Larch wood is highly resistant to environmental influences, which is why it is often used to make terrace and deck boards. To maximize the resistance of larch decking to harmful environmental influences, it is recommended to coat it with special protective agents. After reading the article, you will know how to cover a larch deck board outdoors so that it lasts as long as possible.
Treated deck board Source strd.ru
About decking board
Wood decking, also called decking, is very popular in our country. Decking can be made from pine, larch, beech, teak, etc. Larch wood is often used as a manufacturing material due to its high performance properties and affordable price. It has a high density and contains gum, which gives larch products high resistance to fresh and sea water, rot, insects, as well as mechanical deformation and damage.
The terrace is located in the open air, so it is exposed to aggressive factors that shorten the life of the decking. These factors can be divided into:
- Climatic – precipitation, exposure to temperature changes
- Biological – mold, insects, vegetation
- Mechanical – constant friction, impacts, scratches
The terrace often gets caught in the rain Source goodeck.ru
Despite its high initial properties, larch is susceptible to the negative influence of the environment. Under the influence of weather conditions, untreated deck boards can begin to rot, become deformed, and lose their natural color. Strict adherence to decking installation technology will delay this process, but after 5-6 years such coating will have to be completely changed. This will require a much larger investment of money and effort than covering a larch decking board with special means.
Untreated grayed deck board Source teplicakirov.ru
Special decoration methods
In recent years, textured painting of wooden coverings has been gaining popularity, emphasizing the original texture of the wood.
Most often, hard fibers are bleached, and the base is tinted in dark colors. It should be noted that this finishing method is far from new and has been tested for centuries and has traditionally been used to restore old wooden structures. It is noteworthy that products made of bleached oak, made in the 18th century, still look stylish and modern.
The essence of this technology is to highlight the pattern of tree rings and emphasize the natural origin of finishing materials.
This effect is achieved in several stages:
- first, the soft layer of wood is removed (with a wire brush);
- then the entire surface is tinted dark;
- the tint is fixed and a protective layer is created (varnish or tinted shellac);
- Hard texture fibers are bleached by rubbing in white crystalline wax.
At the tinting stage, the brushed material is painted with paint that does not hide the wood texture.
To better highlight the texture lines, it is better to paint without using stain. A good result at this stage is achieved by aniline dyes, which are absorbed into the wood without streaking.
In the example given, the texture lines are highlighted in white on a dark background, but there may also be an inverse version of processing a brushed board: wood bleached to a snow-white state is first brushed and then treated with a dark dye.
accepts orders for painting wooden houses within Moscow and the Moscow region. You can find out more about the timing and cost of the work by going to the “Contacts” section.
Calculate the cost of painting and insulating your home right now
Protective agents for processing
To avoid this result, it is recommended to treat the decking. There are three types of paint and varnish compositions suitable for protecting wood:
- Protective impregnations
- Enamels and varnishes
- Waxes and oils, as well as their mixtures
The general requirement for compositions is the presence of the marks “For external use” and “For terraces”. Such compositions are suitable for use in aggressive climatic conditions and are resistant to abrasion. To choose what to cover a terrace board on the street, you need to consider the above-mentioned paint and varnish compositions in more detail.
Applying composition to decking Source primpainting.com
Protective impregnations
If it is important to keep the surface of the deck board natural in appearance, but at the same time protect it from negative factors, the best choice would be to use special protective impregnations. These products do not create a film on the surface of the wood, but penetrate its fibers, protecting it from rotting and the appearance of insects. Protective impregnations can be divided into 3 types:
- Antiseptic primers
Designed for priming the wood surface before applying the finishing coating, as well as antiseptic protection from biological factors. In addition to protecting against insects, rot and blue stains, antiseptic primers reduce the consumption of the finishing coating and allow it to be applied in a more even, uniform layer. UV filters can also be added to antiseptic soils. The most popular antiseptic primers are Tikkurila Valtti Expert Base, Neomid Bio, Woodex Aqua Base.
