Wooden furniture, especially outdoor furniture (decking, cladding, garden furniture, etc.) needs protection if you want to use it for a long time. They are exposed to the elements on a daily basis (rain, snow, UV rays from the sun) and to rubbing from traffic, and are damaged over time. Wood saturator is an effective solution for providing this protection. Can I paint over a saturator?
A saturator is a finishing product in its own right
The primary role of a saturator is to protect the wood against the climatic aggression to which it is exposed on a daily basis. It is a protective oil or resin that penetrates deep into the material to saturate it. Applying the saturator reduces the wood's capacity to absorb water. This treatment combats greying, mould growth and the appearance of black spots caused by damp. This improves the durability of your home's outdoor wooden fittings.
The saturator can also be used as a wood coating. This protective oil or resin is available in a range of colours. In addition to colourless wood saturators, there are others that are pigmented. The special feature of these is that they contain pigments that enable them to be given different shades. What's more, these pigments enhance the wood's protection against the sun's ultraviolet rays.
You'll find wood saturators in shades that mimic the look of natural wood and others in colours such as white, black, grey… As well as protecting the surface of your wooden furniture, you can also dress it up in the colour of your choice. So you could say that saturator is a finishing product in its own right.
You don't need to paint over it to decorate a terrace or cladding. What's more, with its ability to impregnate, it gives a matt finish that's very pleasing to the eye. Although the wood is tinted after the saturator treatment, you can still feel its fibres to the touch. This is not the case with other products such as woodstain, varnish or paint, which leave a smooth surface.
Depending on the type of saturator used, paint can be applied to the back of the wood.
If you wish you can paint saturated wood. This is possible, but it depends on the saturator used to protect the wood. There are two types of saturator: oil-based and water-based.
Oil-based saturator
This is a wood saturator that contains oils. It does not leave a film, as it has a high impregnating capacity. However, the oils contained in this type of saturator make the surface of the wood greasy and sometimes sticky, especially if the composition is 100% vegetable oils. Cela empêche la peinture d'adhérer au bois. This prevents the paint from adhering to the wood. So you won't be able to paint over a saturator if it's oil-based.
Water-based saturators
This type of saturator is made from water and hybrid resins, which may be vegetable or synthetic. It also impregnates the surface thoroughly, but does not make the wood surface greasy. The resin-based water-based saturators are often used on softwoods and exotic woods . You can paint over this protective product.
However, make sure it has dried thoroughly beforehand. If it hasn't, the paint may not adhere to the wood. For better adhesion, it is advisable to remove all dust and sand before painting.
Remove the saturator before painting
To paint over a wood saturator,, another option is to remove the saturator that has been applied. This could be as part of a renovation to change the look of the wooden fittings (cladding, pool decks, garden furniture, gates, etc.) in your home. One of the advantages of this process is that you can paint over the various surfaces, regardless of the saturator that was previously applied. To do this, you'll need to sand or clean with a cleaning product. You can use Anova Bois N100 or N140 wood cleaner, for example.
These wood-care products are also suitable for removing wood stain. Start by applying the cleaner to the surface you want to paint. Then leave the product to work for around 20 to 30 minutes so that the saturation can be easily removed.
Rinse with a high-pressure cleaner afterwards if you are cleaning outside. Brushing may be useful to reinforce the action of the cleaner. Then leave to dry. Once the surface is completely dry, you can now paint the wood. First make sure there are no of saturator left on the surface of the wood.
