CRA data sheets have valuable finish information

lFnI-ITORNIA Redwood

YAssociation data sheets on redwood finishes can help redwood retailers provide top quality service and technical information this year.

As the variety of redwood products and applications increase, retailers supplying CRA literature can meet a growing demand for design ideas and applications :rmong builders, design professionals, homeowners and all other redwood users.

One-page color sheets, Redwood Interior Finishes and Redwood Deck Finishes, survey a wide variety of coatings, their effects, recommended application methods and maintenance to ensure top quality performance forall redwood lumber grades and uses.

Redwood is particularly versatile in accepting finishes. Its open cellular structure and lack of pitch or resins allow superior penetration and retention of a wide variety of stains, varnishes, sealers, and paint.

Redwood lumber has outstanding dimensional stability and an enduring natural beauty that needs no finishes. Redwood heartwood contains natural extractives that ensure superior resistance to decay and insects. As little as Vr inch of unfinished redwood may erode in 100 years of exposure to weather.

Left unfinished, redwood naturally darkens, even blackens in some cases, then, gladually weathers to bleached driftwood gray.

To minimize weathering, a water repellent preservative with a mildewcide is recommended for application every 12 to l8 months. The water repellent eliminates darkening and stabilizes natural color changes to buckskin tan. Water rePellent also provides a good basecoat for

SPECIALIZING in QUALITY REDWOOD

Pre-cut fencing, benderboard, commons and kiln dried uppers. ALSO Green and kiln dried Douglas fir, cedar and hemlock.

oil-base or latex emulsion stains. brush or roller applications are recommended; if sprayed otr, coatings should be back-brushed immediately.

To create a bleached gray effect more uniform than natural weathering, a bleach containing mildewcide can be applied. Hosing the coated surface speeds the bleaching action.

For heavier finishes or paints, an oil-base primer makes a good basecoat for oil-base acrylic latex topcoats.

In all cases only compatible top quality coatings should be used and manufacturer instructions followed closely. Before painting, particular attention should be paid to the wood surface. A clean, dry surface provides the best chance for paint to form a strong, uniform adhesion to the wood. Proper installation of vapor barriers, and flashing also improve redwood performance and prevent premature aging of finishes.

Not recommended for redwood outdoors are latex primers, shake and shingle type stains and organic oil treatments, including boiled linseed oil. Clear film varnishes and synthetic resins are also not recom- mended for exterior redwood uses as they tend to crack, peel and yellow in direct exposure to sunlight and moisture.

Story at a Glance

Data sheets provide analysis of coatings for redwood dealers can establish reputa. tion for service and reliability with information on finishes and applications.

bathrooms, four to five coats of clear flat or stain-textured polyurethane or alkyd resin varnish will withstand cleaning and waterspots. Away from direct water or grease drips, alkyd resin sealers can be used.

Most redwood finishes can be washed with water ora mild detergent and water. The natural appearance of redwood can be freshened by scrubbing with a solution of one cup trisodium phosphate per gallon of water, using a stiff bristle brush. Steel bristles or steel wool should not be used as steel particles may become embedded and stain the wood.

Several CRA mills pre-treat various redwood lumber products with water repellent, stains or paint. Lumber coated under carefully controlled factory conditions offers some long-term cost savings and can be installed in bad weather with minimum finish problems later.

For interior use, redwood can be coated with clear sealers, stain waxes, lightly pigmented stains, or no finish at all. In kitchens and

To restore redwood's classic cinnamon tones, the trisodium phosphate treatment should be followed by an application of four ounces of oxalic acid crystals in one gallon of warm water, always in a non-metallic container.

For free samples of brochures on interior, exterior, and deck finishes and a complete price list of all CRA materials, write to the California Redwood Association, Dept. MM-1, One Lombard St., San Francisco, Ca. 941I l.