Wood Beam Maintenance: Why and How
Houses with exposed wooden beams feel warm and cosy. However, regular maintenance is needed to keep them in the best condition, as they are exposed to daily elements like humidity, sunlight, as well as moulds, grease, dust, and insects. Below is a detailed guide on protecting your wooden frames or beams at home and why you should do so.
Why is wood beam maintenance important?
Since beams hold a building’s roof, ceiling, and floors, how well you maintain your wooden beams determines your and other people’s safety. It also helps avoid a skyrocketing beam renovation cost due to damaged beams, so, asking reliable beam renovation experts like those from bespokebeams.co.uk is ideal if you move into a house with heavily stained beams. After their high-quality wood beam renovation, you no longer have to spend a lot of time with aftercare.
How to maintain wood beams
1. Check your wood beam’s condition
Before applying any protective products, it is best to inspect your wooden structure. See if wood-boring insects have damaged it. If so, use a natural insecticide to treat the wood. Use a small syringe to inject the solution to achieve the best results.
2. Choose the right product
To protect your wood beams, you have to first go through a wide selection of products. If you are not into rustic looks, sand the beams, then apply a colourless stain. It will eliminate the old, yellowed surface of the wood.
The colourless stain waterproofs the wood beams to avoid moisture seeping through. It will also help to prevent yellowing and stains. Other protective products to choose from are beam paint or coloured stain. These products can add modernity inside your building and protection at the same time.
3. Prepare the beams
Dust the wooden beams to smooth the surface, especially for beams with old finishes. It is also recommended to sand old wood beams to strip off unwanted stains. For tannic woods such as chestnut or oak, don’t apply water. Tannins might rise, which could darken the wood considerably.
4. Stain the wood beams
After prepping, it’s time to apply the wood stain. Here’s how:- Use a roller or brush to apply one to two wood stain coats parallel to the wood fibres. It’s best that you lightly grit the wood.
- Let the stain dry for at least 2 hours.
Apply anti-tannin primer before the stain to protect tannic timbers like oak beams. This solution helps prevent tannins from arising from the wood, which causes black stains. Also, it works as a bonding primer.
For non-tannic and highly porous timber beams, it's best to prep the wood with pore-filling primer before applying the wood stain you prefer.
Final Word
In closing, your wood beams no longer require frequent maintenance after following this process. The stain could last up to 3 to 6 years, which means you can save from costly maintenance. In addition, a cloth dipped in water with black soap helps clean wood beams.
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