Best Finish For Yellow Balau

[johnmc]

A friend on mine has just had a fence constructed with horizontal battens of Yellow Balau and she is wondering what the most appropriate finish would be.

The fence is fully exposed to the harsh Brisbane sun. I was thinking that numerous coats of a decking oil would be required with regular reapplication over time.

Alternatively would an exterior clear tint varnish work ? Less maintenance but possibly yellowing and flaking over time.

Any help would be most appreciated.

[mic-d]

Sikkens Cetol followed by coats of Sikkens Supernatural would be one suggestion. My preference would be to use Spa-n-Deck by the flood company, an acrylic finish which I can't speak of highly enough.
Cheers
Michael

[JB]

Agree that Sikkens would be among the best outdoor finishes. Whatever brand she goes with I would suggest use only oil type finishes. Varnishes/lacquers etc that sit on the surface WILL peel away after a year or so, requiring major re-sanding/preparation to reapply new finish. With oil finish you just maintain by applying a new coat as required (with perhaps a clean to prepare).

Some useful-sounding advice (that appeard on this forum) for applying decking oil was apply one coat a day for a week, one coat a week for a month, and one coat a month for a year. I reckon with that sort of base the fihish should last (with 2-3 yearly extra coats) as long as the fence.

[johnmc]

Thsanks mic-d and JB.

I did a bit of web research on the products you suggested - they sound like good options. It is going to be quite difficult to convince her to apply that many coats of oil as there is a helluva lot of wood in the fence.

mic-d, have you used the spa-n-deck product ? Does it tend to peel and flake after a year or is it more hardy ?

[JB]

In the clear light of day I see I've suggested a major overkill regarding number of coats of Sikkens Cetol needed. This product builds up fairly quickly and three coats maintained yearly should be sufficient.

[johnmc]

In the clear light of day I see I've suggested a major overkill regarding number of coats of Sikkens Cetol needed. This product builds up fairly quickly and three coats maintained yearly should be sufficient.

Ah, that sound much more manageable.

What would be the best method of application ? Simply a rag soaked in the Sikkens and wiped on or using a brush ?

[mic-d]

Thsanks mic-d and JB.

I did a bit of web research on the products you suggested - they sound like good options. It is going to be quite difficult to convince her to apply that many coats of oil as there is a helluva lot of wood in the fence.

mic-d, have you used the spa-n-deck product ? Does it tend to peel and flake after a year or is it more hardy ?

I used it on my deck about 5mnths ago and there is absolutely no sign of any deterioration. Water still ponds. They say it will last up to 4-5 times longer than other products. You should get good mileage given it is a vertical surface.
I think you need to follow the application instructions closely tho. Have a look at http://www.floodco.com/Products/pro_basecoat.cfm for more info on another product in the range and advice on prep for new timber...
Cheers
Michael

[JB]

What would be the best method of application ? Simply a rag soaked in the Sikkens and wiped on or using a brush ?

Brush