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Do you think your utility bills are too high for the size of your home? Is your home drafty or uncomfortable? Does water condense on the inside of your windows? Have spiders, ladybugs and other insects invaded your living areas? The first step in resolving all of these issues – and more – is an energy audit conducted by a trained professional with the proper tools and equipment. But is it worth it?

Let’s just look at the potential savings in energy costs. One gauge of energy efficiency is to compare your total yearly cost of gas and electricity divided by your home’s square footage of living area. An energy efficient home will operate on about $0.60 per square foot a year. Energy inefficient homes may cost two or three times that amount. You can figure out for yourself how much that equates in energy cost savings per year for your own home.

What does an energy audit do? As previously stated, an energy audit is the first step in the process. Simply put, an energy audit finds the source of any air leaks and determines how bad those air leaks are. The next step is to eliminate the air leaks by replacing faulty weather stripping, door sweeps, etc., and by using an appropriate sealant like Energy Seal® or Woodsman™. Since that subject is covered in “How to Apply Energy Seal™ and Woodsman” for now we’ll just concentrate on the energy audit.

The three basic tools used for an energy audit are a blower door, a thermal imaging camera and a computer loaded with the appropriate software. The blower door in conjunction with the computer measures the cumulative air leakage within the home and provides a negative internal air pressure, so the thermal imaging camera can better locate air leaks. The thermal imaging camera takes actual pictures of the air leaks, so you’ll have a record of exactly where they are located.

There are many utility companies around the nation that offer free energy evaluations and incentives for increasing the energy efficiency of your home. It’s always worth checking with your local energy provider to see what programs are available in your area.

There are a whole host of web sites devoted to providing information about Energy Audits and what they can do to identify problem situations and reduce your energy costs. Probably the best place to start is www.energystar.gov. Besides offering some do-it-yourself advice, you can also find a list of certified professional energy auditors located in your area.

Remember that the Energy Audit is just the first step. Next you have to decide if you want to attempt to correct the problems yourself or use a professional contractor. For log home owners here’s where things can get a bit tricky. Most painters and contractors are familiar with sealing and caulking conventional homes but as you probably already know, logs homes are different and it takes someone with log structure experience and expertise to do the job correctly. Plus general purpose caulks and sealants found at local hardware stores and DIY outlets just don’t offer the performance that’s required for the unique parameters associated with log homes. If you need help finding someone in your area who has experience doing this type of work, give us a call and we’ll try to provide you with some referrals.

So let’s assume you have had an energy audit and corrected all of the air leaks into to your home. In addition to significantly reduced utility bills, what other benefits will you see?

Comfort – Your home will be less drafty and it will be much easier to maintain a constant temperature throughout your entire home.

Water Leaks – In addition to eliminating air infiltration into your home, you will also eliminate water leaks that can discolor or rot your logs and trim.

Less Dust – Since eliminating air leaks stops a continuous flow of outside air coming into your home, it also reduces the amount of dust that accumulates within your home.

Fewer Bugs – Sealing air leaks closes openings used by ladybugs, ants and other insects to enter the living area of your home. Sealing these openings is much more effective and a lot safer than the use of any broadcast pesticides.

The bottom line is that an energy audit is well worth the price and the energy savings alone will typically cover the cost of the audit plus the cost of repairs within the first two years.

Before we get started, let’s look at the difference between shakes and shingles. In many cases the terms are used interchangeably but regional differences do exist. Nationally you will find shake roofs and shingle-sided homes as well as vice-versa. It’s more a matter of semantics than definition.

By far, the best advice that we can offer regarding coating shakes and shingles is to use whatever your shake and shingle manufacturer or supplier recommends. Often shakes and shingles are pre-treated with a flame retardant or other chemical prior to installation, and it may not be compatible with all types of coating systems.

Shakes and shingles present a different set of dynamics to a coating than logs, siding, decks or dimensional lumber.

First, other than hand-split shakes, they are typically sawn or rough cut, making them quite porous. Second, once installed it is impossible to coat them on all six sides and edges. And third, since they overlap each other, you can’t seal them to prevent water from getting in behind them.

This presents a real challenge to any coating that’s applied after the shakes or shingles have been installed. Since the back and top are impossible to reach with a coating, they remain bare and water absorbent. When water is absorbed, the wood will swell. If a coating has been applied to only the exposed surfaces the outer surface will remain dry and the shake or shingle will have a tendency to cup.

