When you buy a log cabin, you’re buying something that you want to last a life time, something that feels strong and secure, something that retains the heat and does not feel draughty. And you will get none of these if the main building material – the timber – is not of the highest quality.
Two Bedroom Log Cabins
What wood is best for log cabins?
Strength, durability and weather resistance – that’s what you’re looking for in the walls (internal and external), floor and roof of your log house or timber home. And we are very proud of the quality of the timber in all of the log cabins we build.
The timber we use is sourced in Russian forests and is of such high quality that it is in high demand among manufacturers of a huge amount of different items, including dimensional lumber, engineered wood, wood products, cellulose and paper products. There is a huge demand in the construction industry worldwide for Russian timber, because of its high quality, strength and durability. Russia holds twenty per cent of the World’s forestry. The industry is managed on a sustainable basis and has been managed so for over a century. When you consider that it can take a tree one hundred and fifty years to reach maturity, you can appreciate the wisdom and foresight of the producers back in the nineteenth century.
You can read more about the Russian Timber Industry here.
If you look around you right now, you’ll see that you are surrounded by timber products. Doors, skirting boards, architraves and furniture. But don’t forget the wall studding behind the plasterboard walls in your home, the floorboards, roof beams, purloins and all of the elements that make up the roof of your house. Examples of everyday items you might come across that may be made of Russian timber include tables and chairs, beds, furniture, decking, garden furniture, exterm=nal cladding for buildings, and of course, log cabins!
Is Irish Timber Good Enough for Log Cabins?
Irish timber is not good enough for your log cabin. It does not have the reliability, strength or durability required from a structural point of view, and it is not dependable enough to make your cabin last a lifetime.
The climate in Ireland is excellent for fast-growing timber – it takes 40 years to grow a full-size Norway Spruce in Ireland because of the warm, wet climate. That growth rate is excellent if you want to produce raw materials for some markets, such as for energy, or where the timber does not need to be very accurate, such as for fencing, posts or poles.
But in a log cabin, you need a timber that will not warp, twist, bend or crack over time, especially when exposed to the variations of internal warmth and external cold, or the expansion and contraction due to the big variations in relative humidity which will be experienced regularly, both Summer and Winter, in Ireland.
But the Norway Spruce we use in our log cabins grows near the Arctic Circle, and takes 150 years to grow to the same size as an Irish tree would reach in a quarter of that time! While the slow growth rate is not a boon for the Russian forestry owner, it is great when you’re looking for timber with an extremely tight grain. The slow growth rate means that as the tree grows, it grain remains extremely tight. This tight grain can be easily seen in the cut ends of any of the wall timbers in our TimbeLiving showhouse walls. Come visit us in Tullow, Boyle or Carrigaline and you’ll see straight away what I am talking about :-)
What are the benefits of slow-growing logs?
The planks used to fabricate our log cabins are long, load bearing and precision engineered. So we need excellent, hard reliable timber that can be depended on, firstly in the manufacturing environment, so that it won’t splinter or chip, and more importantly, in the lifetime of the log house or log cabin, so that it won’t twist, bend, split or warp.
The timber we use is so good that, when we build, we can afford to leave the cabin for up to a week between our first build, when we put up the exterior walls, the floor and the ceiling boards, and the second week, when we erect the interior walls and doors, the floor, all of the insulation and the roof cover.
During the intervening week, our ceiling boards are exposed to all elements. But we are quite happy to leave these nineteen millimetre boards exposed to the rain, even for a very wet week. We can do this because we are happy with the quality of the timber. These ceiling boards will be fine once the roof cover is applied. We have never had a problem with this method of construction, in over twenty years of building log cabins in Ireland.
How to tell the quality of the wood in a log cabin.
Take a look at the end-cut of any wal lin the log cabin you’re viewing- the wood rings need to be very tight, as in the picture below. As you will know, each ring represents a year of growth. Tight rings mean that the tree grew slowly. ( In faster growing timber, the fibres are looser, and the wood is just not up to scratch.)
Slow growth in a tree means strength, as the fibres in the wood are very, very compact, which gives the strength, hardness, structural reliability and durability required for a quality log cabin or timber home.
If you want to see high-quality timber in a log cabin, come and visit our showhouses in Tullow, Boyle or Carrigaline. Contact us for details.
If you’re thinking of buying a log cabin, there are a number of questions you need to consider and get answers to before you proceed. That’s why we thought it would eb useful for you if we drew up a complete list of all the things to consider whenwhen buying your log cabin.
