allegedly protect the wood from both fire and rotting, and the active ingredients, according to the manufacturers, only strengthen the effect of each other. Experts say that even substances that may be in the same solution, sometimes not only do not enhance the effect of each other, but also reduce protection;
• composition and certificate of conformity .The composition of protective equipment includes a mass of substances, each of which is assigned its own role, but attention should be paid to the basis of the drug - these can be organic and inorganic substances. Inorganic substances, which include sodium and potassium bichromates, chlorides, chromium and fluorine-containing compounds, salts of copper and zinc, have a negative effect on humans, metals and wood color, and therefore are banned for use in Europe. Organic based products are more effective and can avoid negative health effects. Any protective equipment must have a certificate of conformity confirming its safety.

№3.Methods of wood protection

To ensure the longest preservation of wood using a set of measures. These are constructive solutions, which consist in the proper placement and planning, as well as regular monitoring of the condition of the timber and directly the means for protecting the timber themselves.

Protective agents can be applied in the following ways:

• antiseptic - wood surface treatment. In private construction, it can be carried out with a brush or sprays, and in industrial conditions it is performed by soaking in protective compounds;
• canning is carried out only in an industrial environment. For this, autoclave impregnation can be used, when the treatment is carried out under the action of high pressure, impregnation in hot-cold bathrooms, or autoclave-diffusion treatment.

№4.Means to protect wood from moisture

Increased humidity is the main enemy of wood, as it not only worsens the performance, but also causes mold and mildew. Treatment aimed at protecting against moisture begins with the harvesting of wood, and proper drying is of great importance. Even a well-dried material will begin to absorb moisture over time, but also differs in different types of wood in this parameter. Larch, ash, pine, oak are more resistant to moisture, spruce, fir and beech are moderately resistant, and maple, birch and hornbeam are most vulnerable. A number of tropical trees( kumaru, bite, ipe, sisal) are practically not afraid of moisture and need only minimal protection.

The most important indicator of wood is intracellular moisture .For construction, you can use a material with an index of 5–20%, and wood with a moisture content of 9–15% is suitable for building truss structures and interior decoration, and 12–18% for exterior cladding.

To reduce the ability of wood to absorb moisture from the environment, i.e.to reduce its hygroscopicity, use varnishes, oil impregnations and pastes , which are divided into two groups:

• compositions that form a film on the surface of , do not have sufficient durability, so you will need to repeat the treatment quite often;
• penetrating compounds are more durable and able to get into the pores of wood, used for processing fences, window frames, house walls, garden furniture.

As a rule, water repellents do not change the color of the wood, and their effect is that water droplets simply roll off the surface without penetrating into the structure. A number of such products also has a frost-resistant effect.

№5.Means for protecting wood from rotting, mold and insects

Constant high humidity, temperature fluctuations and intense exposure to sunlight make the wood vulnerable to microorganisms and insects. As prevention of mold, antiseptics are used - products that prevent, but do not kill, bacteria. Already during the harvesting of wood it is covered with antiseptics, re-treatment is carried out after installation and stripping of wood. Antiseptics are produced in the form of liquids and pastes, they also reliably protect against insect damage. There are antiseptics of the primer type , which are used for lacquering and painting, but their penetration and service life is small. Antiseptics can be tinted, and experts say that in this way it is much easier to achieve uniform wall coloring than when using tinted varnish.

If there are already traces of decay on the wood, then before using an antiseptic, must be treated with fungicides - substances that kill fungal and mold spores. The basis in fungicidal solutions can be:

• water .These are eco-friendly and inexpensive formulations, the disadvantage of which is that they are gradually washed out with water, therefore they are suitable only for the internal treatment of wood that does not interact with moisture and soil;
• white spirit .Such drugs are more resistant to external influences, poorly washed out with water, as they penetrate deep into the wood, but are not completely environmentally friendly, have a strong odor, which makes processing much more difficult.

If insects are detected on wood, should be treated with insecticidal impregnations, which are produced:

• on a water basis. Used mainly for the annual protection of wood during transportation and storage;
• on an alkyd basis is more sustainable means that are suitable not only as therapeutic drugs, but also as prevention.

Regular monitoring of the condition of wood on the smell of rot, the presence of white thin or bluish and brownish films will allow time to prevent rotting.

Occasionally, you may need for bleaching wood and removing bluish, greenish, and black spots. Such substances are applied with a brush to damaged areas, and within a few hours the original color returns.

When buying antiseptic compounds, note that different species absorb compounds with different intensity .So, birch and beech have high absorption, cedar, larch, oak, linden, hornbeam - medium, and spruce and fir - low. In addition, for different purposes use completely different compositions. If during transportation the wood needs only preventive processing, then during the erection of the truss system it is necessary to use hard-to-wash products that often paint the wood in brownish and grayish shades, reducing its decorative qualities, therefore such facilities are not suitable for facades.

№6.Means for protecting wood from fire

When exposed to fire, wood sooner or later ignites, although large logs resist fire for much longer than boards, since a charred layer forms on their surface, which slowly smolders. Any chips and cracks increase the vulnerability to the flame. fire retardants, which are able to delay the ignition and spread of fire, are used to protect the wood from fire.

