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Hi there,
I have carved a sign into a piece of red gum or similar type wood and I now need to finish it with some heavy duty protection. The sign will be exposed to all the elements, all the time. I have no idea what to use. I need something that will be low maintenance, but keep the nice colour of the wood. ANy suggestions very welcome.
Thanks,
Nuff Nuff.
There are several options that you could use, each with their own positives and negatives.
1) An exterior clear (or a marine clear) - will retain the colour of the wood, but with low pigment levels in the product, it can be subject to some rapid deterioration out in sunlight. And when it comes time to recoat, it can be a pain.
2) Decking Oil - "soaks" into the wood, and will also retain the awesome colour of the wood. Again it is lightly pigmented and will be subjected to even faster deterioration than an exterior clear. But to rejuvenate - all you need to do is clean the timber and splash some more decking oil on it. Oxalic acid can be great to rejuvinate the timbers colour. Decking oils will probably be the cheapest of all of these options
3) Deck and Timber Stain - Has more pigment and thus will last longer outdoors. However this will change the colour of your timber. If you can find one that is close to the colour of your timber, you may be better off. I use Haymes Deck and Timber stain for such jobs - my paint store can tint it to almost any colour. Also quite cost friendly.
4) Intergrain DWD/Dimension 4 - A very durable exterior finishing system. However it is very heavily pigmented, and can make the timber go "orange". Some people love this type of finish. However it is exceedingly expensive too.
5) Paint with a Solashield. - This is easily the most durable option (10 year guarantee) but being a paint you will lose the colour, grain and texture of the timber.
I hope this helps.