Location, location, Log Cabin location
Before you build your log cabin, you’re going to need somewhere to put it! So, where are you planning to build your log cabin? Is your site big enough to fit your log cabin? Remember that you will need a reasonable amount of space between the log cabin and any adjoing walls/hedges in order to get in to treat the log cabin walls. This treatment is required every three or four years, and needs to be done well. If you’re unsure about the space you have, take measurements of the site, and PLENTY of photos, and come visit us at one of our showrooms. We can give you a good idea of what is feasible once we hae the information.
Water and Power Connections
What about water and electrical connections? Are there sources nearby? Often, when people are building near an existing house, (like building a granny flat in the back garden) the existing water connection for the house is easily tapped into. It is usually very straightforward to connect up to the electriccal power for the house too. But there are some cases where you might want a seperate electrical meter. obvoiusly, ythere’s the billing issue. Oftentimes, people want their own independence, and are reluctant to share bills, which is very understandable. It is very straightforward to get a second connection and meter from the ESB, and you do not need planning in order to have one installed.
Another reason for a seperate electrical connection is if you pan to use an electrical power shower and undersink water heater in your log cabin. In this case, if there are alreay a number of electric showers in the existing house, there might me the possibility of your power being tripped, since these power showers use a large amount of power while they’re running. This is not an issue in all houses, so its best to ask your electrician to recommend a solution. And also ask the inportant question – “What are the connection fees going to be?”
You also have to think of the septic tank, or the sewerage connection. Make sure that your cabin is at the right height to connect to these services! There are solutions to this – storage tanks and pumps, but you will need to talk to an expert in this area.
Letting the sunshine into your log home
Orientation is a very important factor for any home, because sunshine brings light, but more importantly, free heat. (Did you know that south-facing houses get a better BER than others, purely because of the fact that they gain a lot of free energy as a result of the solar gain of their south-facing aspect?!) So, when you are choosing your log cabin, always keep in mind the south facing orientation, and don’t forget to consider the hadows from any adjoining buildings. Of course, a log cabin interior cabin be brightened up a lot by painting the interior a bright colour, so all is not lost if you are in shadow.
Click for Log Cabin Finance
A Quality Log Cabin will Last a Lifetime
Whatever you do, buy a log cabin that is built to last. Visit our showhouse and you will istantly experience the sturdiness, strength and security of our log cabins. We use the finest of Siberian-grown Norway Spruce (Read aour blog post about log cabin timber here: https://timberliving.ie/post/what-timber-should-a-log-cabin-be-built-with
Unless your log cabin wall is over 6 inches thick (150mm) you will need a double wall construction, with insulation in the cavity. Our walls are at least seven inches (175mm) thick, which includes a four inch cavity. If you wish, you can increase the cavity size, or put more insulation on the interior or exterior walls. Talk to us about all of the options.
Financing your Log Cabin
A log cabin is a great investment! Most people have their log cabin paid for with five years rent or less – it’s a no-brainer. But you might not have five years rent saved up under the matress, so you’ll need finance. Your Credit Union is probaby the cheapest place to get finance for your log home, or you could apply to Flexifi (Just click on the image above to get to the application form.)
Is a Log Cabin Cheaper to Build?
Of course, the answer to this question is a resounding “YES!” Log cabins are a lot cheaper to build than conventional block built structures – up to 50% fifty per cent cheaper, by many accounts. The costs are kept down on log cabins by a couple of major factors – labour costs are lower on a build that takes a matter of weeks rather than months – that’s self explanatory. But what’s not so obvious is the fact that the cost of the raw materials is so much lower. A double wall of cement blocks costs a huge amount to produce, because so much energy goes into making the concrete, and energy is expensive these days. Per square metre, a double timber wall, well insulated, is a lot cheaper than the equivalent block wall.
Log cabins are built very quickly
But that’s not the only good reason to buy and build a log cabin. The next main practical reason to build a log cabin is the speed of building. From the date that you first order ypour log cabin to the completion date is on average three months (faster if we have the model you are looking for in stock). Doesn’t three months sound a lot better than twelve months?
Then there’s the extra site damage that comes hand in hand with block building – all that storing of materials on site for months, causing mayhem in your garden! Who wants that?!!
Buying a Log Cabin
So, if you’re buying a log cabin in Ireland, there are lots of questions you need to answer. But the most important question is who to buy from. And we at Timber Living have been supplying log cabins in Ireland for over twenty years. We have sourced the highest quality cabins available in Europe, and we offer them to you, delivered, built and well insulated.
