Sikkens coatings do not contain any added lead.

Shade cards and colour labels should only be used as a guide. The following factors will all affect the final colour:

• The natural colour of the wood and any existing coating
• The texture and absorption of the surface
• The way the products are applied
• The build of the coating e.g. Sikkens Cetol HLS plus will look different to Sikkens Cetol Filter 7 plus

On average, every litre of woodstain will give two coats, indoors and out, on two partly glazed doors or four windows.

Providing the surface is sound, there will be no problems in applying Sikkens woodstains. Any peeling or flaking areas must be removed and any bare timber thoroughly sanded back to clean, bright wood.

Bare areas should be patch primed with a basestain such as Cetol HLS plus to even up the colour and then one or two coats of Cetol Filter 7 plus can be applied.

Water-borne coatings are quicker drying and have different flow/levelling characteristics to traditional alkyd based (solvent-borne) coatings.

We recommended the use of brushes designed for the application of water-borne coatings (i.e. synthetic bristle) and not to apply in extremes of hot or cold conditions.

A water-borne coating is generally more flexible than a solvent-borne one, and preferably we would recommend recoating water-borne with water-borne.

However, providing that the existing finish is sound and fully dry, there is no problem with overcoating solvent-borne with water-borne or water-borne with solvent-borne.

On average, every litre of woodstain will give two coats, indoors and out, on two partly glazed doo

rs or four windows.

Providing the surface is sound, there will be no problems in applying these woodstains. Any peeling or flaking areas must be removed and any bare timber thoroughly sanded back to clean, bright wood.

Bare areas should be patch primed with a basestain such as Cetol HLS plus to even up the colour and then one or two coats of Cetol Filter 7 plus can be applied.

Many hardwoods such as Oak, Teak and Iroko, are naturally durable and have their own natural resistance to decay and rot.

Most softwoods and "cheaper" hardwoods are not durable and must be treated with a preservative if they are to be used outside.

Some of these timbers are treated in the factory to stop them rotting, but if this has not been done, Cuprinol Clear Wood Preserver or Cuprinol 5 Star Treatment are ideal for use as superficial preservative pre-treatments.

The use of linseed oil putty for glazing in conjunction with Sikkens woodstains is not recommended.

Putty contains drying oils which are necessary in order for the compound to remain pliable. These oils migrate into the timber and oxidise with the atmosphere unless the compound is sealed by a film-forming system, such as a traditional gloss paint.

Sikkens systems are moisture vapour permeable, and therefore do not seal the glazing compound. The resulting loss of the oils allows the glazing compound to dry and crack, causing a failure of the glazing seal. For this reason we recommend the use of approved elastomeric sealants (polysulphide, silicone or acrylic).

The white deposits found on the plywood surfaces are sodium salts which originate from within the glueline of the plywood.

During the board manufacture, caustic soda is added to the glue mix to render the adhesive more soluble in water. Once the glue is cured, the caustic soda becomes superfluous. Under the influence of atmospheric moisture, it can migrate to the plywood surface and appears as a white crystalline powder. In the normal course of events, the action of rainwater washes these salts away and they are rarely visible. However, in sheltered areas, such as soffits, the salts are not removed by rain action and remain as a 'bloom' on the surface.

The remedy for this is to wash down the affected areas with clean water and a bristle brush (not metallic bristles), thereby removing the salts. Provided that the finish is not damaged by over-vigorous scrubbing it need not be re-treated. It may, at some time in the future, reoccur to a lesser extent before the salts are fully depleted. Again, removal is by washing. This phenomenon seems to vary with the type of plywood and country of origin. It should be pointed out that the loss of these salts in no way affects the strength or integrity of the plywood and does not blister or crack the finish.

In order to highlight the natural features of timber, woodstains are translucent (i.e. semi-transparent).

The final shade achieved is a combination of the colour of the surface to which they are applied and their own pigmentation. A light coloured wood stain onto a dark surface will therefore always allow the dark colour to be seen, and thus the finish remains dark.

To achieve a lighter shade requires either stripping of the existing finish and re-coating or the application of an opaque, paint-like coating (such as Cetol BL Opaque, Rubbol XD Gloss, Rubbol AZ plus or Rubbol Satura plus.)

Sikkens Cetol woodstains offer excellent protection without over-darkening any existing woodstain finish.

Using a coating with no colour and expecting it to work well is like using sunglasses with no shading.

In order to protect timber from the effects of sunlight (and ultra violet light in particular), it is necessary to reduce the amount of light reaching the surface. In order to do this, the coating must contain a pigment/colour, which by their very nature will alter the appearance of the timber.

In addition, clear finishes have less protection for themselves from sunlight, and may become brittle, peel and crack, leading to extra work at redecoration.

Sikkens Cetol woodstains offer the ideal compromise between protection and colour, giving long-term protection with an easily maintained coating, along with a translucency which enhances the natural features of the timber.