Great Painting Tips recommends ICI Solarscreen for Exterior Wood March 20, 2007
Posted by admin in : Painting Tips, Recommendations , trackbackICI Dulux Solarscreen
I’ve often been asked to recommend a good varnish for exterior woodwork such as outdoor deck, garden furniture, wooden roof panel etc. The concern is often peeling and cracking, resulting in run-down look. Some stick to the hardy types such as chengai to avoid having to paint or varnish the wood.
However, while chengai can withstand the harsh exterior conditions, its uncoated appearance leaves much to be desired. A chengai chair I used to own, and one that I resisted varnishing, turned greyish-white after a period of deliberate neglect. It was quite an eyesore considering that my minimum expectation was that it remained brown. Varnish forms a layer on top of the wood, protecting it from physical abrasion as well as from the elements such as ultraviolet rays, rain water and insects. Wood stains work differently from varnishes by penetrating the wood and colouring it at the same time. It does not form a physical layer on the wood and thus its function is solely cosmetic. One exterior varnish that seldom fail me is the ICI Dulux Solarscreen. It is a durable pigmented varnish based on a resin that gives it its protective properties. Resistant to abrasion and water, it is able to filter out UV rays which is the main culprit for causing to wood to peel and crack and turn flaky. It’s sheen is glossy. Solarscreen comes in 5-litre pack size. One such can theoretically covers about 90 sq m per coat. It comes in 6 different colours as shown below. These colours you see are only approximate and it is dependent on your monitor colour settings.
HoneyPine 16325
Mahogany 12493
RoseWood 14337
AntiqueRed 14338
Walnut 14331
Ebony 10484
Before applying the varnish, the surface must be clean and dry and free of any loose or poorly adhering material. Rub down with a 280 - 320 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper in the direction of the grain and dust off. Apply 1 coat
of Solarscreen and allow 4 hours to dry. Sand down again with a 320 grit before applying 2 more coats, waiting 4 hours in between coats. Note that varnishes are mostly translucent. The more coats you put on, the darker it gets. Thinning is not necessary but if required for ease of application, use turpentine from your paint retailers.
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[...] good product to use, especially on exterior wooden surfaces is the ICI Solarscreen (see post). For indoors, you can use the Nippon Timberlac (see fig. on the right) which comes in Clear Gloss [...]