Oak parquet is a classic among floor coverings. We work with oak How to cover oak

Oak is a very popular material that is widely used:

• Construction.
• Finishing work.
• Creation of furniture.
• Production of art objects and souvenirs.

Naturally, not just felled and sawn wood is used in the work, but processed and qualitatively dried material. This is required condition to avoid future cracking, changes in the shape and size of the product. Oak, which is used in construction or furniture business, must have certain physical and mechanical properties.

Therefore, when sawing is completed, the question arises: “ How to dry oak". We will answer it in this article.

Features of oak wood: what should be the result of drying

Oak lumber is quite capricious, it is difficult to dry naturally. It is not enough just to leave the stack under a canopy or in the open sun in order to certain time get the desired result.

Before how to dry oak boards, you need to understand the features of the material:

• Oak wood is subject to drying. This means that when the moisture level falls below a critical level, internal and external cracks can form.
• The hardest thing to dry is freshly sawn oak, the moisture content of which exceeds 25%.
• Temperatures above 55 degrees are unacceptable early stages drying. This leads to the collapse of woody capillaries, that is, to the appearance of multiple internal cracks.
• It is not recommended to send freshly sawn material with a moisture content above 40% to dry.
• Proper drying of oak requires maintaining a certain level of temperature and humidity.

Features of drying oak wood are such that in order to obtain a quality material without defects with a certain percentage of moisture, it is necessary to draw up a preliminary plan for this procedure, use special tools.
There are several tasks for drying oak:

• Shrinkage with warning of changes in linear dimensions. Here, the humidity is reduced to 30%.
• Shrinkage to transport humidity of 20-22%.
• Full volume drying for direct use. The humidity level should be 6-12%.

Oak drying methods: chamber and tubeless technique

From the foregoing, it is obvious that obtaining wood from a freshly cut oak that meets all the necessary parameters is a laborious and lengthy process.

There are many ways to reduce the humidity of boards, logs and beams, but all of them can be divided into two broad categories:

• Chamberless (atmospheric) drying.
• Chamber drying.

Atmospheric drying is ideally the most affordable and natural way reducing the level of humidity. The technique has been used in sawmills and woodworking industries for centuries. It is believed that a naturally dried tree is of the highest quality and can be used for decades without changing its original qualities. But the method has one significant drawback - prolongation in time.

As modern life very dynamic, buyers are interested in the fastest possible acquisition of material. Logging companies, in turn, prefer to sell wood in as soon as possible. Therefore, in XIX-XX centuries many techniques have been invented that use electrical energy. Chamber drying is carried out in convective chambers, the condensation method and vacuum drying are also used.

All work is carried out in industrial conditions, as a rule, are divided into the following stages:

• Warming up
• Drying directly.
• Cooling, obtaining a predetermined humidity threshold.

Chamber drying is similar to repeatedly accelerated atmospheric drying, the desired result is achieved many times faster. But the disadvantage is the high cost of the procedure. It is necessary to use expensive equipment, most often it is possible only in industrial conditions.

Fortunately, not so long ago infrared dryers, which allow to reduce the time of atmospheric drying, to obtain the desired result in a time comparable to chamber processing. At the same time, all features of drying oak wood, the material does not experience aggressive action that destroys the structure. At the end of the process, the humidity reaches the required level.

Infrared oak drying: the advantages of the modern method

Proper drying of oak Now it has become possible even at home. Infrared dryers manufactured under the FlexiHIT brand have a cassette form factor, are easily placed inside stacks, and can also be used to dry small pieces of material. AT this case the volume of wood does not matter, it is enough to use required amount dryers and position them correctly. The result is achieved in 3-7 days.

The properties of infrared-dried oak correspond to those of atmospheric-dried wood:

• The material has a specified moisture content.
• The fibers do not warp, cracks and stressed areas do not form.
• The appearance matches that of naturally dried oak.

It is noteworthy that everyone can use IR dryers, you do not need to have special skills to get the result. The equipment operates from a conventional electrical network, while consuming very little. Drying one cubic meter of wood requires no more than 200-400 kW.

To check the humidity, it is enough to use a moisture meter, when the required indicator is reached, the infrared dryers turn off. Oak can immediately be used for its intended purpose.

Oak wood is quite capricious when dried, in order to get the best result in the shortest possible time, it is better to prefer tubeless drying in combination with IR dryers.

Let's consider which paint material choose for painting oak boards. To date, distinguish Various types LKM. The first category is opaque coatings, that is, enamels and paints. They are distinguished into - polyurethane, alkyd and acrylic. They are practically non-toxic, and dry out in a short period of time. In addition, compared with oil paints, which will begin to crack after a couple, they are durable.

Alkyd types of paints are mainly used for processing wood, which will later be used for processing interior design. But acrylic paints are used for wood, which will later be used to finish the outside of the house. Another variety acrylic paint- it is water-dispersion. It is often used for both indoor and outdoor work. It is durable.

