CPW Recommended Finishes

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Sikkens cetrol is a 1-3-part oil-based finish representing the highest level among the various oil finishes for cedar and cypres.
Cetrol #1 for your primary application and coloring. Cetrol #23 Plus for your protective topcoat with a soft sheen.

Apply one coat of #1, followed by either one coat of #23 plus, or . . .
two coats of #23 Plus with a light120-grit sanding between coats for the optimal result.

(**It may be noted that Sikkens also has a line of one-coat finish called Sikkens Cetrol SRD.  This is not recomended simply because it is a thick consistency that does not absord as well and tends to result in a built-up finish.  It is also far more difficult to apply because of it molasses-like thickness and may result in unsightly runs.  If not maintained on schedule, it will crack similar to a Spar varnish type finish.)

For more information and PDF application guide: Sikkens Cetrol

If you cannot find a retailer in your area, Sikkens can be bought online at the following site:<http://loghomeshoppe.com/Sikkens_Stain.asp>

For those who reside in areas where Sikkens is unavailable, or who wish to provide a fuller spectrum of pigmented color, we recommend Cabot Stains.  Cabot provides a number of products. A short review, and their expected timelines between normal maintenance. it should be noted that none of the below products is designed for anything more than a single coat. Second coats do not absorb, and result in splotchy finishes of variable absorption due to the wood variable density in the wood fiber. For a further discussion on the techniwues for appliation, please scroll down the page.

Locate a Cabot Dealer near you

CABOT STAINS Maintenance Timeline:
*= 1-2 years, **3-6= years, ***= 5-10 years
* Clear Seal......A natural graying with time. To prevent moisture absorption, Cabot's Clear-Seal Solution (completely invisible) should be reapplied when water no longer beads on the surface of the wood.

* Natural Oil......A penetrating oil that enriches the wood tone while providing a water repellant seal. Cabots Clear Solutions is recommended.

** Semi-Transparent and Semi-Solid Stains..........The wood grain remains visible. It is a finish often preferred because the pigments provide a more organic compliment to the surrounding landscape. Requires a single coat. No primer.

***Solid-Body Stains………….Close to a flat paint finish. No grain visible. The advantage over paint is that the stain penetrates the wood and breaths, from season to season, as the wood shrinks and swells. Requires an oil-based primer.

PAINT
The most durable of all the above finishes, and yet a finish that demands a maintenance schedule that if neglected, will result in peeling and cracking. This in turn requires scraping and sanding prior to new coats. Scraping and sanding the designs of many of the CPW products can be a tedious affair.

Paint requires one primer coat and two top coats.
Paint does not penetrate the cedar as stains and oils do. As a result it does not stretch with the same elasticity as stains from season to season. In certain climates, it will crack and peel from the wood’s dimensional changes.

FINISH APPLICATION
Although sealing or staining or painting your gate does not prolong the life of the cedar, it is often a preferred aesthetic while also helping to maintain the gate's dimensional stability. In most climates, the calculated spacing between the gate and lock-side post is enough, at 3/8", to allow for normal expansion and contraction. This is compounded in certain areas such as southern Florida or Hawaii where there is often rain and intense heat within the same afternoon. These considerations are minimized by a wax emulsion coating on all gates applied in the shop to the top and bottom end-grains of both stiles.

When applying your finish, start with one side, brushing the bottom rail with the grain and then the vertical stiles with the grain to avoid the brush strokes over-lapping. This is for all horizontal rails, not allowing the brush stroke to dry before brushing the vertical stile. Do not apply stain to the edges of the pickets or upper pattern on this side or the stain will run down the opposite side and leave run marks penetrating the bare wood before you are able to finish the opposite side. For those with solid lower panels, do not stain the edges of your open slots until the back side is addressed. Once you turn to the other side, you can then apply stain to the picket faces and edges, knowing the run-off will not absorb against the already stained surface. Check, when finished, the direction of your brush stroke to smooth out any over-laps. Do not, with semi-transparent stains, natural oils, or clear seals, apply a second coat once this first coat is dry. The gate has been sealed, and further applications will not absorb evenly, resulting in a splotchy build-up.

Spray finishes: You can finish your panels with clear seal, natural oil, or semi-transpenrant stains using a common, rented, garden pump sprayer. This quickens the process considerably and although it may require some back-brushing, it is nevertheless much simpler than brushing a thousand pickets. This method is not adviseable for semi-solid stains and paints. Spraying these requires an industrial set-up and requires back-brushing.