Sand Blasting

Exterior wood surfaces and especially log constructions will inevitably show some signs of weathering after a while. This could be because they weren't properly stained in the first place, or because they have been left untended to for a long time since being treated. Some types of wood look attractive when weathered so there is a a taste factor too but eventually if left cared for wood will start to fall prey to mildew and rot and that means it's time to strip away the damaged surfaces and get back to good wood.  If the rot or damage is very limited and localized it may be possible to treat it with hand sanding, but if it covers a large area (or even all) of the timber then it's time to sand blast.
 
What's Involved
Sand blasting means using specialist compressed air blasting equipment to fire abrasive media at the surface to be refurbished and renewed. It takes a skilled professional to do that without causing any damage to the timbers themselves and a great deal of that skill comes in to play when deciding on what kind of abrasive media need to be used for the level of weathering or rot and the type of timber since different types of wood have different abrasion resistance.
 
No Sand Sand Blasting
Although sand was the original material used for blasting because it is cheap and readily available you may have heard bad things about it.  Sand was not the best abrasive material because it often contained contaminants and water and that could lead to unpredictable results. Besides which silica sand used for sand blasting gave off fine particles of silica which is unhealthy for lungs and led to respiratory illness. You don't want contaminants like that around your house and home. So modern sand blasting actually uses a wide range of different mixes, including metal, and glass. Our experts will gauge the best mix for your timbers and select abrasives to suit them.

Natural abrasives
As well as plastics or glass the abrasive media can also be made from natural and environmentally sensitive materials such as walnut shells and corn cobs.  These are dry media which strip away the damaged surface without forcing water into the wood, are totally non toxic and have proven to be terrific for older stains on older wood. So if you're concerned about the environment, including the one your family lives in, then talk to us about using natural media to bring your timber back to its best.
 
Preservatives
Once we've carefully sand blasted the outer layer from your timbers we can stain them but to increase the interval between re staining we can also use borax preservatives to help protect your wood.  Borax is non toxic and a long lasting preservative that helps work from the inside to prolong the life of your logs. Borax based preservatives have been used for over seventy years and are known to be safe for you, your family, and your pets.