Despite the quality of current products and suitable wood, terraces require regular maintenance when they are exposed to the weather and the sun.

New and dry wood:

The wood may show traces of resin, grease or silicone residue and sawing defects. In this case, the horizontal surfaces must be washed. Sanding removes traces of sawnwood and opens the pore of the wood if it has been planed. This can only increase the life of your work.

Gray wood:

If the wood has a natural greyness, it is possible:

-to apply the saturator directly after preparation of the support. In this case the graying still present alters the finish shade and provides a duller color.

-to revive the original colors with a sober. Eg. the Cecil sober

Freshly sawn wood

Freshly sawn wood must dry before being painted (max humidity 18%) Then refer to the paragraph "new and dry wood".

Treated wood

Before any preparation procedure on pretreated wood, contact the manufacturer for information on recommended personal protective equipment as well as health and environmental risks.

Hardwoods (ipe) or "glazed"

This type of wood like ipe must be sanded (P80 or P120) to allow better absorption of the product in the support.

Application of protection

In all cases, it is not recommended to apply the product in direct sunlight or at too high or too low temperatures.
On terraces, film-forming products regularly pose problems and create significant sanding work during renovations.
We always recommend working with impregnating or saturating products such as Sikkens Cetol BL Hydratol or Sikkens Cetol Bl Silvershine .

It is also advisable to work with tinted products, these have much better UV protection. A clear, water-dilutable saturator does not darken wood more than a colorless oil, but with a much longer lifespan.

General practical advice regarding the application:

Things to do...

• Apply when the air and surface temperature is between 10ºC and 35ºC (50ºF and 95ºF).
• Shake well before use.
• Saturate all end veins, nail perforations, cavities and cracks in the wood.
• Apply generous coats.
• Maintain a wet edge to avoid fitting marks.
• Apply in the direction of the wood grain.

Things not to do ...

• Do not apply in direct sunlight.
• Do not apply when the surface is warm to the touch.
• Do not apply when rain, dew or frost is present or expected within the next five hours.
• Do not apply if the moisture content of the wood is more than 18%.