People often ask “Should we build log cabins or block built homes? What’re the major differences between them?”
Where do we start?
Log cabins are cheaper to build, and if that doesn’t make you look more carefully at the log cabin option, we don’t know what will!
Log cabins are quicker to build. You can have a standard two-bedroom log cabin built in four weeks.
Log cabins are MUCH better for the environment. When you look at the carbon footprint of concrete or the heating inefficiencies of block-built houses, you’d wonder why we build with concrete at all!
Log cabins are healthier to live in. Regulated temperatures, fewer cold spots and damp potential all add up to a much cosier, healthier environment than a standard, block-built house.
Log cabins or block built homes
The legacy of block built homes
If you’re Irish, you were probably brought up in a block built home, or something even colder! Like a stone-walled farmhouse with two-foot thick walls, and single glazed windows which were covered in condensation every winter morning! But there’s no point in building using this thoroughly outdated technology. Block building is really not a very sensible way to build, and the main reason it continues in Ireland is that there’s a lot of expertise in block building, and there is serious infrastructure established for the production and delivery of concrete blocks, cement and all of the ancillary tools required to build with them.
But we often challenge people to give us three good reasons to build in block instead of timber. Once people get past the fact that we’re used to block, and block is very sturdy (so is timber, by the way) they are lost for a third goodreason!
Which is cheaper? Log cabins or block built homes
Log cabins are cheaper to build for a number of reasons: you don’t need a number of people on-site for weeks building a wall block by block. So, the cost of labour is reduced, and that leads to a significant saving on the overall project. The cost of materials is also significantly lower than that of concrete and steel build buildings. The amount of energy that goes into producing concrete obviously leads to an increase in cost for concrete and steel products. it doesn’t take a genius to understand that this extra cost is passed on to you, the consumer.
Log cabins are built quickly, with less mess
“Which are built quicker – log cabins or block built homes?”
Because your log cabin is produced in a high-tech factory and all of the pieces are cut to size to the millimetre: there is no need for on-site adjustment to delivered pieces. They all just slot into place! If you ever see a log cabin being built, you will be stunned at the speed in which they go up. And a building that is built quickly means less damage to the grounds around the building, less repeated movement of heavy machinery, less refuse, litter and rubbish that can gather over time. There are lots and lots of benefits to a quick build.
And of course, a quicker build means reduced labour costs. This is a major advantage. Compare the amount of labour cost of a block-built house – EACH block having to be handled multiple times, concrete to be applied to EACH block, EACH block placed perfectly vertical and horizontal and squared off, NUMEROUS blocks having to be cut for corners, doorways and windows… It’s a ridiculous way to build, when you think about it!
Log cabins are environmentally friendly
If you were asked “which was more environmentally friendly, log cabins or block built homes?”, it would not take you long to decide! The carbon footprint of concrete and steel production is HUGE! Nobody with any concern for the environment would ever build a block built home. In fact, it is the opinion of this writer that block build houses should be banned under the latest building regulations. What is the point in building an A2 rated house to save carbon emissions over time, if that same house has produced years equivalent of carbon emissions in its production? Pure madness!
After water, concrete is the most widely used substance on the planet. But its benefits mask enormous dangers to the planet, to human health. If you’re trying to decide between log cabins or block built homes, here’s an article from the Guardian on the impact of concrete on the environment, if you need any more convincing. Concrete: the most destructive material on Earth It’s really remarkable to read about concrete. And unbelievable to think that concrete production is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions.
Log cabins create a healthy environment
Log cabins are healthier to live in
Which would you say generates a more healthy interior environment, log cabins or block built homes? Of course its log cabins, once they are well built, well-insulated and draught-proofed, and built with a double wall.
Because of the absence of plasterboard walls, there is very little dust in a log cabin. The natural wood walls resonate with our own natural needs. They exude a warmth that you will not get from plasterboard. They even reflect sound in a very natural way, smoothing off louder, harsher sounds and helping everyone to relax!
Everyone who walks into a Timber Living showhouse automatically feels cosy and at home. In fact, people often stop at the door of our show houses for a minute, just to take in the calm atmosphere, as it is so unfamiliar to them. So many people have said to us when they walk into one of our show houses “it’s just like going back to nature.”
