In order for a wood product to last longer and not deteriorate too quickly under the harmful influence of natural factors, you need to do a special surface treatment. Impregnation for wood is one of these means of protection, characterized by a number of positive properties. More details about the characteristics and types of impregnations, of which you can find a large number on the market, will be discussed below. After all, the correct choice of product is the main guarantee of obtaining reliable coverage.
Why do you need to impregnate wood?
Wood is invariably popular in various fields, this is due to its environmental friendliness, strength, hygroscopicity, sound-proofing and heat-insulating properties. It should also be noted its beautiful external qualities and ease of working with the material. However, in order for a wooden product to last for a long time, it is impossible to do without providing a protective coating.
Without a layer of protective material, the tree is subject to rot and destruction due to various factors that affect the structure of the wood. Therefore, a variety of antiseptics and materials have been created that are used to impregnate the surface of products. Their goal is to protect the material from:
- Fungal formations;
- Mold formation;
- The appearance of rot;
- Insect colonization;
- Exposure to ultraviolet rays;
- The influence of temperature changes;
- Impact of various types of natural precipitation;
- Mechanical impact;
- Pollution.
In order for a wooden product to last for a long time, it is impossible to do without providing a protective coating.
Protective compounds against pests
The best wood protection products with insecticidal properties will help prevent the appearance of uninvited guests: beetles, termites, ants, etc., which often carry fungal spores and also make passages in the bark. For example, wood-boring beetles are capable of gnawing tunnels up to 40 m long in a tree. Moreover, the damage can be so significant that the boards lose strength and collapse from the inside even with a small number of entrance holes. There are often cases when, for the construction of a house, lumber is purchased that is made from a tree already infested with beetles, the presence of which only becomes evident over time.
Meffert
Woodmaster Anti-bug, biocidal composition (“Rogneda”) (pack of 5 l - 299 RUR)
"Rogneda"
Anti-beetle for wood Propitex (Meffert) (11 kg pack - 423 RUR)
Neomid
StopBeetle Neomid 100 for the destruction of wood-boring insects, the concentrate is diluted 1:4 (pack of 5 l - 1,300 rubles).
Most protective products against wood-boring beetles and other insects are designed to not only prevent their appearance, but also destroy them at all stages of development. In the latter case, the insecticidal solution is usually applied in a greater number of layers than during preventive treatment, and concentrated products are diluted with less water.
It is more difficult to get rid of beetles and their larvae in heavily damaged wood: the drug is sequentially injected into the entrance and exit holes using the injecting method, and after 2 weeks the procedure is repeated. The cost of 5 liters of Anti-bug product is from 299 rubles.
Some modern antiseptics can not only prevent damage to wood, but even treat material that has begun to deteriorate.
Which is better: varnish or impregnation
Determining which product will be better than impregnation or varnish is based on the type of wooden object or structure, as well as the conditions of its use. The surfaces and products best suited for their treatment will be listed below:
- If you need to treat the surfaces of a bathhouse or sauna, where there are high levels of humidity and temperature, it is better to impregnate the wood with a water-based impregnation;
- Cover the surface of the dining table or kitchen countertop with an optimal impregnating agent based on wax or a mixture of natural oils. The price of such products is high, but they create a reliable layer that does not harm human health;
- Wood floors at home can be painted using a variety of paints. To preserve the natural wood pattern, warmth and texture of the material, oil impregnations are used;
- To ensure that parquet boards last longer and the coating does not wear out, they are coated with polyurethane varnish. He does a great job of this;
- Furniture is usually produced varnished.
Wood floors at home can be painted using a variety of paints.
Recommendations from experts
- When choosing an impregnation for wood, it is important to pay attention to several aspects, and first of all, the price of the material. The more any product costs, the more profitable it is to counterfeit it. In this regard, products produced by domestic manufacturers (Senezh and Neomid) seem safer. Their cost is low, which means that counterfeiting these products is not very profitable, although the quality of these products is practically not inferior to the best branded samples from Western manufacturers.
- Before deciding which impregnation is best for you, think about whether additional tinting of the surface is needed. After all, impregnations can be multifunctional, that is, they can perform several tasks at once - not only protect the wood from certain influences, but also give the coating a changed appearance. If you take this point into account, you can save a little.
- Next, you need to evaluate the amount of work and, in accordance with this, calculate the required amount of impregnating material.
- Before purchasing, check to see if there are any cloudiness or iridescent spots on the surface of the liquid. If there is, it means that the product contains diesel fuel. It is better to refrain from purchasing such products. Most likely, this is either a low-quality impregnation or an outright counterfeit.
- To apply impregnation to the surface more quickly and evenly, it is better to use a sprayer, although if this tool is not available, you can use a brush or roller.
- Be sure to wear a respirator! The guarantee of 100% health safety indicated on the product label is nothing more than an advertising gimmick by marketers. Any antiseptic impregnation contains volatile benzene fractions. Their vapors are harmful even in small concentrations.
Wood antiseptic is 4 times cheaper than in the store. Do-it-yourself according to GOST