Roofs

We do not approve the use of any of our finishes on roofs of any type, including shakes or shingle roofs. Check with the supplier of your shakes or shingles to find out what they recommend.

Shake or Shingle Siding

If you do want to apply a Lifeline™ coating to shake or shingle vertical siding, the time to start the process is before they are installed – but check with the manufacturer first. You can try brushing a coat of Lifeline stain over the entire shake or shingle, but an easier method may be by dipping them.

Rather than using a stain, our Prelude™ Clear Primer is a good option. Besides adding water repellency to all surfaces, it will prevent over absorption of the pigmented stain and result in better, and more uniform, color generation on rough or porous surfaces. 

When the stain or Prelude has dried, the shakes or shingles can be installed. Once in place, they can then be stained and topcoated with a brush or airless sprayer. Back-brushing will also be necessary to get the Lifeline into all of the nooks and crannies.

Just remember – thin coats. You don’t want to flood the surface. Even then, it will still be a challenge avoiding drips and runs when applying Lifeline finishes to shakes or shingles with a brush.

Much of our technical literature and many of our articles refer to pH as it relates to its impact on bare wood and finished surfaces. Everyone should have a basic understanding of what pH means and how it is measured.

Technically, pH is the negative logarithm of the effective hydrogen-ion concentration in gram equivalents per liter of solution. But for those of us whose high school chemistry falls into the category of ancient history, pH is a measure of alkalinity and acidity on a scale of 1 to 14, where 7 represents neutrality and numbers below 7 indicate acidic solutions and those above 7 are alkaline.

The first thing to recognize when dealing with pH is that pH can only be determined in aqueous solutions; that is solutions containing water. It is impossible to directly measure the pH of any solid substance such as salt, concrete or wood. The way the pH of solid materials is measured is by grinding up a sample and soaking the ground sample in distilled water for a period of time. Any component that is water soluble will dissolve in the water thus affecting the pH. The pH of those materials that are totally insoluble in water such as plastic, glass, or oil cannot be measured, and by definition, do not have a pH.

On the pH scale, each unit of change represents a tenfold change in acidity or alkalinity. So a solution that measures a pH of 11 is ten times more alkaline than one that measures 10, and one hundred times more alkaline than one that measures 9. Following is a representation of the pH scale with the pH of some common substances.

Now that we know a bit about pH, how does it relate to log homes? Most wood has a natural pH of around 4 to 6 (measured by grinding up a sample, soaking it in water then measuring the pH of the water solution). We know that anytime an alkaline solution contacts something that’s acidic, some type of chemical reaction occurs. From the pictured scale you can see that both bleach and TSP (trisodium phosphate) have a fairly high pH. It turns out that most stripping and cleaning products like dishwashing soap and laundry detergent also have a high pH. Basic chemistry tells us that solutions of any of these products are going to have some type of impact on bare wood, and the higher the pH the more impact it will have. Of course, solutions having a very low pH like Oxcon™ will have an impact, too, whereas the pH of Log Wash™ is balanced to match the natural pH of wood.

Here is a list of Perma-Chink’s cleaning and stripping products along with their relative pH values:

Product  |  pH

S-100™ 12 – 13

Wood ReNew (in solution)™ 10 – 11

StripIt® 7.0

Log Wash (diluted) 4 – 5

Cedar Wash™ (RTU) 10 – 11

Oxcon (diluted) 1.5 – 2.5

Occasionally we get a call from someone with an older log home who wants to “seal and protect” their logs but does not wish to remove the gray patina that has built up over the years.

Typically they think that some type of clear finish can be applied to their home which will keep water from penetrating into the wood and help retard wood erosion due to sun, wind, and rain. The truth is that there is no clear exterior product that will meet their expectations.

First and foremost, we NEVER recommend the application of Advance or any other Lifeline™ product on bare, grayed wood. The grayness is an indication that the surface fibers have oxidized and lost their integrity. They are like the rust particles on an old steel plate. If you paint over the rust with a latex paint, it will not adhere properly and soon peel off. The same thing happens when a coat of acrylic latex finish is applied onto grayed wood. Since it does not have an opportunity to bond to intact wood fibers, it too, can peel off.

On the other hand, penetrating oil or solvent products don’t rely on surface adhesion so they can be applied to grayed wood without the risk of peeling off. The trouble is that these types of clear products last only a few months – at best.