If you’d like to experience this for yourself, you should come to visit us at our show cabins. We have a two and three-bedroom cabin showrooms in Tullow. We have a two-bedroom cabin in Boyle, Co Roscommon, and we have a three bed at our showhouse in Carrigaline, in Cork. You’ll get all of the contact details on our website our the Timber Living Show Houses page.
Yes – putting paint on the exterior of your log cabin is a no no. Your wooden house has to breathe – you cannot let moisture get trapped within your wood. So we always recommend using a high quality wood stain, like SIKKENS.
Can you paint a log cabin exterior?
Can you paint a log cabin exterior? is is a great question, and one of the questions we are asked all of the time. People get confused between PAINT and STAIN. The main difference between the two in=s that paint will seal the timber, while a stain will let the timber breathe. It is important not to seal your timber, since that can trap any moisture within the wood, and moisture and wood are not good bed-fellos! You can get mould forming, and rotting will occur too. Not a good situation for the log cabin owner!
Cavity wall log cabins
We offer high quality, well engineered double cavity walls in all of our log cabins. This means that our cabins have an insulated cavity, a minimum of 100mm or four inches (this can be expanded if desired) , and that will ensure a warm, dry, easy to heat and mould free log cabin interior. Remember,though, that the timber faces of the walls within the cavity cannot be painted or treated, so any moisture that might get in their in moist winter air needs to be able to escape. If you paint the exterior of your cabin, you will trap this moisture within the cavity wall, and that can lead to issues further down the line.
Log cabin paint colours
Sikkens, a timber paint and stain manufacturer based in the Netherlands, offers “A Rainbow of Colours for your log home”. Below is am image from their website of their Joinery Colour Classics.
SIKKENS Joinery Colour Classics
So, what do they say about their timber stains collection?
Joinery Colour Classics (JCC) combines the most popular opaque and translucent colours in Europe in one comprehensive collection.
Finally, the Joinery Colour Classics give log cabin owners a standardised collection of the most popular wood coatings in the whole of Europe – with perfectly matching coverings and hues. The Joinery Colour Classics are ideal for coating of dimensionally true wood parts for exterior applications.
They also offer a range of colours, expanding the choice for log cabin owners. This new range is called “Never Ending Impressions”.
SIKKENS Never Ending Impressions
SIKKENS Never Ending Impressions NEI collection, developed at the Akzo Nobel Aesthetic Center, shows the entire spectrum of harmoniously balanced colours of subtle to vivid expressiveness, ideal for TIMBER LIVING log cabins, garages and garden offices exteriors..
Preventative wood protection and a naturally beautiful colour collection are typical features for SIKKENS translucent coats.
This leaves more room for creative freedom and the implementation of the very personal taste in colour on your log cabin. If SIKKENS is good enough for Walt Disney and McDonald’s, then it just might be good enough for you!
Where to get your log cabin colours?
Sikkens is available at all Pat McDonnell Paints Stores (Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Kilkenny, Athlone and Tralee) www.mcdonnellpaints.ie
You should also be able to get them from you local hardware store. Many stores offer a basic range of Sikkens stains, but you may need to order specific coours through the Dulux rep that deals with your ocal shop. A note of caution – the colour charts they offer are not very accurate, because different stains will come out with different shades, depending on the timber they are applied to. This is due to the translucencs of the stain itself, and cannot be helped.
unfortunately, you will need to buy a couple of the smallest pots with different colours, and try them out on the log cabin timber. (Make sure the lads from Timber Living leave you some clean timber onto which you can apply your samples). These samples are not the cheapest (it cost me about €15 a tin!), but you want to get the job right at the end of the day.
How many coats of stain does my log cabin need?
Before you apply any stain to your log cabin, you should apply two coats of ordinary wood preservative. This is a quick job, but it is important. Once that is done, you will need three coats of Sikkens. Read the instructions carefully. Sikkens offer one product that is especially for cabins with high exposure to sunlight. It has UV protection built in. Normally, this is not required in Ireland, but have a good chat with the Dulux rep and read the technical information supplied by Dulux before you proceed.
And feel free to give us a call to discuss this further, or visit one of our showrooms to see the real thing.
A Log Cabin is a great investment – very cost-effective, quick to build, easy to heat and environmentally friendly (what other building construction type has a lower carbon footprint!). And, at TimberLiving we have such a wide range of cabins, from small one-bedroomed to BIG three-bedroom log cabins, so you can be sure you will get exactly what you’re looking for. And they look SO good once they’re built!
