In this video & article, reSAWN shows you how to clean & recoat charred exterior siding. The video focuses on IKIGAI which is one of our charred Accoya materials. IKIGAI is first burnt in the Japanese style of shou sugi ban which accentuates the natural grain pattern. It is then brushed to remove most of the charcoal layer and finished with an exterior oil top coat.
Video Transcript: Hi, this is Ryan with reSAWN TIMBER co. ‘s R+D Department.
Today we’re going to be showing you how to clean an exterior cladding product in preparation for a recoat.
Keep in mind, that Accoya is a modified wood and doesn’t require recoat maintenance. However, if the desire is to get back to that day one color, we do recommend a recoat for aesthetic purposes.
So the first step in this process is knowing when your cladding was installed. So we know – our test board for IKIGAI has been out on our testing rigs. We know this was put outside 3 years ago (1 year of weathering = 3 years of accelerated weathering). So, that falls in the 3-4 year window of when we recommend recoats.
Accelerated Weathering Correlation
Accelerated weathering means exposure of our products facing South on a 45-degree angle. One year of accelerated weathering equals approximately three years of natural weathering.
Visual Inspection of Cladding
The next step would be to visually inspect the product for any kind of damage, fading, mold – things like that. And after taking a look at this, and knowing how long it’s been outside, we’ve decided to do a recoat on this product.
This product here is IKIGAI. This is a shou sugi ban product or a charred Accoya product.
And I think after we clean it and prep it and we get the finish on there, it’ll look just as good as the day it got installed*. So, let’s do that.
NOTE*: Maintenance and recoating guidelines vary by product. Contact reSAWN TIMBER co. for product-specific information.
Part 1 – Cleaning IKIGAI Accoya Exterior Wood Cladding
- Step One – dampen the surface with water, using a garden hose if possible.
- Step Two – apply reSAWN’s ready-to-use exterior wood cleaner using a soft-bristled brush.
- NOTE: For lighter cleaning, the product can be diluted with water at a ratio of 1:2.
- Step Three – scrub the treated area with a soft-bristled brush. That’s a nice soft-bristled brush. Working lengthwise along the wood until it is clean. For stubborn stains, repeating the treatment may be necessary.
- Step Four – rinse thoroughly with water until all of the foam has been washed away.
Let the wood dry for a minimum of 24 hours before starting the recoat process.
Part 2 (Optional) – Recoating IKIGAI Accoya Exterior Wood Cladding
- Step One – stir the oil finish provided by reSAWN thoroughly before use.
- Step Two – once the clean surface is dry, apply a layer of oil finish supplied by reSAWN with a foam pad. Work length-wise across the boards. Maintain a wet edge to prevent any lap marks.
- Step Three – wait for 1 to 3 minutes, allowing oil to penetrate. Then buff off traces of excess product with a piece of cloth.
- Step Four – Let the surface dry for about 24 hours.
NOTE: Complete curing takes place after 7 days.
Cloths that are soaked in oil may spontaneously combust, and must therefore be submerged in water after use.
Accelerated Weather Testing at reSAWN TIMBER co.
At reSAWN, our Research & Development department ensures the quality assurance necessary to specify our exterior cladding products with confidence. Testing begins at the conception of a new product by placing the product on our accelerated weathering rigs. Our R & D team studies the finish performance and quality and structural performance of each product.
Accelerated Weathering is done at our facility in Telford, PA. Telford is located in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania in the Northeastern United States in the humid continental climate zone, with some characteristics of the humid subtropical climate that lies in Delaware and Maryland to the south. A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold in the northern areas) winters. Precipitation is usually distributed throughout the year. Telford experiences average temperatures of 25 °F to 45 °F in the winter and 65 °F to 85 °F in the summer. The average precipitation per month is around 3.5 inches with an average yearly precipitation of 41 inches. The average relative humidity for the year is 65%. The average UV index ranges from low-moderate in the winter (2-5) to high-very high in the summer (8-9).
Materials are installed facing due South with approx. 8 hours of direct sunlight per day at a 45-degree angle to accelerate weathering. The actual weathering appearance and time frame at your site will be different depending on several factors including climate, altitude, and facing. In general, the acceleration factor is roughly 3:1 and so for example, 1 year of accelerated weather testing can be correlated to roughly 3 years of natural weathering. However, taking into consideration the usual high variation of test results obtained with wood samples and the variations in climate zones, facings, and weather — it is impossible to make an exact correlation to the time associated with weathering at your site.
[3:1 has to be qualified as it relates to the material being installed as vertical cladding in a Southern exposure in the Northern Hemisphere. 3-5 Years for Northern exposure. In both conditions, this assumes full UV Exposure. Cladding blocked by UV exposure will alter these estimated time frames. If reSAWN material is used as roof cladding (specifically 12:12 pitch) it’s a 1:1 correlation.]
At reSAWN TIMBER co. we celebrate and visually leverage wood’s inherent tendency to weather over time by designing modern, high-performance products that are meant to age in place with grace.
We work with woods’ natural tendency to grey, not against it. Our products look beautiful on day one and continue to as nature takes over. Each board works cohesively together yet each board has its own visual story. The result is modern originality & inherent textural beauty with each and every project.