For example, many clear water repellent products consist of paraffin wax dissolved in petroleum solvents. When first applied they may look like they are doing a great job repelling water since water beads up on the surface. However, within a few months the solvents evaporate and the wax gets weathered off. So unless you are willing to treat your home every six months to a year, they won’t do much good protecting the substrate.

So what’s the best advice we have for anyone who is not willing to remove the gray patina on their home? Our answer is to do nothing. Just like rust helps protect the underlying steel plate from further corrosion, a layer of grayed wood helps protect the wood beneath it from additional damage.

Is this the best way to protect your home? Of course, not; if you want your home gray you should use one of our gray colored stains. But if you are unwilling to do it correctly by removing all of the gray oxidized wood, applying any type of clear coat is a waste of your time and money. Sometimes less is best.

Before we get started, let’s look at the difference between shakes and shingles. In many cases the terms are used interchangeably but regional differences do exist. Nationally you will find shake roofs and shingle-sided homes as well as vice-versa. It’s more a matter of semantics than definition.

By far, the best advice that we can offer regarding coating shakes and shingles is to use whatever your shake and shingle manufacturer or supplier recommends. Often shakes and shingles are pre-treated with a flame retardant or other chemical prior to installation, and it may not be compatible with all types of coating systems.

Shakes and shingles present a different set of dynamics to a coating than logs, siding, decks or dimensional lumber.

First, other than hand-split shakes, they are typically sawn or rough cut, making them quite porous. Second, once installed it is impossible to coat them on all six sides and edges. And third, since they overlap each other, you can’t seal them to prevent water from getting in behind them.

This presents a real challenge to any coating that’s applied after the shakes or shingles have been installed. Since the back and top are impossible to reach with a coating, they remain bare and water absorbent. When water is absorbed, the wood will swell. If a coating has been applied to only the exposed surfaces the outer surface will remain dry and the shake or shingle will have a tendency to cup.

Roofs

We do not approve the use of any of our finishes on roofs of any type, including shakes or shingle roofs. Check with the supplier of your shakes or shingles to find out what they recommend.

Shake or Shingle Siding

If you do want to apply a Lifeline™ coating to shake or shingle vertical siding, the time to start the process is before they are installed – but check with the manufacturer first. You can try brushing a coat of Lifeline stain over the entire shake or shingle, but an easier method may be by dipping them.

Rather than using a stain, our Prelude™ Clear Primer is a good option. Besides adding water repellency to all surfaces, it will prevent over absorption of the pigmented stain and result in better, and more uniform, color generation on rough or porous surfaces. 

When the stain or Prelude has dried, the shakes or shingles can be installed. Once in place, they can then be stained and topcoated with a brush or airless sprayer. Back-brushing will also be necessary to get the Lifeline into all of the nooks and crannies.

Just remember – thin coats. You don’t want to flood the surface. Even then, it will still be a challenge avoiding drips and runs when applying Lifeline finishes to shakes or shingles with a brush.

We are proud to announce our new supply of the widest range of dispensing tools in the industry from Albion Engineering Company. Albion is a high quality alternative to the tools typically found in hardware stores and do-it-yourself outlets. Professional tools, built to last.

1. The Albion Bulk Loading Caulking Gun is our most popular tool for applying Perma-Chink or Energy Seal. It is built to meet the demands of serious professionals, utilizing rugged, heavy-duty all steel drives and lightweight aluminum barrels to reliably dispense a wide range of materials.

Available sizes 20 oz. and 30 oz.

• Professional Quality
• Efficient 12:1 Drive Ratio
• Lightweight Aluminum Barrel
• Double Grip Plates for Long Life
• No Spanner Wrench Needed!
• Barrel Rotates for no-stop application
  • Kit includes 3 nozzles, one spare piston and a steel ladder hook-pull

 2. Albion Smooth Rod Manual Drive Guns are Portable, Efficient, and Adaptable.

Heavy duty cradle smooth rod rod caulking guns. Great for professional use where bead consistency, control and clean up save time and money. A simple push of the recoil releases all pressure on the plunger and instantly stops the flow of sealant. To remove the tube, press the lever and pull back on the rod to expose the entire tube and slip it out of the gun.

Smooth Rod Style Caulking Guns for applying Perma-Chink, Energy Seal, Check Mate 2 and Woodsman.

