Preserva Wood® can be applied with a pump sprayer, brush, or stain pad. DO NOT use a paint roller as they apply too much stain and typically cause over-application. Spraying and back-brushing with an oil based brush usually works well for fences, siding and most vertical surfaces. If you spray, make sure you avoid windy days so that you know where your overspray is going (plants, cars, etc.). For decks, we recommend using a stain pad, available through your local home improvement store. They are usually 6 to 8 inches wide and screw onto the end of a broom handle. These pads apply the appropriate amount of stain and tend to work stain into the surface better. Excess stain that does not absorb into the wood within 15-20 minutes should be removed with a rag to avoid shiny spots. Apply as much stain as the wood will allow so that it soaks in, but do not allow it to puddle on the surface of the wood!

You should use only as much stain as will soak into the wood. Some areas will absorb more (softwood) than others (knots). Wipe up any excess before it starts to cure to avoid shiny tacky spots. Preserva Wood® is a very flexible barrier that protects your wood from moisture and sunlight. It is not formulated to be on the surface of the wood, like a paint.

Depending on the porosity of your wood, Preserva Wood® will cover approximately 200-400 square feet per gallon. Rough surfaces, such as fence boards, tend to soak up more product, whereas smooth deck boards do not take as much stain.

Any transparent finish will allow the beauty of the natural wood grain to show through. Blemishes, water-stains or weathered areas will also show through. Wood Renewer™ can, in many cases, remove discoloration and restore the natural beauty. Applying a finish to a discolored area will seal in the discoloration permanently. There are many restoration products available, however Preserva Products™’ Wood Renewer™ ‘Cleaner’ is non-toxic and will not harm plants or pets, while rejuvenating wood even more effectively. Whatever beauty the wood has to offer can be brought out by the use of Wood Renewer™ ‘Cleaner’ prior to the application of any finish.

Mildew appears as persistent black spots when your wood is wet. It is always a good idea to get the wood wet the day before staining to make sure it is clean and free of mold or mildew (even new wood!!). Before staining your wood, you need to kill the mildew; otherwise you will seal in the black color. This will return as black spots when the rainy season begins. A 50-50 mixture of chlorine bleach and water, applied in sunlight will kill mildew. You will want to wash off the bleach and allow 24 hours for the wood to dry before staining. For tougher mildew, you can use a little more bleach than water and scrub with a brush.

If it has rained, you should wait 24 hours for the wood to dry before applying Preserva Wood®. Ideally, you need at least 24 hours after applying Preserva-Wood for it to dry, before it rains.

Ideal circumstances are to allow your deck to dry in good weather for at least 24 hours before allowing pets or anyone else to walk on your deck. Should your animals walk on wet Preserva Wood® and get it on their feet (paws), then wipe with a moist towel to remove the stain.

The shiny/tacky spots on the surface of the wood are a slight amount of over application (material that was not able to soak into the wood). To avoid this in the future, simply wipe up any excess stain that does not penetrate into the wood, per the instructions on the can.

Preserva Wood is very flexible when cured, so this surface film is very much like a thin film of plastic wrapped around the top of the board. You can remove this film and leave the stained surface underneath undamaged.

We recommend you purchase a container of solvent based (Jasco “Stain and Varnish Remover” or Klean Strip “Strip X” Stripper are popular brands) paint stripper (not deck stripper). These products can be found at most retailers.

Simply apply the slow drying, solvent based paint stripper using an old inexpensive paint brush. Apply the stripper to the shiny surface and allow it to soften the surface film for 5 to 7 minutes. Use a stiff bristle brush on a pole to scrub the shiny area. We suggest you work in the cool of the day as the stripper must not dry out until it breaks down the excess stain. You can also use a little water to help rinse off. The water mixed with the stripper and excess Preserva Wood will turn off-white. Once you have removed the excess stain, simply rinse it off with a hose and let it dry.

Test this method first in a small, out of the way area to make sure the results are what you want. Only scrub enough to remove the excess stain as you don’t want to damage the stained wood under the surface film. Always work in smaller areas that you can manage reasonably. Do not stain again after this procedure.

Boards will be ready for re-treatment in 18 to 24 months.

If you have additional questions, call us toll free at 800-797-2537, M-TH 9AM to 4PM west coast time and we will be happy to help.

As with any oil based paint product, to avoid the possibility of spontaneous combustion, oil soaked cloth, paper, or other application material should be soaked in water. Spread out material and dry outdoors, away from the sun, heat, flame, or combustibles. Once they are air-dried, dispose of in accordance with local trash regulations.

Oil based formulas of Preserva Wood® can be applied at temperatures above 50 and below 90 degrees Fahrenheit, low wind conditions, and out of direct sunlight. Your wood should NOT be hot when applying the stain.

The solid content (what stays in your wood for protection and does not evaporate into the atmosphere), is roughly 65% for Preserva Wood® and Preserva Wood® Architect Series™ wood stains.

Contact the manufacturer of your windows to determine if there are films laminated to the glass that might be damages by using solvent to remove the dried stain. If approved, citrus based strippers work best and are generally safe to use.

While the formulation is proprietary information, we can tell you that Preserva Wood® has ingredients to address all the problems associated with exposing wood to weather and sun. These include additives that protect our stain against mold and mildew, UV light, and water damage. In addition, Preserva Wood® contains organic oils and resins that address dimensional stabilization, as well as metallic pigments (Transparent oxides) for long lasting color retention and additional UV protection.

Preserva Wood® was developed in the Lake Tahoe area of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was engineered for extreme weather and extreme sunlight. Additionally, Preserva Wood® is environmentally friendly and designed to last longer. It has a high solids content to protect your wood in a one-coat application, and natural wood-tone tints to enhance the appearance of the wood. One application of Preserva Wood® will not protect your wood forever, but with an annual cleaning to remove dirt and pollen, re-applications become less frequent. When your wood appears dry or has lost its natural color, then it is time for a “light” re-application of Preserva Wood®.