In a house, the exposed beams in the ceiling give an authentic and warm side to your room. Outside, for a roof overhang, a pergola or the framework of an industrial building, the aesthetic aspect also deserves attention. The maintenance of these wooden beams is not to be neglected. Indeed, exposed wooden beams are exposed to daily aggressions: humidity, dust, grease, sunlight, insects, mould and many others. To avoid losing the authenticity, aesthetic appearance and structural quality of your framework, it is advisable to protect the wooden beams. We will tell you which products to choose to protect your beams effectively and how to apply them.
HOW TO PROTECT WOODEN BEAMS OR FRAMES ?
If your wooden structure is in good condition, protecting the interior wooden beams will prevent deterioration and tarnishing of the original colour of the wood and will maintain its original shine over time. Protecting them beforehand will avoid costly and time-consuming renovation of wooden beams in the future. The protection of wooden beams in a bathroom is particularly important due to the humidity that can damage the wood.
STEP 1: IS YOUR FRAMEWORK ATTACKED BY WOODBORERS ?
Before applying a protective product to wooden beams, it is advisable to check the general condition of your wooden structure. Observe if your structure is attacked by wood-boring insects. If wood-boring insects have taken up residence in your wood, you will see holes or flying or dead insects in the vicinity of your wooden structure.
If you think your beams are attacked, we advise you to treat the wooden beams with a natural insecticide such as Wood Bliss or the Wood Bliss High-C which is the concentrated version of Wood Bliss. The concentrated version is equivalent to the ready-to-use version after dilution with water. In addition to providing a curative and preventive treatment for your beams or the entire wooden structure, this insecticide also acts against mould and mildew and helps consolidate old wood. These products will be very useful for old frames and wood that is heavily infested by woodborers. For a targeted action, you can carry out the insecticide treatment of wooden beams by injection using a small syringe that you can find in pharmacies, for example. For more information on wood treatment against woodborers please read our article on this subject.
STEP 2: CHOOSE THE RIGHT PROTECTION PRODUCT FOR YOUR BEAMS AND FRAMES
There are different products to protect your beams such as stains or paints. If you don't like the rustic look of old, yellowed wooden beams or if you want to tackle a renovation, you can sand them down to the raw wood and apply a stain. The colourless stain will waterproof the beams to make them resistant to moisture, stains and yellowing. Once the stain has been applied, you will obtain modern exposed beams with the appearance of raw wood.
To bring modernity to your interior and revive your wooden beams, you can also add a touch of colour by using a coloured stain or beam paint. As a protection after installation or in the context of a renovation, we advise you to use Beam And Carpentry Wood Stain LPC500 for interior beams. Please note that this product protects the wood but does not have an insecticidal function. If you have a structure attacked by woodborers, remember to use a treatment product as described above.
The Beam And Carpentry Wood Stain LPC500 is an ecological stain, as neutral as possible for the environment and the applicator (no volatile solvent, no VOCs). This woodstain is colourless and transparent, and is available in matt or gloss versions. It effectively protects the beams from humidity, stains, abrasion and yellowing while maintaining the natural grain and colour of the wood structure. If you wish to stain your beams and frame, you can also use Interior Wainscot Wood Stain LL500 which is available in 18 decorative colours.
STEP 3: PREPARE YOUR WOODEN BEAMS
First of all, the first step is to dust the wooden beams. The wood must be rough, i.e. the presence of old finishes must be removed. For example, if you have varnished your beams, you must strip the varnished wooden beams. If the wooden structure is old, we advise you to sand the old beams. Above all, do not use water on beams made of tannic wood such as oak or chestnut, as tannins may rise and cause the wood to darken considerably.
STEP 4: STAIN ITS WOODEN BEAMS
Once your beams are raw, the application of an interior woodstain is very simple :
Apply one or two coats of woodstain in the direction of the wood fibres with a brush or roller. Between the two coats, we recommend lightly gritting the wood.
Leave to dry between coats, 2 hours minimum.
If you wish to protect tannic wooden beams (or a framework), it is recommended to apply an anti-tanin primer beforehand. We recommend, for example, Anti-Tanins Primer PAT400. This undercoat before staining prevents tannins from rising to the surface of your beams and thus causing black stains. This pre-stain primer is not obligatory but is strongly recommended if you wish to avoid this type of inconvenience. In addition, it also acts as a bonding primer, i.e. your woodstain will adhere better to your wood. On non-tannic and very porous woods we advise you to prepare the wood before applying your woodstain with a pore-filling primer such as Pore Filler Primer BP400.
STEP 5: MAINTAIN YOUR INTERIOR WOODEN BEAMS
Once your beams have been stained, maintenance of your framework is very infrequent. On average, it is done every 3 to 6 years, with a simple surface cleaning and possibly the application of a new coat of woodstain.
You may be wondering how to clean wooden beams on a daily basis? You can use a cloth moistened with black soap. We advise you to use Liquid Black Soap SN800.
PRODUCTS FOR THE PROTECTION OF WOODEN BEAMS AND FRAMES
Natural Insecticide Treatment - Wood Bliss - Non Toxic - VOC Free
