Dyes are used on wood to enhance color and make them weather resistant. Sealants protect concrete and wood from moisture, but do not stop the movement of water through the concrete from outside. For masonry, sealants are the ideal product. If you plan to use wood in any capacity, you should seriously consider using an exterior wood stain.
While this may seem like an unnecessary step, the truth is that there are many reasons to dye wood.
Staining wood
has aesthetic and functional benefits for any type of wood in your home. There is no excuse for leaving wood unprotected. Below are some of the benefits of staining wood.Wood sealants are a completely different beast. While staining is intended to provide beauty, the sealant is intended to provide longevity and strength. It does this by sealing the wood (hence the name) with a transparent and impermeable substance such as polyurethane. This prevents the wood from rotting and prevents moisture from seeping through condensation, where it can gradually cause cracks.
If you have wood in your house that is in a place where it gets a lot of sunlight, wood siding, a wooden deck, wooden floors, or furniture that is near windows, the only way to protect it is with wood dye. Because wood dye doesn't create a protective layer, you need a wood sealant to protect it from things like fading, scratches, and even water damage. Water damage can come come mainly from above, which is your roof and gutters when unable to do their job and is clogged. The easiest way to tack this simple but tedious job is by getting a professional gutter cleaning service like Gutter Cleaning Raleigh NC. Rotting wood can be very dangerous, as it is not as structurally sound as wood that is in good condition. You can even give your wood a color that doesn't occur naturally in wood, while retaining the things that make the wood naturally attractive, such as grain and texture.
The application of water-based wood dyes is safe (without volatile organic compounds) and cleaning requires nothing more than soap and water. For example, trusted experts have found that semi-transparent wood dyes don't last as long as a solid dye. When there is no protection, wood can rot and crumble, warp and change shape, or stain and become ugly. The wood has a deep brown color and can survive outside without finishing, although a dye or sealant will add additional protection and extend its lifespan.
Pigment-based dyes will color wood with large pores, while dye-based dyes will color wood with more pores. If you just want to repaint finished wood, you can read this post on how to properly paint on stained or finished wood. This is a great way to color wood without losing the natural look, giving wood its personality and style. By staining wood, you can achieve many different colors, which can be very useful when combining wood with existing or planned decorations.
So choose the best wood dye if you want to color the grain of your wood project instead of protecting it from exposure. Since it's not a wood you want to brag about, I would recommend buying new wood and staining and sealing it or simply priming and painting the bench and sealing it so you don't have to do it again every year. Waterproofing wood is easy and will protect your wood for years, and we'll show you how to do it. I have stained my cover with acrylic dye and a sealant, and now I want to go over it with Thompson's clear sealant.
