How to Use Roxil Wood Protection Cream
Developed by Safeguard Europe, Roxil is a silicone-based product that seals timber, offers protection from water penetration and greatly reduces mould and algae growth. It also slows the effects of UV, which discolours the timber over time. To suit different timbers and projects, Roxil is available as either a liquid spray or a wood protection cream.
The Best Timber Preservative Treatment?
Crucial to protecting timber projects, wood treatment is an option chosen by many of our clients to ensure the durability of their projects. As well as protecting timber products from exposure to the elements, the right type and quality of wood treatment will help to preserve the natural beauty, overall colour and grain of timber, such as preventing Western Red Cedar from fading to its typical slivery grey if left untreated (over a much longer period of time, of course, the timber will fade, but more evenly.) In particular, Roxil works superbly on end grain, which is where rot and fungal growth problems tend to first occur.
W. L. West & Sons Ltd have been championing this product for about two years now and even use it on our bespoke timber gates, it’s that good. We also find it useful on benches or other outdoor furniture, because Roxil’s key feature is that it ‘turns water’, or minimises saturation.
How Well Does Roxil Work To Preserve Timber?
The purpose of Roxil is to penetrate the timber and seal it, preventing water from expanding, warping and splitting the wood as the water gets in.
Roxil is known for performing this role extremely well; however to further study and understand the potential of Roxil for the benefit of this piece, W. L. West & Sons recently got in touch with Dr Eric Rirsch of Safeguard UK. We sent over samples of Red Grandis (Eucalyptus Grandis) that we were using for a large cladding project we’ve been working on. This is so that the wood could be tested.
The video below shows the effect Roxil had on two of the timber samples when exposed to water for 10 minutes. The video shows three samples: one treated with Roxil wood cream (left), one treated with Roxil wood liquid (middle), and one untreated (right).
As you can see, the untreated timber sample just absorbs the water, a process that will eventually rot the timber and reduce its longevity.
How to Apply Roxil Wood Protection
According to Dr Rirsch, there are two possible ways of treating timber such as the Red Grandis samples we sent in.
Method One: Apply Roxil Wood Cream in one coat
This the Roxil wood protection in cream format (not the liquid), which has a small amount of biocide added in the mix to reduce the risk of mould growth. It slightly darkens the wood surface, as we saw, and was applied by brush on small surface areas in the lab. The water resistance is good and will last for many years.
(For background, when Safeguard Europe applied the cream to Oak in early tests three years ago, the colour looked a little uneven, but evened out over the course of a month or two. It is hard to tell if this will happen on the Red Grandis, but Dr Rirsch thought it unlikely.)
Tip: the cream needs to be applied by roller or brush.
Method Two: Apply Roxil Wood Liquid after a biocide primer
Here, the first step is to apply a base coat biocide (in the test, Safeguard Europe used their Soluguard Multi-surface biocide) and let it dry before following it with Roxil Wood Liquid. The application can be by spray, brush or liquid coater. Dr Rirsch says this would give a very even appearance, though the Wood Cream above gives better long-term water resistance.Â
Tip: Make sure you cover all parts of the surface before declaring the job done. Any missing areas may be tricky to spot and will only appear when it next rains.
Overall, while the liquid is perhaps better suited for an overall aesthetic effect, Dr Rirsch would recommend using the wood cream, if long-term water resistance is your goal. The formulation of the wood cream allows it to be dripless, precise and easy. Best of all, no prior treatment is necessary!
Having said that, it is always worth trying a couple of larger samples first; the application methods and precise end-use applications of each project will affect the end result.
Why is Roxil Wood Cream the Best?
We have been using this product professionally for years, but we are far from alone. The Roxil product line consistently receives glowing reviews online, most of which highlight the ease of application of Roxil wood, its durability and effectiveness. Some liken the application to the process of polishing their shoes, with no mess and very little product needed.
Tested using time-acceleration techniques, the official guidelines suggest that a single coat of Roxil will provide protection for ten years. This product has only been around for three years, so only time will tell, but so far the results are very promising and predictable indeed.
W. L. West & Sons Ltd is a timber merchant and sawmill business with 150 years of experience. We provide a wide range of air-dried oak and kiln-dried oak timber products and supplies. We also build and install custom projects for our customers.
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