Available in sizes for 11 oz. tubes and 30 oz. tubes

• Professional Quality
• Smooth Rod for reliable dispensing
• Efficient 12:1 Mechanical Advantage Drive
• Convenient Thumb-Release for no run-on caulking
  • Full size handle for comfortable dispensing

3. Cordless Guns with a State-of-the-Art Performance, Portability and Control.

How Fast is Fast! A Cordless Gun can dramatically decrease the amount of time on a chinking job.

Available in sizes for 11 oz. tubes and 30 oz. tubes AND 20 oz. bulk

• Powerful – 400 lbs. of Dispensing Force
• Fast – Dispense 11 oz. Cartridge in 16 seconds
• Lightweight Aluminum Barrel
• Long Lasting – 12 V Lithium-Ion Battery
• Control – Variable Speed Trigger with Maximum Speed Dial
• Auto Reverse for No-Drip Dispensing
• Comfortable rubber over molded handle. Swivel barrel
• Fast 30-minute recharge. Battery Fuel Gauge
• Ladder pull hook

One of the greatest mistakes you can make when applying a new finish to your home is to use inexpensive paint or stain brushes. You will be putting a lot of time, money, and effort into your project and saving a few dollars by using cheap brushes can compromise the beauty and performance of your new finish!

When applying water-based finishes like Lifeline™, use brushes made from synthetic nylon/polyester, or blends of bristle and polyester. Ever since the industry started moving away from oil-based coatings, brush manufacturers have designed brushes specifically made for the application of water-based stains and clear coats. These brushes are durable, so they’re great for staining rough surfaces. They maintain their stiffness when exposed to water and are easy to clean. You don’t want to use a 100% natural bristle brush for applying a water-based coating, as natural bristles absorb water. You’ll end up with a limp brush that won’t work very well. Also, rough surfaces will quickly wear out a pure bristle brush. Since transparent stains are typically much less viscous than paints, if you use a normal paint brush, the brush won’t hold much product and you’ll end up having to constantly dip the brush after just a few strokes.

Some Features of Quality Brushes

Bristle Quality – As previously stated, choose brushes with bristles made specifically for applying water-based stains. Using less expensive all-purpose brushes will result in drips, runs, and other defects in the finish.

Bristle Retention – There is probably nothing more exasperating than trying to pick loose bristles off of a surface that you just finished. If the finish has dried, it becomes virtually impossible to remove them without removing some of the finish also.

Ergonomics – The brush will be in your hand for several hours at a time. An ill-designed handle will quickly become uncomfortable to hold and work with.

Threaded Handle – Some high quality brushes come with a removable threaded handle that can be removed and replaced with an extension pole. This comes in handy when working on high, hard-to-reach areas.

Choose the Correct Brush for the Job

Use the largest brush suitable for the surface you are coating. You’ll probably need small brushes for narrow surfaces like frames and trim, but when coating logs and siding, larger brushes carry more finish; there will be less dipping to refill the brush, and fewer strokes to cover the surface. Larger brushes also do a better job when back-brushing a surface that has had a finish applied with an airless sprayer.

Properly Using Your Brush

Never press too hard on your brush. Stains and topcoats should be applied with the tips of the brush, not the sides. Don’t try to load too much finish on your brush. A heavily loaded brush will result in more drips and runs. If your brush becomes messy, don’t be afraid to stop and occasionally wash it out. One of the advantages of using quality brushes is that they can be repeatedly washed without harming the brush. One tool that you may want to consider purchasing is a brush and roller spinner/dryer. It will quickly spin most of the water out of a brush after washing.

Care and Maintenance

If properly cleaned and maintained, a good quality brush will give you many years of good service. If you take a break even for just a few minutes, rinse your brush out with clean water and shake out the water. If you are through for the day, thoroughly wash your brush with a mild soap or detergent, shake or spin the water out and return the brush back into its original storage sleeve. Don’t just throw it into your tool box. You don’t want to pick up any contamination like small particles of steel and the sleeve will help retain the brush’s shape while it dries.

Although there is some controversy regarding its cause, the most commonly held theory about the formation of mill glaze is that it is created on logs, siding and trim by heat and mechanical compression generated during a high speed milling process. The combination of compressed wood fibers and high temperatures that melt the sugars, cellulose, and other water-soluble extractives present in the wood end up forming a surface glaze.

