Wood is often used for building houses and making furniture. It has a low weight, low cost, and is also easy to install. In this case, the material is afraid of precipitation, ultraviolet radiation, fungus. You can protect structures with a large number of means: varnishes, paints, antiseptics, etc. Let us try to figure out how to cover the tree and how to prepare it for decoration.
Surface preparation for opaque coating
Before covering wooden structures with a protective compound, it is necessary to prepare the surface. This will make it smooth and beautiful. When applying an opaque coating, the principle of leveling and smoothing the structure is not important. It will be painted, and no one will see the base.
So, to prepare the surface, do the following:
- we clean it with a plane;
- we loop and grind with a fine-grained emery cloth;
- priming the product (with drying oil, enamel, varnish). In order for the composition to penetrate deeper into the pores, it is necessary to add a solvent to it, for example, White Spirit;
- puttying all chips, cracks and indentations;
- we grind everything with a sandpaper.
If desired, putty can be done independently. To do this, pour any fine-grained powder with a primer: flour, talc, starch, sawdust, etc. The resulting mass should have a thick dough consistency.
Surface preparation for transparent coating
Before covering the tree with transparent compounds, it is also necessary to prepare it. It is necessary to perform the above manipulations, but will have to work more carefully. To begin, we perform grinding in two runs: we wipe the surface, moisten it with a rag (to raise the villi), wait for drying, and grind again.
If there are small defects, then we cover them with putty, which matches the color of the tree. We align the composition while it is wet. To get a high-quality coating, it is necessary to use special grinding machines.
In the presence of pores, we wipe the surface with a mixture that can be made independently. Take the grated pumice, fill with varnish and apply to the product. We remove the excess immediately, and after drying we grind it.
Antiseptics
To increase the life of the product, it is necessary to use an antiseptic for wood. For exterior work and interior decoration, different compositions will be needed. The main requirement for them is safety for health (especially with increasing temperature or humidity).
Depending on the composition of the antiseptics for wood, they are divided into: water-soluble, organo-soluble and oily. Water-soluble products can be used if the surface does not come in contact with moisture. In their manufacture, the following components are used: sodium fluoride and silicofluoride, BBK-3 (a mixture of borax and boric acid). The finish should be varnish or other waterproof material.
Organically soluble compounds are used only as an antiseptic for wood for outdoor use. They cannot be used indoors due to their highly toxic composition (they contain a solution of copper pentachlorophenol naphthenate). The product penetrates well into wood and strengthens its fibers. After application, the product acquires a green tint, and its adhesion deteriorates.
Oil antiseptics consist of: coal, anthracene or shale oil. After their use, the wood darkens and a specific smell remains. But the treated coating is not afraid of moisture. Means are suitable only for outdoor work: for the foundations of log cabins, sleepers.
The most popular antiseptics for wood:
- "Nortex" (copes well with fungus, and protects against woodworms).
- "Senezh" (provides maximum protection against mold, fungus and bugs).
- "Aquatex" (resists mold, mildew and ultraviolet).
- "Tikurilla" (contains acrylic with alkyd, and protects against fungus, mold).
Paints
After applying antiseptics, the surface is often painted. Paints are needed to protect against: moisture, insects and bacteria, sunlight, abrasion and mechanical damage. Also thanks to them, the product looks more aesthetically pleasing. Let's try to figure out which paint for wood is better.
Depending on the composition, they are: acrylic, alkyd and oil. Acrylic paints are used to decorate the facades of wooden buildings, and are in great demand. They are great for cold regions because they have very good protective properties. The compositions are practically odorless, increase the service life of products, allow structures to "breathe", and do not allow moisture to pass through.
Alkyd paints are in demand for their low cost. They have a resinous base, which forms a crust on the surface, and is not absorbed into the wood. The composition protects against moisture and can withstand temperatures from -30 to +90 degrees. Coverage will last a maximum of 7 years. After application, thorough drying is required, otherwise bubbles will appear.
Oil paints are considered the worst because they have an unpleasant smell and toxic composition (due to drying oil). They are expensive because they consist of expensive components. The painted coating does not look very aesthetically pleasing, and practically does not “breathe”. As a result, after a while it begins to crack and peel off. For applying paint you will need a perfectly prepared surface. Coverage will last a maximum of 5 years.
When choosing a paint you should consider:
- penetration and resistance to temperature extremes;
- vapor permeability (helps protect against rotting);
- service life (it depends on how often you have to update the coverage);
- environmental friendliness (especially when carrying out work inside the house);
- elasticity (responsible for resistance to cracking);
- drying time;
- fire resistance.
Lucky
Instead of paint, you can cover the wood with varnish, which will save from rot and atmospheric precipitation. Using the material, you can carry out both external and internal work (this is written on the label). They can cover individual elements or entire buildings, for example, change houses, porches, arbors from a tree. What varnish to cover them? Let's try to figure it out below.