You may be considering the purchase of a log cabin but someone has put you off by highlighting some of the following myths. But don’t be put off – maintenance is a lot easier than you might think.
Beautiful, low-maintenance Log Cabin Exterior
Log cabin maintenance often gets talked about as a potential drawback compared to building a house from other materials. You will be surprised to find however that on balance, a log home will cost you a lot less in the long run. Wood is a remarkable material, and once it is treated well, it will last a lifetime. (They build boats out of wood, after all, and have done so for millennia. As long as the wood is treated properly, it will last and last.) Most of the ill-informed myths you hear about log cabin maintenance stem from stories where cabins have been badly built, badly treated or poorly maintained. Any of the following myths are as much down to people not looking after their wood properly as to anything bad about building a timber house.
Myth 1. Prepare yourself for a lot of maintenance work
If you build your house and follow the recommendations of any of our staff at Timber Living Log Cabins, then you can reduce any maintenance potential issues significantly. The exterior needs to be treated only every three to four years – just like any house!
Myth 2. Log homes attract mould
This myth is actually true in some cases. We have seen cabins with a lot of extensive mould, and you will definitely get mould in your log cabin if it is incorrectly built. Your log cabin needs a cavity wall and some decent insulation. (We offer 100mm cavities, filled with insulation, as standard.)
Do not buy a single wall (75mm or 90mm thickness, as offered by some companies) cabin, unless you intend to insulate either the interior or exterior of the wall. The reason these single-wall cabins get mould is due to the warm moist air inside the cabin coming in contact with the cold surface of the wall. The dampness settles on the wall and mould appears. Oftentimes, the mould only appears behind presses and other unseen spots, because the heating in the room warms the exposed walls, but the walls behind the presses remain cold, leading to mould forming.
Any house type can suffer from mould. The important thing is to keep your log home insulated and double-glazed while allowing air to circulate. Wood also happens to be naturally good at allowing air to circulate.
How do you maintain a log cabin?
The main element of Log cabin maintenance is the exterior “painting”. We talk about painting a log cabin, but actually, you need to use a solvent-based stain rather than paint on your log cabin. Paint is a sealant, and your log cabin timber needs to be able to breathe. Moisture is not good for wood, and painting a log cabin seals the surface and will trap any moisture inside your cabin. There are a number of different wood stain suppliers available.
Best exterior paint for log cabins
We highly recommend SIKKENS wood stains as the best exterior paint for log cabins. This is a Dutch product which is widely used and highly recommended. Their HLS Plus product is a solvent-based, highly translucent wood stain. Its low viscosity makes it ideal for use on bare timber.
Dulux is the distributor, and you should be able to get it in your local hardware store. Normally, they have a basic range available in-store, so ask behind the counter for the colour charts. They will probably have to order directly from the suppliers. They also recommend two coats of standard preservatives before any work is done, especially concentrating on any wood ends, where a lot of preservatives will be soaked in.
Treat your Log Cabin Exterior with Sikkens
A wide range of log cabin wood stain colours are available. The only problem with Sikkens is that they don’t offer cheap trial pots, so you will have to invest in a few of their smallest tins. But be sure that you do trials – the colour charts are not very accurate. Because the stain is translucent, the type/colour of your wood will affect the final colour of the building.
How often should I “paint” my log cabin?
First of all, you don’t paint your log cabin, you stain it. (See above). Depending on the location of the log cabin, and exposure to the elements (sunlight as well as harsher wind and rain) you will need to re-stain your log cabin every three or four years. Sikkens has a specific stain for UV protection, which can be used as one of the three coats required. You should apply this if your cabin is located in a sunny spot. Read their spec sheets carefully!
How Long will a Log cabin Last?
A good question! And the best answer we can give is that a log cabin will last a lifetime, as long as the wood is treated well. The picture below is of a 500-year-old timber-built house we saw in Brittany when on holidays over there.
We build our cabins so that they overhang the concrete base by 10mm all around. We also run a throat-ed rain sill all around the bottom of the cabin. In this way, water will never pool under the cabin. This is a crucial detail, and the most important one in ensuring the longevity of our log cabins.
Log Cabin Maintenance Checklist
What are the main things to check when maintaining your log cabin?
Stain the exterior every 3-4 years
Check that all walls are free from contact with soil/stones etc.
Ensure gutters are free from leaves/blockages and operating well.
Maintain mastic seals around windows.