Antiseptic bioprotective soil Source ozone.ru
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in finishing and paintwork materials
- Decorative and protective impregnations
Designed to create a decorative coating on the surface that has water-repellent properties. These impregnations form a thin film that protects the wood from fading under the influence of sunlight. Biocidal additives can be added to decorative and protective compositions to protect against biological damage. This type of impregnation, in addition to its functional properties, has the ability to favorably emphasize the natural color and texture of wood.
Thanks to the coloring pigments contained in decorative impregnations, they can be used to give wood a certain shade. Among the decorative and protective impregnations we can highlight Neomid Bio Color Classic, Belinka Toplasur UV Plus, Pinotex Classic.
Decorative and protective impregnation Source leroymerlin.ru
- Fire-retardant compounds
One of the serious disadvantages of wood decking is its combustibility and flammability. This problem can be solved by using fire retardants. Substances that prevent biological damage can also be added to such impregnations. Fire retardants do not affect the appearance of the decking. Fire-bioprotective agents Neomid 450, Rogneda Ekodom Ognebio, Pirilax-Lux are widely used.
Fire-retardant antiseptic for wood Source of paint-nn.rf
As can be seen from what is written above, manufacturers strive to make impregnations as universal as possible for use. All compositions have a set of properties aimed at protecting wood from the influence of all aggressive factors. A common feature of impregnations is vapor permeability, that is, the treated wood can “breathe”.
Typically, impregnations are used in conjunction with other protective agents, for example, with fat-containing protective agents. Joint use prevents the displacement of impregnations from the decking and significantly extends the service life of the decking. However, the compositions are often used as independent means. In this case, the coating must be renewed every 2-3 seasons.
An example of the combined use of impregnation and fat-containing products Source gudles.ru
Consumer Opinion
In general, the consumer responds well to the product. But there are also angry reviews that “expose” manufacturers of dishonesty: they promise stability in the geometry of the product, but it rotates around an axis…. It’s just that excessively dry air and excessive heat (for example, in the sun) really have an adverse effect on the condition of the wood. After all, larch is good because it is not afraid of moisture - therefore, it must be used in appropriate conditions.
Let's watch the video to see which is better:
Many users consider this material expensive. But here it all depends on the type of wood you choose. Of course, elite varieties are not cheap - approximately 1850 rubles / sq. m. m. If you decide to lay paths in the garden with larch or lay the floor on an open veranda, it is not at all necessary to buy Elite - the BC grade is quite suitable for these purposes. It costs almost three times less - about 650 rubles. /sq. m.
Users almost unanimously recognized Larch and Massive as reliable domestic manufacturers.
Enamels and varnishes
Another possible solution to the question of how to coat larch outdoors is to use enamel or varnish. This type of coating, unlike the previous one, creates a hard film on the surface of the wood. The resulting surface makes cleaning the terrace simple and convenient. However, this type of coating has a drawback - the film formed is fragile. Therefore, during thermal expansion of the decking board, the film cracks and peels off, ceasing to perform its functions.
Varnish products usually form a transparent, colorless or tinting film on the surface of the decking, which favorably emphasizes the texture of the wood, giving it a richer and deeper color. Varnishes are mainly used for processing products used indoors.
The only type of varnish that can withstand environmental influences is yacht varnish. Such varnishes are made on an alkyd-urethane base and are used to treat the surfaces of boats that are not in constant contact with water. For decking treatment, you can select Neomid Yacht, Tikkurila Unica Super, Pinotex Lacker Yacht varnishes.
Alkyd-urethane yacht varnish Source mile.by
Yacht varnishes prevent wood from fading, becoming dirty and getting wet. But they are susceptible to cracking as a result of thermal expansion of the decking board. Also, yacht varnishes do not resist abrasion well. Such a terrace requires regular updating of the covering every 1-2 seasons. All this makes varnishes not the most successful coating for decking boards.
Another film-forming coating is enamels. Enamels are complex compositions that create a dense, opaque film on the surface. Special additives introduced into the enamel improve its light fastness, resistance to weathering, abrasion and other loads. Terrace boards can be treated with the following types of enamels:
- Nitrocellulose enamels
NC enamels are pigments dissolved in nitro varnish. The main advantage of nitro enamels is fast drying and low consumption. As a result of processing the decking with NC enamel, an even glossy coating is obtained.