The following types of varnishes exist:
- Alkyd. Consists of alkyd resins and solvent. The composition dries in 72 hours, but you can speed up the drying if you buy a tool with a hardener (grab for 24 hours). Alkyd-urethane varnishes dry in 12 hours .
- Oil. Consists of oils (in high concentration), resins and solvents. The tool changes the shade of the product from pale yellow to dark brown. The main drawback is the long drying time - in some cases it may take several days.
- Nitrolac. Contains colloxylin, resins, plasticizers and solvents. Compounds are often used for finishing work inside the building. They also have good strength, moisture resistance, and dry quickly (only a few hours). It should be remembered that the product contains toxic solvents, so it is not suitable for children's rooms.
- Acrylic. It does not contain organic solvents, therefore it practically does not smell. Such varnishes can be used indoors, as they are safe for humans. They are durable, do not change the color of the tree, but are afraid of temperature changes and moisture.
- Epoxy. It dries quickly and is suitable for all surfaces. With it, you can perform both external and internal work.
- Polyurethane It is steady against wear, is not afraid of moisture. Often used as a topcoat for wood products (especially from fine woods);
- The yacht. It combines a very high strength, elasticity, hardness, resistance to temperature changes, aggressive environments.
Fire retardants
Before covering the wood with the finish, it is necessary to use flame retardants. They are necessary to reduce the emission of combustible substances, and the exclusion of combustion without a source. They can be used in heated rooms (not resistant to atmospheric precipitation), as well as outside (weather resistant).
Depending on the field of application, flame retardants are produced in the form of:
- varnishes forming a thin film on the surface, it has no color, and preserves the texture of wood;
- paints and enamels - they leave a thin opaque film on the product, which can have various shades and protect not only from fire, but also from moisture;
- pastes and coatings - they differ from paints in that they form a thicker coating, and contain coarse fillers (it does not look very aesthetically pleasing);
- impregnation, which can be applied to the surface of the structure or under pressure (using special devices).
Interior decoration and exterior decoration
The main materials for processing wood products have been described above. Let's try to figure out how and how to cover the tree inside the house. For interior decoration, it is better to choose products that have a water base, do not have a smell and do not emit toxins. They should also resist moisture well.
Wood processing is performed as follows:
- apply an antiseptic and wait for it to dry;
- use fire resistant impregnation;
- varnish or paint any shade you like.
- when applying an antiseptic, certain rules must be observed:
- first treat the affected areas with fungus, rot or insects;
- clean and degrease the product in advance;
- work with air humidity not more than 80%;
- cover with fire protection only after an antiseptic.
- Exterior finish is also carried out in several stages:
- surface preparation;
- applying an antiseptic that penetrates deep into a tree;
- use of fire protection;
- finish coating.
Any wooden building or product needs to be coated with an antiseptic (for example, stain). How to cover a tree with this compound? We take a brush and gently move it along the wood fibers. Vertical surfaces are best treated by moving from bottom to top. This will prevent smudges from absorbing, and provide even coverage. So that there are no spots on it, do not touch already painted areas. Apply the first layer of antiseptic, dry, smooth with a sandpaper and cover with a second layer.
Furniture processing
It often happens that old furniture needs restoration. As for new products, in case of self-production they will have to consider their protection against moisture, rot, insects. All this can be done using special formulations. For example, let's try to figure out how to cover a table made of wood. To work, you will need: a brush or roller, protective equipment (respirator, gloves, glasses), sandpaper and a rubber spatula.
We perform the following actions:
- Cooking surface. We clean from the old coating using chemical or thermal cleaning;
- Apply a primer. It improves the adhesion of the paint composition to the product;
- Putty all cracks and defects;
- We cover with paint or varnish. The choice of material depends on the operating conditions of the product.
Fence Processing
Wooden structures in the open air over time acquire a dull gray hue. Therefore, you need to cover them with protective compounds that will extend the service life. How to cover a fence made of wood? Impregnation will protect the structure from microorganisms, paint - from sunlight and moisture.
We perform the work in the following order:
- we clear the area near the fence, cut off interfering plants;
- remove the old coating (if any), sand it with sandpaper,
- we process with a primer and overwrite all cracks with putty;
- we cover the fence with an antiseptic that is not afraid of temperature changes, moisture, etc .;
- dry and apply paint or varnish.
Oil compositions adhere well to the surface, acrylic ones are inexpensive and dry quickly, alkyd ones will often have to be updated. If the choice fell on varnish, then it is better to choose alkyd (safe) or polyurethane (very durable).
Not a single household plot can do without wooden structures. To understand how to paint a tree, you need to familiarize yourself with the presence in the store and read the instructions for different materials. This will help to make a choice, because now there are many paints for indoor and outdoor use.