Best exterior paint for log cabins
We highly recommend SIKKENS wood stains as the best exterior paint for log cabins. This is a Dutch product which is widely used and highly recommended. Their HLS Plus product is a solvent-based, highly translucent wood stain. Its low viscosity makes it ideal for use on bare timber.
Sikkens Cetol HLS Plus is a low-build satin basecoat and wood stain for most exterior woods. It can be used as both a basecoat and a finishing coat depending on the project you are doing.
https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/…
It is resistant to UV, surface mould and algae, peeling and cracking. The wood grain remains visible and it can be over-coated with Sikkens Cetol Filter 7 Plus.
It is an ideal product to use on softwood, hardwood, plywood, block board and particle board, such as cladding, fascias, architraves, timber frames, fences, and sheds.
Preparation
Wood to be treated with Sikkens Cetol HLS Plus should be clean, dry and free from surface dirt, debris and surface coatings such as paint or varnish.
Degrease any exposed bare timber surface by wiping with a cloth dampened in a suitable solvent.
The use of ‘knotting agents’ is not recommended with translucent finishes as they are not always fully effective in sealing in resin, the presence of knots is often highlighted and adhesion of coatings can be impaired.
When filling, be sure to use fillers specifically designed for use with timber. General or all-purpose fillers may not be suitable.
Applying Sikkens HLS Plus
Always do a test area before starting any project to test adhesion and final finish. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the tin at all times.
Ensure that Sikkens Cetol HLS Plus is stirred thoroughly before and periodically during application use to ensure a consistent finish.
Application temperature should not be below or exceed 5 – 30℃ and a relative humidity of 85%.
New timber
Where a superficial application of wood preservative to softwood and hardwood is deemed necessary, ensure that the wood preserver used does not contain any wax and has fully dried before applying Cetol HLS plus.
Note: Sikkens Cetol HLS Plus cannot be used on substrates which have had water-repellent wood preservatives or pre-treatments applied i.e. products that contain wax, oil or silicon.
Where possible, the first coat should be applied all around prior to fixing. Only use non-ferrous screws, nails and fixings. Denib using a fine-grade nylon abrasive pad or a fine-grade (P240 or finer) wet or dry silicon carbide abrasive paper, in the direction of the grain. Do not break through the surface coating. Take care to ensure that all sanding/denibbing dust has been removed from the surface prior to applying additional coats.
Note: Where any damage or deterioration has occurred as a result of exposure to the factory coating for longer than 3 months, affected areas should be thoroughly sanded back to a sound substrate.
Damaged or decayed timber
All damaged or decayed timber must be removed and replaced, cutting at least 25mm into sound timber. When splicing in new sections of timber, consideration should be given to the use of timber species whose natural durability is sufficient. Brush and apply two coats of a suitable wax-free wood preserver. Ensure timbers are thoroughly treated, especially any end grain sections, and are fully dry before splicing in. Secure with non-ferrous fixings and fill all voids surrounding the spliced-in area with a suitable exterior wood filler.
Apply 2 finishing coats of Sikkens HLS Plus. For best results, it is necessary to keep the interval between applications of these coats limited, not exceeding 1 month.
Depending on the condition of the finish, clean, degrease and sand thoroughly. Repair defects with Cetol HLS Plus in the appropriate colour and apply one full coat of Cetol HLS Plus, overall. Transparency Maintain the translucent appearance of Cetol HLS plus over a longer period. It is recommended to use Cetol Clearcoat LB or alternatively use lighter colours, 077 or 006 for maintenance applications.
Product Coverage
Coverage greatly depends on the wood species under treatment, the surface condition, the method of application and conditions during application. Under normal conditions, coverage will be between 10 to 14 square meters, On rough-sawn timber the coverage is significantly lower (e.g. 7 – 10 square meters).
Equipment Cleaning
Application brushes and equipment should be cleaned immediately after use with White Spirit.
Storage
Keep this product tightly sealed at all times and stored/transported in an upright position. Store in a dry place at temperatures between 5 – 30℃. The shelf life for this product is a minimum of 24 months in original and unopened packaging.
Drying Time
Sikkens HLS Plus is touch dry after 4 to 6 hours and recoat between 18 to 24 hours. Air temperature and humidity may affect drying times.
The only problem with Sikkens is that they don’t offer cheap trial pots, so you will have to invest in a few of their smallest tins. But be sure that you do trials – the colour charts are not very accurate. Because the stain is translucent, the type/colour of your wood will affect the final colour of the building.
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