If not removed, this glaze can interfere with the adhesion of both water and oil-based coatings since the wood’s cellular surface is not in direct contact with the coating. The best way to remove mill glaze from exterior wood surfaces is by using Wood ReNew, a percarbonate cleaner, and pressure washing. We highly recommend this procedure whenever a finish is going to be applied to new exterior siding. For interior surfaces a light sanding (120 grit) followed by a light washing with a Log Wash solution (1/2 cup Log Wash concentrate per gallon of clean water) and wiping the wall with warm water to rinse and remove the detergent from the wood. This action will also help swell and decompress the wood fibers while dissolving the glaze. This assures the adhesion of our finishes to the surface of the wood.

Over the past few years there has been a lot of talk about volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and how they are concerned with products used on log homes. Here are some frequently asked questions about VOCs as they relate to log home finishes and sealants.

What are VOCs, and what are the risks posed by VOCs to the environment?

VOCs are Volatile Organic Compounds, typically petroleum-based solvents and other liquids contained in coatings, sealants, cleaners, fuels, and other products that evaporate into the atmosphere. Once in their vapor state, they have been implicated in the increase of the ground level ozone concentration. In addition, many of these compounds are designated as health hazards. VOCs are typically measured in terms of grams per liter (g/L). The higher the number, the more VOCs are contained in the product.

What are some of the VOC restrictions placed on stains?

Stains are classified as architectural coatings and both state and federal agencies have limited the amount of VOCs allowed in coatings. Some states, like California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and others, have placed VOC limits lower than those mandated by the federal government. This is why many of the oil-based stains sold in these states are not the same products they were five years ago. Within the next few years it is expected that both state and federal allowable VOC limits will continue to decrease.

What kind of challenges have the VOC restrictions posed to Perma-Chink Systems?

Since Perma-Chink Systems manufactures and sells only water-based coatings, VOC restrictions have not had much of an impact on us, other than increasing the demand for our products. However, there is one method of measuring VOCs that has a minor impact.

Back when VOCs first became an issue, the solvent-based coating manufacturers lobbied that it was unfair to compare a water-based coating with a solvent-based product. The result was a method of determining the VOC content of water-based products by first removing all of the water. Even if a product contains 80% water, this method only looks at the remaining 20% of the components. Although this method of determining VOCs in water-based coatings has fallen out of favor by many coating organizations, it is still used by the states under the direction of the EPA.

Although all of our stains, topcoats, and sealants currently meet or are significantly lower than the VOC requirements for all 50 states plus Canada, we continue to investigate formulations that contain even lower amounts of volatile organic compounds, while maintaining or increasing the performance in terms of longevity and durability of our product lines.

Is there any difference in the quality, color, and durability of low VOC water-based stains versus oil-based stains?

Over the past few years almost all new innovations in coating technology have been in low VOC water-based systems. This new technology has allowed the development of high quality products like our Lifeline™ brand stains and Advance™ Topcoats that not only look great, but meet all of the requirements of a log home. Recent advances in polymers, UV light inhibitors, and mildewcides have significantly improved the look, longevity, and performance of water-based coating systems.

For those manufacturers like Perma-Chink Systems willing to make the investment, this new technology has allowed us to develop water-based products that look better, last longer, and outperform the best oil-based product ever made. On the other hand, one way that high VOC oil-based coating manufacturers have lowered their VOC content is to add fillers such as pigments or extenders to their coatings. The subsequent reduction in solvent content has, in most cases, decreased the attractiveness and longevity of these products.

Why is it important for Perma-Chink Systems to offer low-VOC products to our customers?

Since our inception back in 1982, Perma-Chink Systems has always had a concern for our environment, and we have always taken the environmental impact of a product into consideration during its development. In retrospect, this was and is a very wise decision which has resulted in our considerable growth over the years as people become more aware of the effect products have on the quality of our environment.

Aside from the environmental impact, are water-based products safer to use and apply?

Most water-based coatings have little, if any, odor and can be applied both inside and outside a home without concern. In addition, water-based coatings can be cleaned from brushes and spray equipment with just soap and water. On the other hand, oil-based coatings must be cleaned with mineral spirits which releases even more VOCs into the atmosphere.

Besides low-VOC water-based stains are Perma-Chink Systems’ sealants also earth and people friendly?

Perma-Chink Systems offers a wide range of caulks and sealants including Perma-Chink®, Energy Seal™, Woodsman™, and Check Mate 2®. All of our sealants are low VOC water-based products. We do not make any petroleum solvent-based sealants, nor do any of our sealants outgas xylene, toluene, formaldehyde, or other toxic or carcinogenic components.

