Barn Wood Preservatives

by Mike
(Montana)

Hi,
I have a house here in MT that we built 5 yrs ago and sided it with reclaimed Wyoming snow fence that was a nice uniform gray color. No finish was used. Now it is turning dark brown where rain and sun are both coming into contact with it. The homeowners do like the new color and are planning to replace some boards.

My question: What is the best product out there that would provide uv , water, fungus, and insect resistance? Or the best alternative. I know there are additives for insects that you can add to stains.
We do not want to stain or use anything with pigments that might change the color.

Thanks

Mike

Hi Mike,

Great Question! It is interesting to here that the sun and rain are changing the color. It is most likely rain alone that is to blame. I have seen this happen to weathered gray boards, it is caused by moisture being trapped on or in the wood.

The original gray color is caused by the sun, most likely the uv rays of the sun. However once the gray color is in place the wood does not need to be exposed to the sun to maintain the color. The only cause for discoloration that I am aware of is moisture and fungus or mold.

To protect against moisture fungus and mold it would be best to go with a linseed oil based product like Olympic Clear Wood Preservative. Linseed oil will last longer than water based products. This may darken the color of the wood a bit so you may want to experiment with a piece of scrap, before you apply it to the house.

Thanks

The Barn Geek