Original Finish (Previously called our Interior Finish)
More on Finishing A Timber Frame - visit the article on our blog by Mike Baugh.
Original 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, apply only as much finish as the wood will absorb in a day, or buff off excess 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 Original Finish, Concentrated Finishing Oil, or Liquid Wax End Sealer. Wet sand or power buff for a furniture-grade finish. Original Finish may be thickened with Concentrated Finishing Oil or Liquid Wax End Sealer as desired, or thinned with Pure Citrus Solvent.
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.
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). 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.
Color Application: Apply light coats with a lambswool pad or staining sponge and 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. Top coat with more clear finish or even better, our Liquid Wax End Sealer.
*Do NOT apply top coats of clear Original Finish over tinted surfaces until the under coats withthe color are dry. The Original Finish can cut the color and create streaking if not careful. The best top coat for our stains is our Liquid Wax End Sealer.
Original Finish with Zinc Oxide: Our Original Finish with our new nano Zinc Oxide additive is called our 'Exterior' and has added protection from harmful UV rays and mildew. Apply wet-on-wet coats allowing time for complete absorption between coats. Top coat with the Liquid Wax with ZnO additive for the best possible protection. This additive is safe and does not discolor the wood. This is useful if you are covering large areas of wood indoors exposed to an expanse of sunlight from large windows. Grays only in exterior application over a very long period.
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 bottels, 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 (like turpentine) 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. 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!