Nitrocellulose enamel Source bmskirov.ru
Waxes and oils
If you are wondering how to cover larch on the terrace, then covering the decking with oil or wax is the best solution. These fat-containing compounds significantly reduce the influence of aggressive factors on the decking board. Typically, combined formulations are used based on natural oils of vegetable origin with the addition of wax and other additives. To cover the terrace you can use Tikkurila Valtti Terrace Oil, Borma Terrace Oil, Pinotex Wood&Terrace Oil.
Terrace oils Source tikkurila.com; cmt-shop.ru
Video description
In this video, as an example, a decking board is treated with Borma Terrace Oil:
Oil-wax compounds are the most widely used means for treating decking boards. Their popularity is due to the following advantages:
- The oil impregnates the wood, giving it dirt- and water-repellent, biocidal, anti-slip, and wear-resistant properties.
- The oil does not form a film on the surface of the decking, maintaining a pleasant-to-touch wood surface.
- The oil coating is elastic, so it does not crack during thermal expansion of the wood.
- The oil creates a coating that emphasizes the natural color and texture of the wood, which protects the decking from exposure to UV rays.
- The oil coating does not bubble and is easy to renew.
- Treatment of decking with fat-containing products in combination with protective impregnations ensures maximum service life.
In addition to knowing how to cover a decking board, you also need to know how to cover it. Despite the excellent protective characteristics of fat-containing products, for maximum effect strict adherence to technology is required when applying them to decking.
Kinds
WPC (wood-polymer composite)
It is based on two components:
- wood flour - from half to eighty percent;
- a low molecular weight substance that forms a polymer in a polymerization reaction - ensures the polymerization of the material.
DPK
Accordingly, the material combines not only elements of plastic, but also natural wood. In terms of strength, it stands out for its improved qualities.
For more information about WPC decking boards, watch the video:
DPCT
It is based on various thermoplastics. Among them are:
- polymerization product of styrene (vinylbenzene), a thermoplastic polymer with a linear structure;
- synthetic thermoplastic non-polar polymer from the class of polyolefins;
- colorless, transparent plastic, thermoplastic polymer of vinyl chloride.
DPCT
In addition, several percent of chemical modifiers are added to the composition of the material in question, which improve its characteristics.
Plastic
It is made only from plastic, most often PVC. It stands out for its low strength, but it is more affordable than the two discussed above.
Briefly about the main thing
Larch is an excellent material for decking boards due to its high initial properties. The use of protective equipment will significantly extend the life of the larch terrace. You can definitely answer the question of how to cover larch. The most optimal solution is to cover it with oil-wax compositions in combination with protective antiseptic impregnations. This complex coating is advantageous in preserving the natural color and texture of wood, as well as high performance characteristics.
Features of larch
Boards made from huge trunks are ideal for constructing open terraces.
High durability is due to the unique characteristics of wood:
- In density and hardness it is second only to oak;
- Very high resin content;
- Special resin composition;
- High resistance in humid environments.
For a long time in the Urals and Siberia, houses were built only from larch. Churches, barns and similar structures covered with boards made from this wood have been standing for more than 300 years. Long-lasting railway sleepers and the piles on which Venice stands are made from this type of wood. And this is the best proof of the durability and practicality of wood.
Boards made from huge tree trunks are ideal for constructing open terraces, gazebos, playgrounds, patios, all kinds of stairs, piers and paths. Designers are also happy to use this material for landscaping. In most cases, deck boards are used, which are also called “deck boards”. Its purpose is structures in open space.
Mechanical processing of wood, with all its complexity, allows you to obtain precise dimensions and smooth surfaces of the board. Grooves 2-3 mm deep are cut on one side. On the other side there is a deep groove that serves for ventilation and water drainage. But still, for greater durability, appropriate treatment is needed against rotting and damage by various bugs.
