How to Protect Landscape Timbers

How to Protect Landscape Timbers
Published: Feb 24, 2010
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
1 minute read

Things You Will Need

  • Stiff plastic brush
  • Paint scraper
  • Timber cleaning product
  • Sandpaper
  • Fine bristle brush
  • Exterior timber varnish
  • Synthetic paintbrush

Consult a paint or landscaping supplies store for the product that best suits your needs, then apply the product to your outdoor timber in a few simple steps.

  1. Clean the landscape timber surface thoroughly. Use a stiff plastic brush and a paint scraper to remove mold, sap, dust and loose fibers. Apply a professional cleaning product to remove all traces of oil and dirt. This step is crucial to ensure an even, long-lasting finish.

  2. Sand the surface to give it a smooth, even finish. If you have an older painted surface, sand the timber until the paint is completely gone and you are left with exposed raw timber. If you have brand new timber, use a fine-grit sandpaper to remove surface imperfections. Always sand in the same direction as the grain. Brush the surface with a fine bristle brush to remove all sanding dust.

  3. Mix your varnish product thoroughly with a clean, long, flat piece of spare timber.

  4. Apply your product to the timber using a synthetic paint brush. Apply three coats with a minimum of three hours of drying time between each coat.

Tips

If you install new landscaping timber, this process should be completed before the timber is installed.

If the finish looks dull or gray in the future, repeat this process to rejuvenate the surface.

If you use a stained varnish, keep the empty bottle so that you can purchase the same shade in the future.

Photo Credits

wood image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com

wood image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com

Charlie Higgins

Charlie Higgins is journalist, editor and translator based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has written for a variety of lifestyle and niche market websites, including International Food Trader, The Olive Oil Times, microDINERO, Sounds and…

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