Proper, routine maintenance which utilises the best available coating system and products can significantly extend the service life of timber in built environments. As a brand, this goal – to prolong the service life of timber and reduce the number of trees requiring felling – is a key motivator behind our work. As such, CUTEK® worked to offer a high-quality wood preservative product, submitting several formulas for an external above-ground timber preservative product. Each formula was required to undergo vigorous testing including a biological challenge against several organisms which degrade timber, including various species of fungi and termites.

In order to ensure true and accurate results, a sample of timber coated with CUTEK® Wood Preservative formula was compared to two other timber samples – controlled samples – to determine its performance: one untreated piece of timber and a piece treated with the industry-standard wood preservative. These samples were subject to various weathering timeframes including: no weathering, six-months weathering, nine-months weathering and 12-months weathering. The intent of this was to induce preservative leaching, natural extractive leaching, timber UV degradation, and degradation due to moisture movement as natural timber degradation increases how susceptible the timber is to biological attack.

Data gained during the weathering process proved CUTEK® Wood Preservative’s ability to prolong timber’s longevity compared to the industry standard, due to its low product-leaching properties. Following the 12-month weathering process, each sample was subject to fungi and termite testing to further measure and test CUTEK® Wood Preservative’s performance.

Trial 1: Termites

Termites are able to cause significant damage to timber structures. Despite this, there are many ways to mitigate this damage including reducing the timbers moisture content, minimising ground contact, using dense hardwoods as opposed to softwoods, and applying chemical hazard treatments (H2, H3). However, not all mitigating options are suitable for all projects. The nature of the structure itself, the type of hardwood selected and its ability to be treated, cost and availability of certain timber types are all deciding factors as to how timber structures may be protected against termites.

The testing CUTEK® Wood Preservative underwent to determine its ability to protect against termite deterioration was measured by the mass of timber which was lost upon exposure to timber destroying termites (Coptotermes acinaciformis). This was compared to industry standard treated timber and untreated timber samples. All samples were subject to heavy termite exposure.

As demonstrated by the table below, CUTEK® Wood Preservative performed impressively against the industry standard and untreated timber after 12 months of exposure to termites and weathering.

The industry standard treated timber retained 39.6% of its original weight and the untreated timber retained 1.6% of its original weight. In contrast, the CUTEK® Wood Preservative treated timber retained 58.9% of its original weight, performing significantly better than the industry standard. Additionally, as the protection abilities of CUTEK® Wood Preservative can be maintained with subsequent coats, timber coated with CUTEK® Wood Preservative can be expected to have an extended service life.

Trial 2: Fungus

Various species of fungus also cause significant damage to timber structures. One of the most common and easily seen types of damaging fungi is rot. Wood rotting fungi thrive in moist, dark environments such as in timber sheds or on decks and boardwalks, which receive little to no sunlight. Although there are many tactics used to combat rot damage, addressing the root cause prior to its appearance continues to be one of the best options available.

To prove CUTEK® Wood Preservative’s ability to mitigate fungi issues, it underwent thorough testing to ensure it could provide the protection required. CUTEK® Wood Preservative was tested against five different species of wood-destroying fungi, and across all five species, performed better than the industry standard as shown below.

Following 12 months of weathering, the industry standard treatment provided little protection against this species of fungus as the retained mass was very similar. In contrast, the CUTEK® Wood Preservative treated timber was able to perform significantly better due to two key factors: its active ingredient is effective against this type of biological attack and CUTEK® Wood Preservative oil minimises the timber’s uptake of moisture.

Conclusion

When venturing into new territory, there is always a question of success which necessitates thorough testing. Based on a series of tests and scientific comparisons, CUTEK® Wood Preservative became a proven performer against several species of wood destroying organisms, as demonstrated be the below graph.

This proves that CUTEK® Wood Preservative not only protects timber in the short-term but outperforms alternate products long-term. Because of these indisputable results, CUTEK® Wood Preservative was able to be registered with Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) as a wood preservative and is now available as part of the core CUTEK® oils range.

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First, CUTEK® oils penetrate deeply into wood to protect from the effects of moisture and improve the service life of timber. With CUTEK® protection oils, timber lasts longer in the built environment. This minimises the frequency of timber replacement and felling of trees.

Secondly, we are always looking for ways to minimise our manufacturing carbon footprint. CUTEK® products are often manufactured with the use of high-grade recycled raw materials which decreases waste streams and incinerations. CUTEK® also recycles many other manufacturing materials such as pallets, drums and cardboard. This leads to a significant reduction in waste and reduces raw material requirements, indirectly reducing natural resource requirements.

Thirdly, CUTEK® is committed to formulating products with lower VOCs that also retain their performance characteristics. Broadly speaking volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are organic chemical compounds whose composition makes it possible for them to evaporate under normal atmospheric conditions of temperature and pressure. Lower VOC products, not only are more environmentally friendly, but provide better value to the user as more product is retained in the timber rather than evaporating to the environment.

