Barrettine Wood Preserver Review

While most of my life as a professional decorator is spent painting inside peoples’ houses, I do sometimes get asked to do other things (mostly painting-related to a greater or lesser extent!).

This includes looking after customers’ outside wood, whether it’s a summer house, a garden bench, wooden plant troughs, a shed or a fence.  Wood is a wonderful natural material, but unfortunately it doesn’t last forever, especially if it’s not properly looked after.

The weather, fungi and insects such as woodworm can all take their toll, meaning that a few years after it’s installed, wood cannot just lose its lovely appearance, it can be structurally weakened too.

A real “unsung hero” in the fight against these and problems is Barrettine Wood Preserver.  It penetrates deep into the wood to protect not just the surface, and is suitable for use on rough, sawn and smooth timber.

I have one older customer who insists on me using nothing else on his fence since it was new; I can’t remember how long I’ve been doing it for, but every couple of years he calls me back to put a couple more coats on.  While it has discoloured over the years due to the weather, it still feels solid as a rock.  I was doing it again this week for him, so I thought I’d put pen to paper and write an honest review of this product.

Product Specifications

• Uses:  pretty much any wood outside or in outbuildings like barns, to protect against fungal and insect attack.  If the wood is already painted, previous coatings must be removed to allow the Wood Preserver to penetrate.  You can use it on wood that is in contact with the ground, but it’s not suitable for any wood that is permanently below the surface of the soil.
• Drying time: 12 hours to fully dry (6-12 hours to recoat, depending on the temperature and the porosity of the wood).
• methods: brush, roller
• Colours available: Clear, Red Cedar, Dark Brown, Golden Brown, Light Brown, Summer Tan, Black, Holly Green
• Sizes available: 1L, 5L, 25L
• Clean-up: white spirit (solvent-based product), or use a disposable brush
• Where to buy: available from multiple suppliers. Click here to see current prices.

Barrettine Wood Preserver in Use

This product is so easy to apply, you just need to get used to not trying to use it like a paint.  Because it’s so thin (think of it as being like painting with water), it will run and drip everywhere.

I therefore just dip the tip of my brush into it, so as not to overload the brush, and if I’m painting vertically, my first brush-stoke is always upwards; if your first stroke goes downwards, you end up with all the Wood Preserver being squeezed out of the brush and dripping onto the floor.

For the same reason (and to prevent spillages), always replace the lid.  Another important thing to say is to always shake the can well – when you start the job and each time you decant more into your kettle – to ensure it is properly mixed.

I tend to wait overnight between coats; the first coat soaks deep into the wood, and it’s easier to see where you’ve applied it and where you haven’t (especially for the first few minutes).  The second coat doesn’t seem to soak in as much, but flies on much quicker.

If you want to add some colour to your wood, you can choose from the half dozen or so coloured versions of Barrettine’s Wood Preserver – they’re semi-transparent, so you still get all the natural wood grain visible if that’s the look you want.

The more coats you apply, the darker it will go (and also, the more coats you apply the higher the sheen level – it’s fairly matt normally but can head up towards a satin finish if you apply multiple coats).  On the other hand, it you want you can use a couple of coats of clear wood preserver to protect your wood, and then apply an opaque finish like Sadolin Superdec over the top – I’d recommend waiting a few days first before doing this, to allow the wood preserver to fully cure.

This is a real “unsung hero” that protects your wood for years, and so saves you money in the long run.  The only downside is that it’s solvent-based and very high in VOCs, so if you are using it indoors you need to keep the space extremely well ventilated.  It’s not great for the plants, insects and animals either, so avoid spillages as much as possible, and wear protective gloves while working.  But those safety warnings aside, this is a really good product that will help your exterior wood to last and last.

Review Summary

FAQs

How many coats of Barrettine Wood Preserver should you apply?

Two coats minimum are recommended, but you can apply more if you wish.  The more coats you add, the darker the colour will become. Leave 12 hours between coats (I usually leave it overnight).

Can you paint over Barrettine Wood Preserver?

If you use the clear version, then yes you can paint over it with an opaque finish, but I would recommend waiting for a few days, maybe a week first, to allow the wood preserver to fully cure.  Once you have painted the wood though, you can’t then go back and apply more wood preserver in the future.  Alternatively, you could use one of Barrettine’s semi-transparent coloured wood preservers, which add colour without losing visibility of the wood’s natural grain.

Should I apply Barrettine Wood Preserver before or after painting wood?

Definitely before.  Applying the wood preserver first allows it to penetrate deep into the wood where it can do its job. If you paint first, the paint acts like a barrier and prevents the wood preserver from getting to the wood.

Does Barrettine Wood Preserver repel rainwater?

While the product’s main purpose is to protect against wood-destroying fungi (wet rot) and wood-boring insects, it does also contain top quality water-repellent resins to reduce water ingress into the wood.