At Hillsigns I am making dozens of planters from re-purposed timber. They come in all shapes and size. Triangular, troughs, trug type, wall hanging and square. But they all have one thing in common. The finish. It's important to protect them through years of rain, freezing, heating and sun. I suggest that they are brought in over winter but that's not always possible or practical and so I have to assume they will be outside for years.
During construction I only use D4 grade exterior quality adhesive. Every joint is screwed and glued. I have planters here that have, in fact, only ever been glued and clamped and the joints are showing no signs of splitting or moving.
When all the work is complete I use a water based, ecologically safe anti-mould treatment.
The product is called Tiger Kit Wood Treatment and comes in powder form and mixes with water. It's non-toxic and takes just one coat to protect the wood. It tends to add a darkening effect to the wood, giving and aged appearance. It works well on spruce but turns oak black!
After allowing a few hours, or overnight to dry the grain is sometimes raised by the water and so some additional sanding is required.
Finally the wood needs a oil treatment to protect it. I have tried many! I have tried the most expensive and the best brands but none come close to the Screwfix product used for decking oil. It brushes on easily and has a pleasant "new" smell that enhances the wood.
It's their basic "No Nonsense" product and is excellent. It soaks into the wood rapidly and required just two coats. The final finish is resilient to the rain. I have had timber in the garden coated in this way for over 2 years and there is no sign of any deterioration at all.
These simple, proven methods of finishing my products ensures they will last for years and look great when planted out whatever the season, what ever the weather.
April 2020
Comments