Another category is transparent coatings, which include a component that protects against UV rays. These are all kinds of impregnations, varnishes and stains. It all depends on the area of ​​​​application of the boards. If the boards will be used to make fences in the country, then varnish will do. There are colorless and tinted varnishes. But the masters recommend applying a stain over a colorless layer of varnish, giving the tree the necessary shade.

Before processing oak boards need to be prepared. If the boards were previously painted, then the previous layer of paint must be removed. special washes or the surface needs to be sanded. The sharp edges of the boards are smoothed with abrasive paper. The areas where the wood adjoins the painted and unpainted surfaces are thoroughly cleaned and sanded.

We apply a new layer of coating when it holds perfectly and does not begin to peel off. In addition, it is imperative to find out exactly what kind of wood was processed before, since there are compositions that are incompatible. That is, when working, the new paint may lie unevenly, bubbles may appear.

After being removed old paint We clean the boards from accumulated dust and dirt. Then a primer is applied and at the end the surface is allowed to dry.

Stages of painting oak boards

Consider several ways to paint oak boards, depending on the chosen material.

If you want to apply on oak boards oil paints or varnishes, then for painting we use a brush with soft bristles. Apply the mixture with smooth movements. Such material is applied in a couple of layers, and we wait until any of the applied layers dries. Lacquers, which include alcohol base, do not need to use for outdoor work.

Now let's look at how to work with impregnations. You can use any tools to apply such mixtures. For example, brushes with rollers. After painting wooden surfaces, we protect them from external influences.

Wooden flights of stairs durable and unique stylistically. The wood texture decorates the interior, makes it more natural, adds tranquility. To emphasize it, varnish coatings are used. Many of them - different properties, features and price. We offer you to find out what kind of varnish to cover the oak staircase for you.

You need to choose compositions that emphasize the texture of the tree. They must be transparent. Looks good options with oils in the composition. With their help, you can darken the material, making it more aristocratic. They are suitable for oak and other hardwoods.

Types of coatings for oak structures in home

All varnishes form a dense film on wood. Its characteristics may vary. It can be shiny, matte or glossy. Main question here - what you like best and fits the overall interior.

When choosing how to varnish an oak staircase, many are guided by the price. In fact, in approximately the same price range, you can buy absolutely different coatings. Here are the main ones:

1. Alcoholic. They dry very quickly - up to a couple of hours. Plus it polishes easily. But they are very sensitive to moisture and cold. It is necessary to ensure a stable temperature and humidity conditions in the room. Alcohol varnishes are used for spans and flights of stairs.
2. Nitrocellulose. They have plasticizers, resins and solvents in their structure different levels volatility. More resistant to various kinds of influences, but are not used so often indoors. Suitable for outdoor use.
3. Formaldehyde. Certainly one of the most popular. They are often used in homes, they are resistant and durable. Formaldehyde resins in the composition provide excellent adhesion to wooden surface. The only downside is the strong smell. Over time, it disappears, but at first it is better not to inhale it, but to live outdoors with a ladder.
4. Alkyd. They are covered with steps where the stairs are not used very actively. For example, in the country. Such varnishes are well tolerated by mechanical stress, but in themselves are not durable enough. Can be used as a temporary solution.

Is there any general advice on what kind of lacquer is best for oak stairs? Only one. Many craftsmen say that for the steps you need to choose exactly formaldehyde varnish or an analogue on water based. It is better to refuse other types.

The above alkyd compounds can also be called into question. They penetrate deep into the wood, but the top ball is very thin. As a result, at active exploitation after a few months, it is partially erased. This option is suitable for oak furniture. But for stairs it is better to consider an alternative.

Transparent and opaque finishes: what kind of varnish is better to cover an oak wooden staircase

Oak has a beautiful natural texture. Hiding it behind a layer of paint is often wrong. Therefore, it makes more sense to use transparent coating. The composition completely covers the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bwood, but does not hide the structure. On the contrary, it emphasizes it, makes it more contrasting and expressive. If there are minor defects on the surface, preliminary puttying may be required. But such a need arises quite rarely.

The process of applying varnish is simple. The main thing is that the surface is dry and clean. The layer is applied evenly, you need to make sure that there are no streaks. After drying, the design will become even more contrasting, it will be better combined with the interior.

Please note that oak darkens over time. This is not due to paint coatings, it's just that this breed has such a property.

When are opaque coatings used? Basically, if you need to hide the obvious defects of the wood and the imperfections of the wood texture. In this case, such a varnish is usually applied in several layers. Otherwise, the structure will be viewed. Previously, the old coating must be completely cleaned, primed and putty is performed. And only after that - varnishing.

If you do the varnishing yourself

All varnishes are toxic. Some more, others less. But if you are varnishing a staircase in a residential building, make sure that no one is inside during the work. All work must be done in a special protective mask to avoid poisoning. If the work is carried out in a permanent place of residence, choose the fastest-drying compounds. Otherwise, you will have to temporarily move to a hotel or to relatives.

It is still better to entrust the work to the masters. So you get excellent result, the coating will be uniform, without streaks and untreated areas of the tree. Only in this way can a long-term service life of the entire structure be guaranteed.