At CUTEK®, we take sustainability seriously.

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To showcase the incredibly restoring power of CUTEK® Restore, we decided to apply it to a drab, weathered timber reclining chair. Note, this chair had not previously been coated with a CUTEK® protective wood oil. The chair was severely discoloured and moss and fungi had begun to take hold. We decided to apply CUTEK® Restore to only one side of the chair, allowing the restoring agent to clean and brighten the timber for 15 minutes before water blasting to clean.

The results speak for themselves:

Notice how the CUTEK® Restore easily removes the remnants of the fungi and moss from the surface of the timber. Not only is the timber cleaned, but it is restored. The natural beauty of the grain and the rich colour of the wood returns to its original appearance.

Next up: protect the timber with a clear coat of CUTEK® Wood Preservative to resist the damage of moisture, fungal decay, mould and termites. A simple, fast, cost effective process to ensure this chair has many more summers in service.

Do you have some outdoor timber furniture that needs a facelift? Be sure to drop into your local CUTEK® stockist to grab CUTEK® Restore and bring your old timber furniture back to life.

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Why water and wood matters

Water is the enemy of wood as it is hygroscopic. In the built environment liquid and gas phase moisture flows in and out of timber causing swelling and shrinking. Over time, repeated wet-to-dry cycles can cause timber to crack, split, warp and rot.

One of the core features of hydrophobic CUTEK® oil is that it deeply penetrates into timber, assisting with protection against liquid and gas phase moisture, effectively protecting wood from the inside out. However, not all timber is the same. Different species exhibit different cell structures/densities, and contain different extractives which affect how a particular wood species handles moisture.

To determine the effect CUTEK® oil has on the water intake of different species of timber the CUTEK® Lab decided to test CUTEK® on 12 different species of timber.

The test

We applied two coats of CUTEK® Extreme CD50 on 12 different wood species cuts two weeks apart and left to sit indoors for two months. We then submerged these 12 coated wood cuts under water for four days. Simultaneously, we submerged the same species wood cuts, not coated with CUTEK® Extreme CD50 as a control.

After four days, the wood cuts were removed and surface water was removed. Gravimetric determination was made of the volume of water absorbed by both the CUTEK® coated and uncoated cuts by way of comparison.

The results

Analysis

The results demonstrated that CUTEK® Extreme CD50 has significant impact in reducing liquid and gas phase moisture uptake across all the different species of timber tested. Across the 12 tested species, coating in CUTEK® Extreme CD50 reduced water intake by an average of 54%.

Conclusion

Wood coated in CUTEK® Extreme CD50 offers considerable protection against the negative affects of water penetration. Be sure to stay tuned for further developments and testing from our CUTEK® Lab.

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Traditional wood coatings protect the timber by encapsulation – forming a film over the substrate. The build-up of pigment on the surface obscures the natural grain, variance and beauty of the timber. Initial application can look great with a gloss finish, but once it is subject to water, sunlight and abrasion the coating degrades; resulting in splitting and peeling. Moisture is then able to ingress into the timber and begin the swelling and shrinking process that damages wood.  Screw holes, uncoated ends, joints and the uncoated undersides of timber are also points of water ingress that leads to degradation. With encapsulation coatings, protection is only skin deep.

CUTEK®, on the other hand, penetrates deeply into the timber and, because of its hydrophobic nature, it repels water from the inside. This keeps the timber dimensionally stable, increasing the service life of the timber. This protection stays within the timber no matter the appearance of the surface of the wood.

To complement the protection of the timber, the CUTEK® lab has created a range of CUTEK® Colourtones, to prolong the freshly oiled look and enhance the natural beauty of the timber. This range of colours have been formulated to match many different timber species and design requirements. The pigment in CUTEK® Colourtones help delay the silvering process caused by Ultra Violet (UV) light. UV from the sun causes the lignin to photo-oxidise, creating the silvering effect. The added CUTEK® Colourtone stays on the surface of the wood absorbing UV light to delay silvering, while the CUTEK® oil penetrates into the wood, protecting it from the inside out.

In time, exposed CUTEK® Colourtones will gradually chalk off rather than splitting or peeling. This facilitates easy maintenance; a pressure clean with CUTEK® Restore or CUTEK® Quickclean and a recoat is all that is required. Rather than sanding and countersinking screw holes, punching nails, or stripping for a recoat. Maintenance with CUTEK® products is simple and rewarding. To further increase the life of the Colourtoned CUTEK®, double Colourtones can be used (e.g., 2 Colourtones per 5 litres of CUTEK® oil). This will give a more intense colour and greater UV protection.

To make sure you get the right look on your deck, make use of CUTEK®‘s free samples. This helps you get the right match for your timber. The CUTEK® support team are also on hand to talk you through any questions you may have and how different colourtones interact with different timber species (call 1300 1 CUTEK).

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