Fire retardants are available in the following forms:

• liquid formulations : varnishes, impregnations, enamels and paints;
• solid formulations : backfilling and coating.

Previously, flame retardants were universally produced in solid form, today the market offers mostly ready-made liquid solutions or concentrates. This form of release allows you to use the tool more efficiently and at the same time improve safety, because when working with powders, poisonous dust is inevitable in the body, and additional equipment is required, which complicates the process.

According to the principle of action, flame retardants are divided into:

• active , these are mainly impregnations, which include salts of phosphoric and boric acid. Under the influence of high temperatures, they melt, forming a protective layer that prevents the spread of fire;
• passive , which include fire-retardant coatings that create a thin heat-reflecting layer on the surface of wood. When exposed to high temperatures, it swells, forming a screen of non-combustible foam, which slows down the spread of flame and charring of wood.

The protection applied in an industrial environment will be of the highest quality, but you can carry out a similar treatment yourself using a brush, roller or aerosol. To handle wood with a moisture content of more than 15% is not recommended. Compositions based on organic polymers are suitable for well-dried wood, and for non-woods with a moisture content of 10-15%, it is better to use water-soluble flame retardants to guarantee it. Small wooden elements can be dipped into the solution and left there for a period of 30 minutes to 24 hours.

By efficiency, all flame retardants are divided into groups:

• G1 - means by which the wood after a two-minute exposure to a gas burner flame loses up to 9% by weight after treatment;
• G2 - products with a weight loss of up to 25%;
• G3 - tools that do not provide adequate protection of the tree.

For the treatment of stairs and load-bearing structures, protective equipment of class G1 is chosen, in all other cases flame retardants of class G2 are suitable. If the manufacturer does not indicate efficiency at all, then it is better to refuse to buy such a product.

№7.Means for protecting wood from ultraviolet

Under the constant influence of the sun's rays, wood begins to darken and deteriorate, so if such an effect on the material is inevitable, negative consequences must be prevented. As a rule, special additives to prevent the damaging effects of sunlight, are part of the water-repellent impregnations and bioprotective agents, varnishes and paints, as indicated by the corresponding inscription on the package.

№8.The sequence of applying protective equipment

To ensure maximum safety of the wood, it is treated with protective agents in the following sequence:

• antiseptics at the stage of preparation and transportation, as well as after the construction of the structure, furniture, finishing;
• fire retardant treatment if necessary;
• treatment with water-repellent impregnation, which also prevents the retardation of the flame retardant and antiseptic;
• coating with UV protection;
• sealing joints and seams with acrylic sealant is an important process that prevents moisture from penetrating wood.

No. 9.Manufacturers of wood preservatives

Store shelves are filled with various wood preservatives, but not all of them are equally effective. When choosing, it is worth paying attention to the instructions on the package, incl.take into account the effect of the agent on the color of wood, its corrosiveness and odor, and also take into account the name of the manufacturer, which becomes a guarantee of quality. Among all the abundance of funds, there are products of such companies:

• Pinotex is an Estonian manufacturer of wood preservatives. Its products have gained immense popularity in the domestic market. It produces compounds for the protection of wood inside and outside the house: primer, impregnation, paint and antiseptic. The antiseptics of the primer type, the tinted antiseptics, and also the antiseptics with the ultraviolet filter proved to be excellent. The protective equipment of the company, intended for use on terraces and open areas, are among the best;
• Tikkurila is a concern with 150 years of history, with factories located in several countries. The name of this manufacturer is a guarantee of product quality, as all production stages are carefully monitored here. There is a huge amount of protection for wood, produced under the brand name Valtti ;
• Belinka Belles is a Slovenian manufacturer that is rapidly gaining recognition from domestic buyers. It produces a wide range of protective equipment, incl.antiseptic primers, indelible antiseptics, special protective agent for saunas and a unique hybrid coating;
• Senezh is a domestic company that produces a full range of wood protection products against any negative impacts. It produces tinted antiseptics with a UV filter, antiseptics for baths and saunas( these funds, by the way, are considered to be among the best of their kind), preservative antiseptics, fire-protective agents, wood bleaching agents;
• Neomid is a brand of protective equipment from the company "Expertecology-Neohim".The domestic manufacturer relies on the production of concentrated drugs, which reduces the cost of their cost. Antiseptics to protect wood in a moist environment and the ground, antiseptics with UV protection, wood bleaching agents, fire protection, as well as substances for the treatment of saunas and baths are popular.

In addition, protective equipment from the Belarusian company Sadolin , the German Dufa , the English Dulux , domestic companies Rogneda ( “Aquatex”, and to apply for the project and to apply for the project and to apply for the project and to apply for the project, and to apply for the project and to apply for the project, and to apply for the project and to apply; ”, to apply for the project, and to apply for the project, and to apply for a result, and to apply a line to apply for a quick change.

There is a mass of folk remedies to protect wood from rotting and pests, but for best results, it is better to give preference to professional preparations and apply them in accordance with the instructions.