PRESERVATION
One aspect of preserving wood is preventing wood destroying organisms from attacking the wood. All preservatives are made to stop nature's biological process, so proper precautions with regard to handling, application, and proper disposal of containers is very important. Follow the manufacturer's precautions and consult the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for special precautions.
Most preservatives offer some type of guidelines to the actual life expectancy of the product, but as a rule of thumb, you can expect two to four years before a reapplication is necessary.
Conventional methods used to apply stain or finish may also be used to apply many preservatives. While they may not require the brushing, they can usually be sprayed, rolled, or brushed in the same way you would apply finish. Make sure you follow the recommendations that are on the label.
We now are marketing a dual purpose preservative that offers several benefits to the homeowner. One problem with not having a preservative, which is associated with white pine lumber, is the development of Blue Mold, or Blue Stain. Customers complain that the wood is dark streaked or moldy, and bleach will not remove this condition. This stain actually starts inside the wood and is difficult to kill from surface treatment alone.
Use Shell-Guard for the protection and preventive treatment of wood against termites, carpenter ants, wood destroying beetles, wood decay fungi and for remedial control of such pests in infested wood or wood foam composites. Apply the solution of Shell-Guard by brush or spray until the surface is thoroughly wet (3.5 l per 10 sq m).
Application may also be made by drilling and then injecting the solution under pressure into sound wood or until run-off is observed from entry/exit holes of infested wood. Treatment methods as described yields an approximate retention level of 108 g per 10 cubic cm boric acid equivalent (BAE) in the outer 1.9 cm of the wood.
To minimize borate leaching apply a water resistant sealer such as Lifeline Ultra-2 or Lifeline Exterior after the surface is dry to the touch – in low temperature and high humidity locations this may take 1-4 weeks.
Shell-Guard RTU is a ready-to-use, EPA registered, termiticide, insecticide and fungicide.
Like Shell-Guard concentrate, Shell-Guard RTU is colorless, odorless, has a very low level of toxicity to people and pets and is just as effective for preventing wood decay and insect damage to interior and exterior wood members.
But since it is ready-to-use, you can pour it right out of the container into your pump-up sprayer without the fuss of measuring, mixing and stirring. And if you are not able to complete a job in a single day, don't worry, just pour any unused product back into its original container, put the cap back on and it's ready to be used the next day, next week or next month. The application of Shell-Guard RTU is permanent treatment. You will never have to go back and do it again. The unique formulation allows the active borate ingredient to penetrate deep into the wood thus protecting your home from wood destroying insects and decay for years to come. Shell-Guard RTU's advantage is relatively quick drying time. Your logs will be ready to stain within one to three days after the application. That will bring you to STEP 3.
Next step: STAIN
1. STEP: RESTORE
Restoration products to remove old finishes and make dirty wood look like new
2. STEP: PRESERVE
Special preservatives to protect against termites, carpenter ants, insects, rot, mold and mildew
3. STEP: STAIN
Finishes to protect and bring out the beauty of your log home
STEP 4: THERE
Flexible sealants for every weatherproofing job around your log home