Exterior Finish
*The Nano Zinc Oxide exterior additive is currently unavailable. If you've been using it, our regular Exterior Finish formulation is compatible with the Zinc. We're sorry for any inconvenience.
Our Exterior Finish consists of our Original Finish with both a chemical UVA and Mildewcide pre-mixed into the finishes. Both additives are chemicals listed on the GRAS list (Generally Regarded As Safe) and are not food safe. While they are listed as non-toxic, they are still highly engineered chemicals and be aware and protect yourself from coming into too much skin contact with them to be safe! If you only want one of the additives, no problem, just let us know that you'd like "Original Finish with UVA or Mildewcide added." (It's a bit cheaper as well.) There is no shelf life- just shake up again before using if stored for a long time.
Exterior Finish Application: Stir or shake before use, and avoid application in direct sunlight or rain. Test our product first on a small test surface to make sure you like it. In some applications, such as a log home, initial treatment with a borate salt solution should be considered for long-term protection against mold, insects, and sap stain, as well as "breaking" the mill glaze. Apply to woodwork of any type, using a real lambswool applicator or pad, pump-up or airless sprayer, or a well-made brush. We do not recommend application with a paint roller, however many of our customers have been using high quality lambswool, short nap rollers and had great success.
On logs and timbers, fill all checks with the product. This will greatly reduce further checking, even on freshly sawn species such as oak. Using a wet-on-wet technique (which means the coats don't have to be dry between applications), apply only as much finish as the wood will absorb in a day, or buff off excess or any pooled up areas as needed. For a log or timber frame home exterior, apply 2-4 wet-on-wet coats, applying the final coat(s) in 3-4 months. Top-coat with more Exterior Finish, Concentrated Finishing Oil, or Liquid Wax End Sealer. Wet sand or power buff for a furniture-grade finish. Exterior Finish may be thickened with Concentrated Finishing Oil or Liquid Wax as desired, or thinned with Pure Citrus Solvent for easier penetration.
For a deeper finish (both visually and in terms of penetration), apply several coats over several days, optionally wet-sanding between coats, top-coating and/or buffing, depending on the grade of finish you want. Clean wood surface and re-apply as often as desired or as required by your climate (in some areas it could be up to 10 years before you need another coat); there is no need to sand, just re-apply directly over existing Land Ark products.
Break any "mill glaze" by lightly sanding the surface first to increase penetration. Land Ark finishes are very durable; repair by rubbing in more finish to abrasions, scuffs and scratches with an abrasive pad. The nature of Land Ark prevents most problems with air bubbles, lap marks, and dust. DO NOT apply our finishes over the top of other products or finishes; the wood should be bare, free of dust and dirt, and untreated (except as noted above).
Exterior with COLOR added (oxides only): Apply light coats with a lambswool pad, staining sponge, high quality brush or old T-shirt, and/or back brush or rub out. Mix before and during use. Colors are premixed to almost maximum intensity and often need lightening. If color is too intense, add non-tinted liquid finish to lighten, just a little at a time. Be sure to keep a record of all proportions used! A muddy grain or color blotching indicates the need to add more non-tinted liquid finish. Don't topcoat with more clear liquid finish until the color underneath is dry. Streaking can happen. The Liquid Wax End Sealer makes a very nice topcoat.
Coverage: Approx. 350 square feet per gallon or 500 board feet per gallon; rough-sawn materials tend to absorb more. You get less coverage on the first coat and more on the second.
Product Package Sizes: 4 oz. glass bottles, 1 quart pour-top cans, 1 gallon pails, 3.5 gallon pails, 5 gallon pails, and 55 gallon steel drums.
Clean Up: Use any solvent to clean up any undesired oily spots on windows, tile, etc. We recommend using our Pure Citrus Solvent which is the food grade pure orange oil that we use in our products. It is much safer to use and any remaining on the surface will simply evaporate, but anything will do (turpentine, mineral spirits, etc). The vapors from the solvent are non-hazardous. Do wear eye protection when using though! Lots of soap, water and elbow grease will work too!