Contact Info

7174 Shavers Creek Road
Petersburg, PA 16669

(800) 257-4864 Phone
(814) 669-1958 Fax

Pennsylvania Hours
8:00AM – 5:00PM Monday – Friday

By appointment – evenings and Saturdays

Project Gallery

Bear’s Paw Lodge & Everhart Painting

Bear’s Paw Lodge in Pennsylvania chose Perma-Chink Systems for their lodge retreat. The exterior was finished with Lifeline Ultra-2 in Dark Natural, with Lifeline Advance Satin topcoat. Everhart Painting, a Perma-Chink Systems Preferred Applicator, performs maintenance of the lodge.

Zook’s Masonry & Philip Hess Contracting

One of the oldest (if not the oldest) log homes in the community of Belleville PA is being restored with Perma-Chink sealant.  Owner John Zook of Zook’s Masonry is getting help from Philip Hess Contracting of State College PA for the renovation. Below is an article that appeared in the fall 2017 issue of Kishacoquillas Valley Historical Societies newsletter. The recent pictures show Perma-Chink Stone color being applied with a Kodiak chink pump.  This piece of history sits along the street of this quaint small town with a beautiful view of “Big Valley” from the back windows. Watch for updated pictures as the renovation unfolds.

Fall 2017 Kishacoquillas Valley Historical Societies Newsletter

Liberty Log Finishing

Liberty Log Finishing media blasted, applied Shell Guard RTU, sealed checks with Perma-Chink Sealant and backer rod, applied Prelude and Ultra-2 Cedar and Gloss Advance Top Coat. Before work is the image on the left, completed project on the right.

Ward Cedar Log Home Project

Ward Cedar Log Homes in Maine have some amazing homes finished in Perma-Chink Systems’ Lifeline Ultra-2 in Cedar.

Homestead Blasting Project

Project from Homestead Blasting

The home was blasted with glass bead, then the surface was prepared for stain with Osborn brushes. The exterior was finished with Perma-Chink Systems’ Prelude primer, Ultra-2 Bronze, and Advance Satin topcoat. Exterior trim was finished with Lifeline Accents in green.

For the interior, the home was blasted and prepped with Osborn brushes. The homeowners decided on utilizing Prelude, Acrylic Satin to keep a natural wood finish, and chose Energy Seal Natural Pine. Interior trim done in Accents Espresso, contrasting beautifully with the natural color of the wood.

Amazing restoration projects from Brian Russell of Homestead Blasting in Hillsboro County, NH. Come back to see work-in-progress images or visit their website https://www.homesteadblast.com/.

Homestead Blasting Exterior Blast & Refinish

Homestead Blasting is doing a fantastic job getting the wood prepped for the new stain, just check out this before and after picture:

Brian’s crew blasting off the old finish:

Blasted, washed, and ready for stain!

The finished product!

When preparing a home for a new finish, one tool we typically recommend is a pressure washer. However, all pressure washers are not created equal. Choosing the right pressure washer for the job is critical for the proper performance of our cleaning and finish removal products.

When selecting a pressure washer, there are some things to look for. One of the most important features is water output volume. It should be able to put out at least two to three gallons of water per minute (2-3 gpm). A lower output tends to move the degraded stain and wood fibers down the wall, but does not necessarily wash them off of the wall. For example, electric pressure washes may generate enough pressure to clean, but since they only put out about 1/2 gallon of water per minute, they really are not suitable for cleaning a wall down to bare wood.

Although a good pressure washer typically generates 2500 to 3000 pounds of pressure (psi), it does not mean that you need that much pressure to clean the surface. You want to hit the surface of wood with no more than 600 psi in order to avoid excessive feathering. However, the higher pressure allows you to stand back from the wall and clean off a wider swath with each pass of the wand tip. For removing old finishes we recommend using a 25-degree fan tip or an adjustable nozzle, if it’s available.

One more thing about pressure washers: we don’t recommend running any of our cleaners or strippers through the pressure washer. Our products should be applied separately, allowed to work on the surface for the labeled amount of time, then you should use the pressure washer to wash it off. To avoid streaks and runs, clean from the bottom up and rinse from the top down.

A pressure washer will definitely test the sealant system of a home. Water will undoubtedly enter the home, so have someone inside with some towels and to mark water entry points for later inspection and sealing. Lastly, the wood must be allowed to dry at least a day and be dry to the touch before applying a caulk, stain, or a wood preservative.

