CPW Recommended Finishes

It is imperative that your gates be sealed. This should be done either before the gates are installed, or within 10 days of delivery. CPW cannot be responsible for gates that have been left unfinished and exposed to the weather, which can cause dimensional changes that may affect the integrity of the gate. The purpose for this is not because it prolongs the life of the cedar: It doesn't. The cedar, unfinished, will outlast us all regardless of a finish, or not.

The purpose of finishing your product upon receipt is that it has lived its life in a specific climate of southern Oregon. It's entire life. It is then cut down, suffering a certain trauma. Followed by a trip to the local mill where it is ripped into planks, suffering further trauma, if you can imagine. It leaves Oregon for a CPW shop, where the climate is not the same as the grove in which it once lived. It reacts, en route, and then stabilizes to the heated shop environment and begins to look forward to it's eventual form as something beautiful. Something perhaps as beautiful as the tree it once was.

But . . . as a proud CPW product, it is again on the move, sometimes great distances and to climates that are absolutely nothing whatsoever like southern Oregon. It finds itself in the environs of courteous patrons who consider it one of their own, which it is, and then installed by competent tradesmen, and exposed to weather that requires some adjustment. A few months of adjustments and acclimation's, often causing minor blemishes and temporary exposures as it slowly breaths--expands and contracts, and ultimately settles down to a comfortable existence that will last beyond the lifetime of the youngestof our patrons.

So . . . to help our product along, it is advisable to seal out your local weather as an initial step simply to minimize the trauma during those first few months. You can re-finish in years to come if your prefer the aesthetics, but the necessity of this process is no longer required to insure the longest and happiest life imaginable for what was once a blissful tree in a grove full of blissful trees, all from the same genetic seed in the coastal fog of southern Oregon.

Although CPW does not provide finishing, we recommend all painted gates receive a top quality acrylic latex stain blocker primer prior to top coats. But beware of paint; if not maintained, it peels and cracks and requires scraping and sanding and scraping and sanding between pickets is not pleasant.

For oil and stain finishes, we recommend Sikkens. The image below is a link to more information.
* To Locate the nearest dealer, Click here: <http://www.nam.sikkens.com/find-a-dealer.cfm>
* CLICK HERE To order Sikkens Cetrol 1 and Cetrol #23 Plus online (scroll down to where you see the Cetrol #1 and to the right of that, Cetrol #23)

Sikkens cetrol is a 1-3-part oil-based finish representing the hightest level among the various oil finishes for cedar and cypres.
Cetrol #1 for your primary application and coloring. Cetrol #23 Plus for your protective topcoat with a soft sheen.

Apply one coat of #1, followed by either one coat of #23 plus, or . . .
two coast of #23 Plus with a light120-grit sanding between coats for the optimal result.

(**It may be noted that Sikkens also has a line of one-coat finish called Sikkens Cetrol SRD.  This is not recomended simply because it is a thick consistency that does not absord as well and tends to result in a built-up finish.  It is also far more difficult to apply because of it molasses-like thickness and may result in unsightly runs.  If not maintained on schedule, it will crack similar to a Spar varnish type finish.)

For more information and PDF application guide: Sikkens Cetrol

If you cannot find a retailer in your area, Sikkens can be bought online at the following site:<http://loghomeshoppe.com/Sikkens_Stain.asp>

For those who reside in areas where Sikkens is unavailable, or who wish to provide a fuller spectrum of pigmented color, we recommend Cabot Stains.  Cabot provides a number of products. A short review, and their expected timelines between normal maintenance. it should be noted that none of the below products is designed for anything more than a single coat. Second coats do not absord, and result in splotchy finishes of variable absorption due to the wood variable fibrosity. For a further discussion on the techniwues for appliation, please scroll down the page.

Locate a Cabot Dealer near you

*= 1-2 years, **3-6= years, ***= 5-10 years

* Clear Seal......A natural graying with time (approx. 1-1/2 seasons). To prevent moisture absorbtion, Cabot's Waterproofing. (completely invisible) can be re-applied to the gate when water no longer beads on the surface of the wood.

* Natural Oil......Cabots Clear Solutions, in three tints... "Heartwood" the most pleasing of three tints available. A penetrating oil that enriches the wood tone while providing the gate with a water repellant seal.

** Cabots Semi-Transparent and Semi-Solid Stains..........The wood grain remains visible. It is a finish often preferred because the pigments provide a more organic compliment to the surrounding landscape. Requires a single coat. No primer. If neglected beyond its timetable, the finish on the gate simply fades out.

FINISH APPLICATION
Although sealing or staining or painting your gate does not prolong the life of the cedar, it is often a preferred aesthetic while also helping to maintain the gate's dimensional stability. In most climates, the calculated spacing between the gate and lock-side post is enough, at 3/8", to allow for normal expansion and contraction. This is compounded in certain areas such as southern Florida or Hawaii where there is often rain and intense heat within the same afternoon. These considerations are minimized by a wax emulsion coating on all gates applied in the shop to the top and bottom end-grains of both stiles.

When applying your finish, start with one side, brushing the bottom rail with the grain and then the vertical stiles with the grain to avoid the brush strokes over-lapping. This is for all horizontal rails, not allowing the brush stroke to dry before brushing the vertical stile. Do not apply stain to the edges of the pickets or upper pattern on this side or the stain will run down the opposite side and leave run marks penetrating the bare wood before you are able to finish the opposite side. For those with solid lower panels, do not stain the edges of your open slots until the back side is addressed. Once you turn to the other side, you can then apply stain to the picket faces and edges, knowing the run-off will not absorb against the already stained surface. Check, when finished, the direction of your brush stroke to smooth out any over-laps. Do not, with semi-transparent stains, natural oils, or clear seals, apply a second coat once this first coat is dry. The gate has been sealed, and further applications will not absorb evenly, resulting in a splotchy build-up.

Spray finishes: You can finish your panels with clear seal, natural oil, or semi-transpenrant stains using a common, rented, garden pump sprayer. This quickens the process considerably and although it may require some back-brushing, it is nevertheless much simpler than brushing a thousand pickets. This method is not adviseable for semi-solid stains and paints. Spraying these requires an industrial set-up and requires back-brushing.