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Wood Care Basic #1: Exterior Wood Care Involves Just Two (2) Simple Steps: Restore/Prepare and Protect/Beautify.
Step 1: Restore and Prepare
 For Weathered Wood: Restore!
What is involved exactly?
Restoring wood involves either cleaning or stripping the surface. If your wood is uncoated, it needs to be cleaned thoroughly with a product specifically formulated to gently remove the aged top surface layer. This will rid the surface of its grayed appearance, ground-in dirt and stains from food splatters, and fungus growth, including mildew, mold and algae. If your wood has been previously coated with a varnish or colored stain, stripping will be required.
Why is it necessary?
Uncoated wood that is weathered gray, or covered with embedded dirt and fungus growth, will prevent a coating from adhering or penetrating properly. This can lead to premature color fading, cracking and peeling, or reduced water repellency performance. Once cleaned, however, your wood surface will be restored to its natural, like-new appearance, and will be ready to accept a protective coating. Previously varnished or stained wood will not accept a different type (water-base over oil-base) or color of coating without risk of performance failure and color bleed-through, and therefore, should be stripped before re-coating.
For New Wood: Prepare the Surface!
What is involved exactly?
Before coating, preparing the surface involves cleaning the brand new, uncoated surface in order to remove invisible surface barriers, such as excess wax found on pressure-treated wood, or mill glaze, a burnished surface often present on new cedar lumber.
My wood is new, why do I need to clean it?
Today’s pressure-treated wood is made with more paraffin wax to protect it when it is stacked at the lumberyard. This additional wax results in a thicker waxy build-up on the surface. Cedar and redwood species are often subject to a condition called “mill glaze,” a burnished surface glaze that results after the fresh cut lumber is planed at the mill. The presence of these barriers prohibit a finish coating from properly penetrating the wood. Without proper penetration, exterior wood coatings cannot give optimum protection, and poor coating performance may result. Uneven finish appearance, premature fading or shortened water repellency life-span are common consequences that would normally not occur if a finish coating is properly absorbed.
By cleaning the surface, invisible barrier wax or mill glaze is removed, and wood pores are unclogged and opened. This allows trapped moisture to escape and a surface stain to properly absorb into the wood.
 Step 2: Protect and Beautify
What is involved exactly?
After cleaning, you should apply a clear, water repellent sealer, a water repellent toner or pigmented stain, or a wood preservative coating, depending on the level of protection and finish look you want to achieve.
Why is it necessary?
Wood that is exposed to outdoor weather will eventually warp, split, rot and decay from water absorption, and gray from UV exposure. To stop this degradation, apply a protective coating fortified with water repellency and UV resistance. Non-pressure-treated wood is also vulnerable to rot and decay from fungus and insect attack, but can be protected with a wood preservative. Once coated, your wood will better withstand the elements, look beautiful, and give you many seasons of outdoor living pleasure.
What products should I consider?
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