This past weekend, I took some 4-year old patio furniture that I leave outdoors all winter and coated it with TufShield™. In the past, I had used linseed oil on the furniture every spring but by the following spring, the sun and winter elements had turned the wood back to an old-looking, dingy and weathered mess. This time around, I decided to use TufShield™ on the furniture instead. Check out the "before TufShield™" chair on the left hand side of the picture and the "after TufShield™" chair on the right side of the photo to see what transpired.
On Friday, I cleaned off the furniture and wiped in down to ensure there was no dirt on the surface. As per the label instructions, I used a 2:1 Base Coat to TS Reducer solution and applied the first coat using a polyester nylon brush that I bought at Home Depot. It was an overcast day and the temperature was only around 13 degrees so the drying conditions were not ideal. Still, I figured it would be a good test to see what would happen! The first coat dried in about an hour so I applied the second coat shortly thereafter. It started raining so I decided to finish up for the day and continue my work on the following day. On Saturday morning, the weather had cleared up and the temperature was up to around 17 degrees, with a nice breeze and sun. I added the first top coat using a can of Top Coat Satin, again using a (new) polyester nylon brush. The first coat dried quite quickly as the drying conditions were pretty good so I added the second coat and waited for it to dry.
Here is a closeup picture of one of the chairs "after TufShield™" so you can see the result.
A few things that I noticed during the application process that you might find helpful:
1. Ensure that your Base Coat and TS Reducer solution is well-stirred before applying it. As per the label instructions, don't use the Base Coat directly out of the can. I used a spare empty can that I had but you might use a pre-tested can or container to combine the Base Coat and TS Reducer in the recommended ratio. Again, ensure the mixture is well-stirred before using. Properly close the Top Coat can and TS Reducer can once you've extracted the required amounts. The Base Coat is especially susceptible to moisture so close the can as soon as you have used it!
2. Always stir the Top Coat before using it. The Top Coat Satin in particular has ingredients that will settle over time so it's especially important to stir the can before extracting the required amount that you're planning on using. I stirred my can of Top Coat Satin and did notice some settling but the stirring quickly rectified the situation.
3. Remember that the curing time (ie. drying time) of the Base Coat and the Top Coat is a function of time and temperature. In other words, your weather conditions will greatly effect how long it takes for each coat to dry.
4. Preparation is very important. Remember to ensure your wood is clean and is properly prepared as per the TufShield™ label instructions depending on the conditions of the wood before applying TufShield™ products.
Labels: application, furniture, tufshield, wood finish
Further to the May 7 blog posting, check out the picture to the left hand side which shows the difference between the untreated chair on the left hand side and the TufShield™- treated chair on the right side following a rain storm. The untreated chair absorbed the rain water while the TufShield™-treated chair repelled the water. After taking this picture, I simply wiped off some of the water and the rest dried quite quickly once the weather improved.
