What is Maintenance?
Finishes need a regular maintenance program based on a variety of factors, the key one being the amount of UV hitting the home. If, for example, the house is surrounded by trees or is mostly in the shade, the maintenance coats will need to be done less frequently. If, on the other hand, there are no trees and the house is exposed to the sun all day, maintenance will be required sooner.
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Photo courtesy of Cancedar Log Homes
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It should be noted that, while all finishes will need maintenance done, the advantage goes to waterborne products because of its penetration into the wood and the use of a clear top coat system. Most water based and solvent based products either have no top coat or require a colored top coat. This means that when the home needs a maintenance coat, the whole house must be stained to keep the color uniform. In addition to the extra cost, this has the effect of darkening the home with each application (a development most homeowners would like to avoid). Since the top coat (also the maintenance coat) of waterborne products is a clear coat, the home keeps its original beautiful look, year in and year out. And, with a clear top coat, only the side of the home that actually needs maintenance is done, making the job of maintaining the home fast, easy and economical. A further benefit is that with a waterborne finish the home just needs to be washed down with a hose to remove the accumulated dirt.
