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finishing exterior timbers #2640 07/03/06 01:07 PM
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mark anthony Offline OP
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I will be cutting and raising an exterior timber frame deck using fresh cut eastern hemlock and northern white cedar. I am looking for advice on finishing. Brands? Recipes? Can I apply finish on green wood? How to handle end grain? Any comments and suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Re: finishing exterior timbers #2641 07/04/06 05:23 AM
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Zach LaPerriere Offline
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Hi Mark,

I have reread an old thread several times:

http://www.tfguild.org/ubbcgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=12;t=000004

There might be more too, if you use the search engine.

I'm not much of a finish guy, but for ends I've had great luck with anchorseal.

All the best,

Zach

Re: finishing exterior timbers #2642 07/13/06 11:48 PM
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mark anthony Offline OP
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Thanks Zach,

I read the thread and it seems that no one specifically addressed green exterior timbers, although there is plenty of good info for interior applications. Does anyone have any ideas for exterior, green hemlock and cedar? I checked with Sherwin Williams to see and they claim I cannot apply any of their finishes to green wood - it must be dried first. I'd like to use something relatively natural, but I'm willing to use whatever will work. Any ideas?

Re: finishing exterior timbers #2643 07/14/06 06:16 AM
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Mark Davidson Offline
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try a google on
"landark wood finish"

although I do not see a site for landark itself.....

Re: finishing exterior timbers #2644 07/14/06 06:49 PM
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Bill Hays Offline
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I work wood, green and otherwise, and I think all would agree that putting a surface finish on recently harvested timbers will be a pretty frutsrating process. the main issue is that the moisture in the green wood will be moving to the drier surface and pushing any surface sealer out of the way to get there. Conventional wisdom is to let green timber air dry until it reaches a rough equilibirum with the atmosphere. The relative humidity will of course vary from area to area and seasonally, and equlibrium is also different for different species of wood. The Wood handbook, published by the US Forest Service and available for sale on this site has useful information on these points.

Sealing the ends of the timber immediately after harvest is important, however, because it will prevent overly rapid drying - and the resulting cracking and splitting of the timbers - during the drying process. If you could cut or purchase the timber, seal the end grain, and keep them covered but allow the air to circulate around them for a year or so before you built your structure that would be best. Otherwise I think they will tend to dry and split most on the sides facing the sun and wind.

Bottom line, if you can't coat the end grain, sticker and cover the timbers for a year before using so that they will be air dried, I would paint the end grain and build it, then wait a year or so before staining and sealing.

Re: finishing exterior timbers #2645 07/25/06 12:38 AM
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mark anthony Offline OP
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Thanks for the advice - it looks like I'll be building this year and sealing next year, after it has a chance to dry out.

Re: finishing exterior timbers [Re: mark anthony] #33874 07/26/16 09:47 PM
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victoremusic Offline
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Mark,

I'm curious how this ended up working out for you? Did you have any issues waiting for a year to seal it?


“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"
Re: finishing exterior timbers [Re: mark anthony] #34152 04/06/17 06:45 PM
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carpenterrick Offline
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I have also been wondering about this question, I am building a gazebo and wonder how best to protect it from the weather. There is a lot of products and a lot of information out there but it is hard to know what to believe every company claims to have found the perfect solution, if anybody has any advice I'd appreciate it. I tried the thread listed above but the link seems broken.

Thanks

Re: finishing exterior timbers [Re: mark anthony] #34153 04/06/17 07:18 PM
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carpenterrick Offline
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I had been looking up Heritage natural finishes and I like the idea of a natural product, has anybody had any experience with theirs?

Re: finishing exterior timbers [Re: mark anthony] #34154 04/09/17 01:22 AM
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timberwrestler Offline
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Heritage is great stuff. But any finish outside is going to take annual maintenance. Especially horizontal surfaces.

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