Low-VOC finish for pressure treated pine beam?

Hi folks. I started a thread earlier about options for finishing a beam, but I bungled my question and thought I'd start over...apologies!:B

In the cottage I'm building we will have both an exposed laminated pine beam and an exposed pine pole (an old telegraph pole). Both inside the house and out of the weather.

I'm sensitive to chemicals and want to play it as safe as I can. I know the fact that it is pressure treated pine isn't exactly a good start, but from my experience once it is in place it doesn't tend to cause me too much trouble.
So what should we do to "finish" the pressure treated pine, though? It would be nice if we could stain it a bit darker to remove the green tinge left by the pressure treatment process. Everyone around here stains and then applies polyurethane, but I'd rather not use polyurethane if I can avoid it. What are my options?

Can anyone suggest a low-VOC way that we could a) stain the timber, and b) finish the timber if that is required at all?

As for dyes, you might have to use solvent based ones for compatibility (or at least not incompatibility) with the treatment process. Otherwise, look here: U-Beaut Polishes - NON TOXIC WATER DYES

And on a real-world basis, something like a two pack poly will be a lot more VOC free after the first few days than anything else. Once the solvents have flashed off, they're gone.

I've found the water based clear finishes to have a rather unflattering to timber blue tint to them, so they live in my 'oh yeah, now I remember why I don't use this' pile.

Tung oil could be a possibility if you thin with a citrus based solvent.

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Originally Posted by grapeseed

Hi folks. I started a thread earlier about options for finishing a beam, but I bungled my question and thought I'd start over...apologies!:B

In the cottage I'm building we will have both an exposed laminated pine beam and an exposed pine pole (an old telegraph pole). Both inside the house and out of the weather.

I'm sensitive to chemicals and want to play it as safe as I can. I know the fact that it is pressure treated pine isn't exactly a good start, but from my experience once it is in place it doesn't tend to cause me too much trouble.
So what should we do to "finish" the pressure treated pine, though? It would be nice if we could stain it a bit darker to remove the green tinge left by the pressure treatment process. Everyone around here stains and then applies polyurethane, but I'd rather not use polyurethane if I can avoid it. What are my options?

Can anyone suggest a low-VOC way that we could a) stain the timber, and b) finish the timber if that is required at all?

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I'm not very good with colour, but what I do know is that if you stain the treated pine "a bit darker" it will go even deeper green. What you need to do is use the "colour wheel" to select the combination of colours which will change the green into a red-brown.
Also, if the pine beam and pole are features, you may want to bring them to a more "dressed state" before attempting to adjust the colour.

Thanks Ian and MasterSplinter, I appreciate your thoughts!

look at the Livos range of finishes

For people like yourself with chemical sensitivities it isvery important to know exactly what the ingredients of a product are. Livosprides itself on full 100% disclosure of all ingredients, while we onlyuse natural plant based ingredients, some products do contain orange oil whichcan be a sensitiser, so it is vital that it is listed so the consumer can makea fully informed choice.

For internal timber including beams we would recommend theKunos 244# the detailed product information can be found on our website at http://www.livos.com.au/shop/page/shop/flypage/product_id/49so that you can ensure your sensitivity needs are met.

When it comes to VOC, Low voc is not necessarily the healthiest option for you. Synthetic products contain a lot of auxiliary chemicals that are not regulated and have no influence on the VOC.

AH well here we go ......... we keep comming back to shalac.

While there is a solvent involved it is alcahol ...... a simple straight forward solvent. ...... no mineral solvents and no ather assorted nasties.

With shelac you have one solvent that is very closely related to what most celebratory beverages contain and beetle $#!t which is actualy a pretty much food grade product.
No minereal solvents, no metalic driers and no higher order nasties like acetone, Trebine, toluine or such.

the alcahol evaporates fairly quickly and ya left with a finish that is pretty much food grade and non toxic.

Many of the usual suspects will be bleading off odorous gasses for days weeks or months.

If you use normal shelac it will impart a yelowish brown tint ... and a bonus is shelac is compatable with pretty much everything.

As far as colour ....... there are all sorts of things you could colour the timber with ....... don't think that anything you paint on will compromise the treatment.

A brown made from Ubeaut water bassed dyes would be reasonable.

Boiled up walnut shells, kwila or jarrah scraps will make a pretty strong brown stain ...... kwila would possibly be the strongest.

cheers

I think that reversing the green tinge from the pressure treatment to get a nice looking beam is grapeseed's real challenge.

once they have a satisfactory colour, shellac would make a good finish.