For many years oxalic acid has been one of the most commonly used products for brightening and preparing wood surfaces for a coat of stain. Why? Prior to the introduction of organic solvent finish removers in the late 1990s, the most popular paint and stain removal products were caustic chemical strippers which contain sodium or potassium hydroxide. They are still sold at most paint stores, and although quite caustic and somewhat hazardous, they have been used for over 100 years and are relatively inexpensive.

One negative feature of using any hydroxide stripper is that it’s extremely high pH turns the wood dark. After a hydroxide stripper is used, it is standard procedure to apply a solution containing oxalic acid to the wood to bring the wood back to its original color prior to the application of a stain. That’s how Oxcon attained its original description as a “Blonding Agent.” There is also a belief that since it is an acid, it helps “neutralize” any hydroxide residue remaining in the wood, thus preventing wood fiber degradation due to the presence of highly alkaline chemical residue.

Since oxalic acid does do a good job restoring the color of the wood after the use of sodium or potassium hydroxide, as well as removing metallic tannate discolorations, over the years it gained a reputation as being a “cure-all” for other types of wood discolorations as well. One reason is because many discolorations that were attributed to mold were in fact not mold, but metallic tannate or inorganic stains. Somehow oxalic acid also got a reputation for helping remove grayed or photooxidized surface wood fibers. In reality, it does not do a very good job and there are other products, like our Wood ReNew™, that are much more effective.

If not properly applied, oxalic acid can do more harm than good when it comes to preparing the surface for a water-based film forming finish like Lifeline™. Film-forming water-based finishes rely on the integrity of the surface fibers to assure adhesion to the wood. If the surface fibers are damaged and the film does not have intact fibers to bond to, peeling of the applied finish can result.

We have found in our testing that the use of concentrated oxalic acid, or even a small amount of residual oxalic acid left on the wood, can seriously affect the adhesion properties of water-based finish systems.

Like chlorine bleach, oxalic acid is subject to being easily misused. For example, even when properly diluted to our labeled instructions, if left on the wood too long, especially in hot dry conditions, the water will begin to evaporate and the concentration of the acid solution increases proportionally, eventually reaching a point where damage to the wood fibers can occur. Another potential problem with oxalic acid solutions is that when they react with alkaline compounds, they form oxalate salts which are quite insoluble and almost impossible to rinse off with water. They, too, can interfere with the adhesion of water-based finishes.

Most finish removers that are used today contain organic solvents that don’t darken the wood. Since oxalic acid does not remove grayed wood fibers or organic discolorations like brown stain, blue stain, or mold and mildew stains, what are the valid uses for Oxcon oxalic acid?

1. Oxcon oxalic acid is the only product that removes inorganic discolorations of metal tannates and rust. If, after stripping and cleaning the surface, there are still dark colored streaks or blotches, there is a chance that a solution of Oxcon will remove them. This includes some types of “water marks.”

2. If the stripping and cleaning process has turned the wood dark, a solution of Oxcon may help lighten it up.

To properly use Oxcon here are some guidelines that must be followed:

1. Make sure that any product that was previously applied to the wall has been thoroughly rinsed off prior to the application of the Oxcon solution.

2. Oxcon is a concentrate and MUST be diluted with four parts water. That’s one gallon of Oxcon mixed with four gallons of water. The use of a more concentrated solution won’t work any better and will damage the wood.

3. Don’t leave it on the wood for more than 15 minutes. If it’s a hot, dry day, wet the wall down before applying Oxcon and keep misting it with water to keep the acid concentration from getting too high. Never, ever allow Oxcon to dry on the wood. If oxalic acid crystals form from evaporation, they will be almost impossible to remove by rinsing with cold water.

4. After using Oxcon, adequate rinsing is mandatory. While rinsing, pay particular attention to any cracks or crevices where the Oxcon solution may have puddled. No one should ever use Oxcon without having pH strips at hand. Just a trace of oxalic acid left on the wood will seriously affect the adhesion of the finish.

After reviewing a number of past adhesion issues, we found that many of them were attributed to the use, or more accurately misuse, of oxalic acid. There is no reason to routinely use oxalic acid in a stripping and cleaning process just because it has been done it for years. Only use oxalic acid when it’s absolutely necessary. Sometime less is definitely best.