Check wood surfaces - signs for healthy wood


A paint on wooden surfaces that are not intact is pure cosmetics. At first, the surfaces are decorative again, but in the long run they do not last long.

Even existing coatings should regularly inspected for damage and if necessary renovated. To make sure that wood surfaces are suitable for painting, Bondex Wood Protection Experts recommend that you first look at the signs of healthy wood, which will help you to check the integrity of the wood surfaces.

Is the wood viable?

Check wood surfaces - signs for healthy wood: surfaces

Load-bearing surface

The surface must be stable or sustainable to be for a painting. If the wood is already rotted or too damp, a coating with wood-based paints will no longer work.

Rotted or drenched wood can be easily pressed in with your fingernail. If so, it should be replaced. For superficial wood damage, such as graying, the surface is sanded down to healthy wood before painting.

Is the coating of the wood water repellent?

Check wood surfaces - signs for healthy wood: wood

Water-repellent layer

Water causes the wood to swell and thus forms the breeding ground for mold and later rotting. The main task of the wood paint is therefore to make the wood water-repellent and to regulate moisture.

If the coated wood absorbs water during a wetting test, it is time to apply wood paint. On the other hand, the water is purged from the wood, it is well protected.

Is the wood coating colourfast?

Check wood surfaces - signs for healthy wood: check

Colorfast wood surface

By sunlight the pigments lose shine and color intensity. The wood structure becomes spotty and the protective layer thinner. This is not necessarily an indication that the wood is completely unprotected. But it shows that the protective layer is used up and soon a new treatment is needed.

Has the wood a rough surface with upstanding wood fibers, it should be sanded off and recoated.

Does not flake off?

Check wood surfaces - signs for healthy wood: wood

No peeling coating

If the paint film peels off and can be pulled off in large pieces down to the raw wood, the wood is exposed unprotected damaging influences. The flaking occurs either because the wood is poorly protected or the object is flawed.

With exfoliated coating must the film partially or completely sanded before the wood is re-treated.

additional Information is available at bondex.de.

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Check wood surfaces - signs for healthy wood

FAQ - 💬

❓ What is wood checking?

👉 Wood checking is a defect in lumber that has the appearance of numerous knife slits in the surface of the board all of which are linear with the grain of the wood. It is most commonly seen in refractory hardwoods such as oak or hickory.

❓ How can I minimize checking when designing with wood?

👉 You can also minimize checking when designing with wood by building panels (smaller width pieces joined together at edges) and boxes instead of using solid wood to make larger members. Think about boxed beams to create a cof If wood is milled into smaller dimensional lumber (no bigger than 2x6) before it is kiln-dried, checking is minimized.

❓ What should I look for when buying woodworking power tools?

👉 Inspect the stock (or better yet, use a metal detector) before cutting. Woodworking power tools are designed so that the direction that the wood moves through the tool (or the direction that the tool moves across the wood) is in the opposite direction of the movement of the cutting head.

❓ Why are rustic wood signs so popular?

👉 Rustic wood signs are a hot new decorating trend, and it’s easy to see why they’ve become so popular. They’re versatile, homey works of art that aren’t out of place anywhere in the house, whether you’re looking for kitchen décor or something to spruce up the front porch.


Video Board: Wood Decay, Rot & Surface Fungi