A lot of outdoor wood coatings use contain pesticides or other
harmful substances. Here are some good alternatives.
Tung Oil
This is the oil extracted from nuts of the tung tree. This oil has
the special property that it does not stay liquid when it gets
in contact with oxygen. It dries and become a hard resin.
It takes however several days to dry completely and during
that process it smells like walnut leaves. Be careful if somebody
in your household has nut allergies.
You can mix Tung Oil with Citrus Solvent Citrus Solvent to make it thinner such that it penetrates wood
more easily.
Vaseline and bees wax
This is a very durable wood coating and you will not have to re-paint your
lawn furniture for many years. The only problem is that it is a bit hard
to apply because it is at room temperature more a paste than a liquid paint.
The best time
to apply it is on a very hot summer day when the wood is really warm. In
the remaining article I will explain how to prepare this paint.
Make your own vaseline and bees wax wood coating
To make this wood paint you can use the cheapest un-scented baby vaseline
you can find and a bit of real bees wax. In a small pot you melt the
vaseline with 20% (mass percent) bees wax.
What you need: vaseline and bees wax
Melt the vaseline and the bees wax.
vaseline and bees wax
Pour the liquid into a jar or metal can and let it cool down. Don't use
a plastic container. Platic may melt when it gets in touch with the hot
mixture.
The vaseline and bees wax paint is ready
Now take a normal paint brush and apply a thin layer on top of the wood.
It will take a few days until the wood has completely absorbed the paint. This wood
coating will make the wood completely water repellent an still allow the
wood to breath. Any moisture that got somehow into the wood can still
evaporate.
