RESTORING OLD TIMBER TO NATURAL GLORY

by Sikkens Woodcare Products

The KU ANSTO Children’s Centre in Lucas Heights, NSW, prides itself on offering a safe, nurturing and aesthetic environment for kids. When the exterior of the kindergarten began to weather and turn grey, they promptly gave the building some much-needed TLC with an entire recoat. 

“The timber had gone completely grey. Aesthetically it looked very poor and some boards were even starting to split and crack,” explained Gary Macarthur, ANSTO’s Project Planner – Asset Management and Services Group. 

Crafted from Spotted Gum timber, the building was only six years old but the original coating had failed. Macarthur turned to a product he knew he could trust.

“I have used Sikkens products for many years on many projects and I think it is probably the best in the market for this type of material and application,” he said. Macarthur reached out to Tenaru, the Australian distributor of Sikkens products, and the two parties worked together to bring the timber back to life. 

“The system we used was one coat of Sikkens Cetol HLSe on protected areas of the building and two coats of Sikkens Cetol HLSe on exposed areas of the building, followed by two coats of Sikkens Cetol Filter 7 Plus in Light Oak all over,” commented Heather Smith, Tenaru’s NSW representative. “Before applying the stain, they sanded the wood and cleaned it with Sikkens BL Tannin and Oil Remover, followed by Sikkens BL Deck and Wood Cleaner. This combination of products thoroughly cleans timber and gives it the best preparation before recoating.”

The finished project is stunning, with the natural character of the Spotted Gum timber shining though and providing a beautiful backdrop to the colourful window frames. Moreover, the building is now protected against exposure to water and UV damage for many years to come. 

“Myself, management and the staff at the kindergarten are all really pleased with the end result,” said Macarthur. “Heather couldn’t have been more helpful; she understood the product well and I have now specified Sikkens products as the re-coat specification across the entire site to be used as and when projects such as this arise.”



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