Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's the best way to apply your finishes?
A: High quality brushes (Purdy brushes are great), real lambswool rollers only, as well as lambswool flat applicators/pads, and pump-up sprayers for larger surfaces (Chapin makes excellent industrial sprayers). You can also rub the finishes on with an old T-shirt. Once you get into doing fine finishing/furniture grade finishes for counters, cabinets, floors, etc. you can wet-sand, power buff, build up wax layers, etc. That does enter the realm of 'finishing' and not 'applying.’ Land Ark is beautiful using traditional fine finishing application methods.
Q: How long do your finishes take to dry?
A: That depends greatly on the circumstances. If possible, don't apply our finishes in full sun or rain (or freezing weather). A typical application, say on a timber frame, would be one coat one day and the second coat after 24 hours. (The finish will seem to puddle in places, but that will soak in after a while.) Then after about 3 months or so, you can put on a final coat for maximum protection. You can however, in 'average' circumstances, get two coats on in one day and may not even need a third coat. You may not need to re-apply for many years. Just monitor the condition of the wood. If it needs more, add it when it needs it- like lotion for your dry hands.
Q: What’s the difference between the different finishes?
A: Our Interior Finish is the product we consider our base finish. It consists of our main 5 all-natural ingredients- you can use this on any wood surface and it’s very easy to apply. It was originally developed for timber frames and log homes or covering large areas of wood surfaces. The Exterior finish was developed by requests from customers who wanted extra protection from the elements, so we’ve added a non-toxic UVA protectant and Mildewcide to our Interior Finish. You can also add the individual additives to any of our other finishes. For instance, the Mildewcide added to the Interior Finish is great for use in high-humidity areas, and the UVA in heavy sun areas, such as interior trim on a south-facing window. The Concentrated Oil is thicker, with less solvent than the Exterior and Interior Finishes and is very well suited to dry wood, or can be substituted in for either the Interior or Exterior. It can also be used to build up a very rich coat for counters or floors, and topped with our Liquid Wax. The Liquid Wax (Non-staining End Sealer) was developed for timber and log ends as well as joinery, yet works very well as a top coat for a variety of woodwork, including floors, counters, furniture, cabinetry, etc.
Q: What should I topcoat with?
A: One of our thicker finishes, such as the Concentrated Oil or Liquid Wax (Non-staining End Sealer). These can have any combination of the two additives, if you desire. Again, this all depends on what you are after, and neither the Interior nor Exterior finishes needs to be top coated. If you want a finer finish with long lasting protection that provides a better moisture barrier, we definitely recommend doing a topcoat. Waxing floors for instance greatly increases it’s water resistance and wear in high traffic areas.
Q: Do your products seal the wood?
A: No, they allow the wood to breathe while preserving it, as a good penetrating oil should. While they are not 100% waterproof, our finishes do repel water, and a well-kept Land Ark finish will bead water naturally, especially if you're using our Non-staining end sealer as a topcoat. Breathabilty in a wood finish is very important. When you seal the top of wood, over time the finish cracks and moisture gets into the wood and can’t escape, thus creating rot situations or mold build up. Our finish soaks deeply into the wood and helps preserve it from surface all the way to the core.
Q: How often should I recoat?
A: That really depends. Interior applications (unless we're talking about a heavily-used kitchen countertop) usually last a very long time. We recently saw an oak frame (timber frame) that was coated 8 years ago with two coats of Interior Finish and it still looked brand new!! Let the wood tell you. For instance, a deck in Western Oregon where it's completely soaked for 4 months then baked during the summer should be re-coated with Exterior every 2-3 years or so.
Q: What do we do about repairing scuffs or scratches?
A: This is one of the easiest products on the market to repair. Just rub a little more finish into the scuff and call it good. If it is a scratch, sand it out until it's even with the surrounding wood and apply our finish to the newly sanded area. There is no difficult blending process. You can also take an abrasive pad, wet it with finish, and rub it in with that. All of our products are compatible with each other, and can finish over one another. Don’t however, try to put Land Ark products over the top of other finishes. It’s just won’t work. Sand down to bare wood if there is any other surface dressing on it.
Q: How much is shipping and how soon will I get my product?
A: We have decent rates with FedEx Ground, and a typical charge for a 5-gallon pail would be around $20.00 to most of Montana from Oregon, and that is a package weighing about 45 lbs. That order would usually be there in about 2-3 business days. Prices to the East Coast or other parts of the country are not very much more, and only add a couple days to the transit time. It takes about 5 days to the Northeast and only a few dollars more actually. If you’re worried about rates, give us a call and we can calculate exactly the amount and travel time for your order.
Q: Do you take credit/debit cards?
A: Yes we do, and soon we'll have our online store up and running, so you can make your purchase securely online at your convenience.
Q: What are the ingredients?
A: The main five ingredients are: linseed and tung oils, beeswax, citrus solvent, and pine rosin (the hard component of pine pitch). In our Exterior products (or in other products as single additives) we also offer a UVA and Mildewcide. They both are the best quality we could find, are non-toxic, and have GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) status. The UVA slows graying in sunlight, while the Mildewcide takes care of mildews and fungus, such as sap stain.
Q: What’s the difference between the Interior and Exterior Finish?
A: The Interior Finish is our most basic product made with Tung Oil, Linseed Oil, Beeswax, Pine Rosin, and Pure Citrus Oil. You can use this anywhere not just for interior surfaces. The Exterior Finish is the Interior Finish, but with a chemical UVA and Mildewcide added for extra protection in the elements. You can use the Exterior in the house as well. All Land Ark products are compatible with each other and can be used anywhere you see fit.
Q: Can I use the Concentrated Finishing Oil the same way as/ or instead of the Interior or Exterior Liquid Finish?
A: Yes, absolutely. The difference is the Concentrated Oil has less Citrus solvent and more oils. It is thicker and richer, but actually ideal if you are applying finish by hand. The Interior and Exterior Liquid Finishes are formulated for easy spraying of large areas. Use the Concentrated Oil as you would the other Liquid Finishes- brush, rub or wipe on the Concentrated Oil (you can't spray it), let sit overnight or a few days, then wipe off any pooled oil and recoat with Concentrated Oil or Liquid Wax if desired. The Concentrated Oil does take a little longer to dry, so allow a little extra time for that. The Concentrated Oil is a beautiful and durable finish and is also very useful as a furniture, counter, and cabinet finish as well.
Please call or email us anytime with any questions you have. We would love to hear from you!