Painting, staining, and maintenance.
“If the products we make for you are cared for, they will last a lifetime.”
Painting is the first step towards long term care. Improper paint choices will lead to early demise of the timber.
We wish to make a few observations and personal recommendations with the caveat that we are not painters, and make no pretence that these observations are anything other than personal preferences based on experience and acquired knowledge. Furthermore, we do not offer to paint our products here, other than applying a clear one coat sealer, before they are dispatched.
Our first recommendation before painting is to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SIDE OF THE PAINT CAN.
Somehow it has come about that Australians are besot with the appearance of natural timber. More about that in a moment.
Having seen a lot of dilapidated timber joinery over the last forty years, the evidence suggests timbers that have been sealed with oil-based undercoats and subsequent coats and recoating with oil based coloured paints out last timbers with any other paint finish. Those specific others include timbers painted with acrylic paints and transparent stains.
At Macquarie Joinery, all products receive one coat clear oil-based wood preservative and timber sealer we have made for us and call ‘Celtite’. This helps the timber from drying out too much more before the site painter arrives and it is nearly impossible to see that it has in fact been applied after some weeks. It also protects the timber from being stained from gyprock or concrete spatter.
The ‘Celtite’ coat is no barrier to the adherence of subsequent coats of oil-based paints, acrylic paints, or stains.
At the customer’s specific request, we can include in the ‘Celtite’ a Termiticide and Fungicide.
On the matter of clear stain finishes we speak highly of the following products and saying so we seek no reward or retaliation.
Cutek is an oil which should be tinted with one of their ten colours. It is very easy to apply. Softer timbers absorb very readily whist tight grain hardwoods can remain oily to the touch for weeks. We first came to learn about Cutek via a Government project having been specified by The Government Architect. We have used it on chairs made for The Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney, and they remain fully exposed to the weather year round.
Feast Watson Weatherproof Varnish applied over initial coats(s) of Feast Watson Sanding Sealer in our opinion detracts the least of all clear finishes from the timber’s true hue.
Dulux Intergrain is another excellent exterior clear coating with tint.
For internal use, Cabots and Wattyl both provide fine polyurethane clear finishes and stains.
Please also consult your painter and paint manufacturer and paint supplier.