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Protecting Natural Wood

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Wood is mainly used for construction and many types of crafts and furniture. Since ancient time, builders have made use of this convenient material and have long since then considered how wood can be protected from weather damage or insect infestation.

Many natural preservatives such as pitch, olive oil and tar were thus discovered and with the advent of modern technology in today’s time, the choices have only been broadened for consumers. The Internet has also become a wonderful source of information on many types of treatment regarding wood preservation.

In the Industrial Revolution, commercially-treated wood was available along with the manufacture of railroad ties. Synthetic compounds were added later on in the pressure-treating process after some time. However, many DIY processes regarding untreated materials have been making the rage these days.

The bane of this is that many environmental pollutants are produced thanks to harmful and unregulated processes in wood preservation. This is especially true in highly industrialized countries where personal and environmental hazards have only increased since their discovery. Government and concerned citizens are always seeking for safe preservatives because of this. When choosing wood, the safety of the product can be determined if: firstly it has EPA certification, second, the list of its ingredients does not contain harmful chemicals and lastly, the label must be researched. Material safety sheets of certain products can either be downloaded online or provided by the store that sells them. It is highly recommended that consumers research the contents of the label.

Modern consumers are more observant of the materials they buy, as they seek for desirable alternatives to synthetic wood preservatives. Truly, the green revolution has opened a window for ancient preservation techniques to come in. Oils in this case, such as thujone, tong and teak come into good use. Another popular example of oils used as preservative is linseed oil, which has long been used by consumers.

Oil is an excellent organic alternative, as it protects wood through a hydroponic process. However, it takes a long time for the wood to dry when using oils, in some case, chemicals are added to hasten the drying process; this technique is especially used for outside preparations in fences, railings and porches as these are susceptible to bad weather.

Wax is another option, but it is commonly used for antique furniture. This is due to the fact that wax’s properties do not change the color of the wood and is resistant to water. Beeswax is also popular and can be bought in supply and craft stores. Hard surface treatments are popular among amateur handymen; varathane, varnish and laquer being the more common ones or you can try other related wood protectantfollow. These are easy to apply and provide long-lasting gloss to the surface where they are applied.

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