How Do People Prevent Weathering From Happening?
On homes, porches and other structures, weathering occurs to most types of building materials that are exposed to rain, snow, and hot and cold temperatures every year. Certain types of materials weather more than others and require more attention and care than others to prevent weathering.
Outdoor Furniture and Patios
Outdoor wooden patio furniture and the surfaces of wooden decks can be treated to prevent weathering from happening when they are first installed and then regularly every few years so that the wood is always protected. Sanding the surfaces of their wood exposed to the elements and then staining and painting on a type water seal keeps water from getting into the wood grain; otherwise, the water can begin the weathering process or start to rot the wood. The old water seal can be removed and new water seal applied after a year or two.
Stone Weathering
Patios and walls made of stone can weather and corrode over years of exposure to the elements. That can be prevented with the addition of a stone sealer when the stone patio or wall is constructed, allowing weathering to occur only to the sealer on the stone's surface. The sealer can be scrubbed or power-washed away, revealing the stone, which should look as good as new. Then the sealer can be reapplied, and the process can start all over again.
Prevention with Paint
Certain exterior latex paints can protect against weathering. They usually are used on houses' wood siding, fences and furniture that is exposed to the elements. Acrylic latex paints are better at protecting than oil-based paints. Many hardy woods used to build these outdoor wooden structures, including redwood or cedar, require a stain-blocking primer. By properly applying these exterior latex paints to your wood that will be exposed to the elements, they will not weather for years, though you won't be able to tell beneath the paint.
The Drip Cap
- On homes, porches and other structures, weathering occurs to most types of building materials that are exposed to rain, snow, and hot and cold temperatures every year.
- Outdoor wooden patio furniture and the surfaces of wooden decks can be treated to prevent weathering from happening when they are first installed and then regularly every few years so that the wood is always protected.
- Sanding the surfaces of their wood exposed to the elements and then staining and painting on a type water seal keeps water from getting into the wood grain; otherwise, the water can begin the weathering process or start to rot the wood.
Writer Bio
Hailing from Austin, Texas, Daniel Westlake has written under pen names for a myriad of publications all over the nation, ranging from national magazines to local papers. He now lives in Los Angeles, Calif. but regularly travels around the country and abroad, exploring and experiencing everything he can.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
- Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
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