Is Thermally Modified Wood maintenance-free?

Arbor Wood Co. thermally modified wood can be used without additional finishes and expected to last 25+ years without any signs of serious physical degradation, warping or buckling.

However, a UV coating is recommended if color retention is an important factor to the client (we recommend CUTEK Extreme). If no UV coating is used, the wood will patina out to a natural silver.

CUTEK Extreme should be reapplied when the wood is no longer beading or as frequently as necessary to retain the natural or altered color of the wood. Timing will differ depending on many variables including the age and porosity of the wood, species, situation, design, aspect, weathered exposure and adequacy of preparation.

When considering frequency of maintenance there are two factors to consider:

Protection: CUTEK Extreme diffuses deeply into wood to provide long-term, cumulative, inside-out protection. Even when the wood surface has grayed and weathered, CUTEK Extreme will remain permanently mobile in the wood, meaning protection is not compromised even if the outward appearance of the wood has changed. Each additional coat of CUTEK Extreme provides further additional protection against moisture.

Appearance: To maintain the natural color of freshly oiled wood for longer or alter the appearance of your wood, CUTEK Extreme with an added CUTEK Colortone should be applied. Over time and with exposure to sunlight and UV, the color will slowly fade to a silver patina, or ware/erode with use. Color durability and the rate at which this fading, or wearing/eroding occurs is dependent on many factors, such as age and porosity of the wood, species, situation, design, aspect, and degree of exposure to the weather. CUTEK Extreme with an added Colortone should be reapplied as frequently as necessary to maintain desired color vibrancy.