The brand new wooden facade of the house looks verystylish and respectable. How to make it look like this for as long as possible? Wood must be treated with special compounds, of which there are really many now. The facade is the business card of any house, it is the first impression that is always decisive. And this appearance depends on how correctly the material is selected and what the process of caring for it consists of. After all, any external influences spoil the wooden facade, depriving it of a stylish and respectable appearance. So how to properly care for it?Reasons for short life So what usually causes itDo wooden facades suffer? They are adversely affected by moisture and sun (ultraviolet), wind and snow, temperature fluctuations and pests, fire and smoke, moss and plants, leading to cracking, darkening and rotting - in a word, to the loss of a stunning appearance. Also, no one has cancelled mechanical damage that can appear from impacts, contacts and prolonged force impacts.Materials Used All materials requirespecial attitude to itself in terms of operation. By choosing natural wooden exterior finishing, you will get an elegant facade with many advantages. These include environmental friendliness, moisture resistance, fire resistance, ease of installation, warmth, and exceptional beauty. To bring all the advantages to an absolute value, it is necessary to use various compositions that will repeatedly extend the service life of the wood, and its appearance will please for years.Experts also suggest paying attentionon the types of wood that will be used for the facade. The choice is really great, since there are differences in performance properties: some types are completely unpretentious, while others are too extreme. You can read about the most unusual wooden houses built in Russia . Alexander Borisov, architect: - It all depends on what kind of wood is used as the basis for the facade, and this is what you should start from. Starting from the cheapest pine and ending with exotic ipe - all these types are exposed to extreme environments on the facade. If the side is northern, the wood does not suffer much, but where the sun is, serious heating occurs (up to 80 degrees), which means that the load on the wood is very, very serious. The harder and more expensive the board, the greater its "survivability" is.How to treat Any defects or flawscan be corrected by certain means. Initially, the surface of wood was preferred to be painted with ordinary oil paint. But over time, a huge number of all kinds of protective compounds have appeared that can cope with the tasks set. The properties of such products depend entirely on the differences in the chemical composition, formulation and concentration of various fillers and pigments.Paints and oils osmo Since the nomenclaturepaints and varnishes is quite extensive, it is always necessary to understand for what purpose this or that product is taken. After all, in addition to paint, the market offers varnishes and impregnations, glazes, drying oils and antiseptics, primers and stains, and many other compositions. What they have in common is a binder - a special film-forming substance that, after application, tightens the surface and hardens, forming an indestructible shell with protective and decorative functions. Depending on the composition and properties, all paints and varnishes (LKM) can be divided into several groups.Group 1.Oil-based impregnations Having the lowest prices in their segment, oil paints are the most common, and they can be used even at low temperatures. But at the same time, they are not able to penetrate deeply into the structure of the wood due to rapid drying, and the drying oil used in the impregnation gives an unpleasant odor. Although many modern paints can perform several functions at once, and the oil in the base can be linseed, castor, and sunflower. Alexander Borisov, architect: - A pine facade will still be covered with cracks in 3-4 years, so it does not really matter what to paint it with. The cheapest option from expensive trees is larch, but it is also subject to drying out (approximately 6 millimeters). Facade oils based on linseed oil are suitable for this variety, absorbing deeper than paint solutions.Group 2.Bioprotection This group includes bacteria, mold, fungi and insects. All these factors are certainly dangerous for wood, as they destroy it to the ground. Therefore, special antiseptics and primers are used, which, when absorbed, protect the structure of the wood for a long time. The main reason for the appearance of the above-mentioned troubles is high humidity. If you do not allow water to penetrate, the effect of the impact of microorganisms will be minimized. And the wood will not rot if you use a water-repellent impregnation.Group 3.Fire-retardant paints and varnishes One of the types of paints and varnishes is fire-retardant impregnations, which are also called fire retardants. Functionally, they block the access of oxygen to the structure of the wood, preventing it from igniting. The rate of flame propagation also decreases, and fire resistance, on the contrary, increases. Such a composition can be used to cover facades not only made of wood, but also of other building and finishing materials. Lyudmila Kobzeva, VIK-metiz: - Fire-bio-protective impregnations will protect wood from ignition for a period of 5 to 15 years. A large assortment of compositions also involves bactericidal and antiseptic treatment of surfaces, which will keep the facade safe and sound for a long time. vikmetiz.ru/Group 4.External paints and varnishes A protective external layer is necessary in any case. It is responsible for the visual perception of wood on the facade, and it is this layer that will bear the main loads and impacts. Usually, the layer is formed by varnish or glaze, which preserve the texture of the wood and give it interesting, even noble shades and colors. Alexander Borisov, architect: - In our conditions, it is best to use oils rather than impregnations. The frame should be made of the same material as the facade part, and it is imperative to properly sand and prepare it for painting. It is also important to understand that wood is a living material, it tends to shrink in winter and expand in summer, which cannot be said about paints and varnishes. Therefore, at least once every two years, the surfaces should be re-treated.New products from companies and popular products HowIt has already been said that there are a great many compositions on the market now. We decided to select the five most common ones that professionals recommend using. Osmo The German concern Osmo is a pioneer in wood coatings and has been a leader in the production of natural paints for 100 years. They are based only on natural raw materials: oils, as well as various types of wax. At the same time, the paint is twice as efficient as its analogues in terms of productivity - if you compare the area of the objects on which they were used. Sanding and preliminary priming are not required - with Osmo, you can create a high-quality coating quickly and easily.Osmo Biofa Natural German oils,Biofa paints and impregnations are absolutely safe and can be used for any work. A large range of colors and such properties as wear resistance, abrasion resistance, resistance to atmospheric loads and durability allow us to evaluate the company's products as premium. In addition, they are very environmentally friendly and easy to use.Leinos has excellent propertiesLeinos products. More than 150 components and 15 thousand chemical compounds can cope with any facade problem. The oil lays down smoothly, without drips, and looks like paint, and the color range is so diverse that choosing the right shade will be a difficult, but very interesting task.Pinotex Spectacular impregnation, environmentally friendly and durable. Actively protects the wood surface from the severity of the environment. In addition, it is also decoratively attractive.Pirilax is a biologically pure fire retardantnot only is it fire-resistant, but it also protects wood from insects and mold, and slows down the deterioration process. Resistance to atmospheric fluctuations is at the level of all previous materials.