Impregnation of wood is a necessary operation that extends their life. It should be carried out even if the oak and other species for sale are appropriately treated (for example, in terms of relative humidity). Reason - unfavourable conditions floorboard operation: high operating loads, and frequently changing surface moisture content of the wood.

Possible ways of surface impregnation of wood

At home, oak board impregnation can be performed:

• special parquet varnishes;
• compositions based on oil-wax mixtures;
• refreshing blends that restore shine wood flooring.

The last option relates more to maintaining appearance already processed oak board, so this impregnation is not deep. Rather, this technology resembles the cleaning of a wooden floor, and therefore can be done once a week, and even more often.

A similar effect is given by surface wood fresheners - polishes. High-quality polishes can restore the original color of wood for a while, emphasizing its texture.

Such technologies are applied a month or two after the final laying of the parquet board.

Unlike the above methods, impregnation is carried out at the stage of laying the coating or immediately after it. She suggests:

Impregnation with parquet varnishes

Without exception, all compounds of this group are extremely toxic, which must be taken into account when choosing this method of wood impregnation. Processing should be carried out in well-ventilated areas, at air temperatures up to 25 ° C (at higher temperatures, varnishes begin to evaporate even more intensively), as well as using personal protective equipment: goggles and a gauze bandage (or respirator).

The toxicity of varnishes for impregnating boards depends on the type of solvent. Lacquers are made on a water basis and on the basis of synthetic solvents. Water-based varnishes are much less toxic, although they dry somewhat more slowly. However, in this case, this is not a drawback, but rather an advantage of the composition: quick-drying impregnating varnishes are very demanding on the quality of their application, and with insufficient experience of the performer, they leave clearly pronounced stripes. They can only be eliminated by re-varnishing the wood, and this leads to increased consumption of varnish and lengthening of the work period.

A clear advantage of parquet varnishes is their durability. Oak treated with such compounds will subsequently require only cosmetic maintenance of cleanliness and texture, which can be ensured by applying a polish of the desired color to the surface of the floorboard. Sometimes stains are successfully used to maintain the external texture of the oak coating.

Impregnation using oil-wax compounds

This impregnation technology is much cleaner from an environmental point of view, since it uses non-toxic components of natural origin.

Oil-wax mixtures are used not only for impregnation, but also for the restoration of damaged areas of the board. The advantages of this impregnation method:

1. Giving the coating antistatic characteristics. Due to processing oil formulations the risk of static electricity accumulation on the surface of oak parquet boards is reduced. When treated with varnishes, the antistatic effect does not occur, which is explained by polarization organic solvent during its application to the surface of the tree.
2. The oil-wax surface is warmer to the touch, which is explained by the increased heat capacity of the impregnation components. Therefore, it will be warmer in the treated rooms in winter.
3. The relatively low volatility of the oil ensures its penetration into the internal structure of the oak board to a considerable depth. As a result, the porosity of the wood decreases and the density increases.
4. The presence of wax gives the impregnating composition the ability to cover small surface defects in the wood, which may arise, for example, from the claws of domestic animals.
5. The wax itself is water-repellent, so the board will not suffer from excess moisture, for example, during mopping.
6. Wax-oil impregnations can be used to treat any room in the house. Most often, they process boards from oak, ash, larch.

Work performance technology

Impregnation of wood with parquet varnish is carried out in two layers. The next one is superimposed in a direction perpendicular to the previous one. In view of the quick setting of the composition, it is recommended that the treatment be carried out with a hard wide brush.

There are much more subtleties of applying an impregnating composition based on oil-wax components. The difficulty is due to the fact that the working mixture for impregnation contains several heterogeneous components.

This includes the actual oil, wax, resinous substances that give the finished surface shine and reduce its porosity, as well as a very small amount of chemical stabilizers that provide resistance to impregnation under changing conditions of temperature and relative humidity.

The quality of processing is determined by the characteristics of the oil. It is divided into three types:

1. High density, with a high percentage of resins. Impregnation of the board with the use of such oil is considered the most durable.
2. The usual density, where various dyes are often added - from light brown to lemon yellow. This facilitates the selection of the impregnating composition for the texture and color of the board (dark colors are used for oak).
3. Bleaching oils that lighten the color of the finish surface. More often they process light wood species (linden, pine, maple), but sometimes oak bleaching increases the expressiveness of the floorboard.

Before impregnation, the necessary preparatory work: the oak board is polished, in order to repair minor defects, its surface putty is performed. Then, in several layers with a break for drying, the impregnation itself is carried out. It can be produced cold or hot.

Impregnation with oil-wax mixtures has a number of limitations:

1. As a result of the treatment, the friction coefficient of the adhesion of the surfaces of shoes and the floor is reduced, so it is easier to slip on such a board.
2. If subsequent impregnation with varnish is desired, the entire coating will have to be removed.
3. The method is not suitable if the premises are equipped with a "warm floor" system.

The choice of the optimal method for processing a board, including oak, depends on the conditions of its operation and the desired visual effect from the finished coating.