We believe that how we treat this planet is the hallmark of the legacy we expect to leave behind us.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Life on the 'Wet' Coast...


One of the jokes that goes with living in coastal south BC is that you don't tan; you rust.  The last month has been a good example of that as it has been pretty darned damp.

This was taken this morning at the back of the property we rent.  You might notice the lack of sunlight and the very lush temperate rain forest tree growth. While the trees are living and renewing themselves there is a delicate symbiotic relationship with water.

But there comes a time when the tree dies and the relationship changes, with water being one of the components returning it to the earth and another cycle of life.  Part of the tools brought into this are moulds and mosses that help break down the damp material, encouraging decay.
Which isn't exactly what we have in mind when we use wood in the creating of our homes and other structures but, left untreated, the processes of nature will encroach on us to do their work in cleaning the planet.
Clearly The Best Solution's Wood Sealant is a step that can be taken to interrupt the cycle that disrupts our usage of wood as means of creating our homes and protecting them from the elements.  This roof was approximately seventeen years old.  Made of cedar shingles, its natural protections and any treatment initially applied had been washed out.  Moss had taken hold and the accumulation of dirt and neglect were taking their toll.  We were called in to clean and seal a neighbour's carport that looked the same.

The roof was cleaned, pressure washed, repaired and resealed using Clearly The Best Wood Sealant.


Just as a side note, the roof pictures were taken about a year and a half  after the work was done when they went back to gather examples of what they could do with Clearly The Best Solution materials.  I'm sure you can clearly see which neighbour was happy he had his roof done. *grin*



Will our Wood Sealant remain a barrier between the effects of wood on water forever?  Probably not forever ~ that's a pretty long time ~ but definitely its protective edge will last several decades, prolonging the life of the material used in structure building and reducing the consumption of new materials to repair damage.

And it's important to remember Clearly The Best Solution’s Wood Sealant is not a film forming product. It is an internal penetrating sealer which increases the density of wood, reducing absorbency and water damage while creating a molecular bond to become a permanent part of the wood.

As long as the wood is there, Clearly The Best is in it. Pressure washing doesn't wash it out, sanding doesn't get it out, etc.  If now you're saying, "see, you can't undo it!"  why would you want to?  It doesn't change the appearance of the wood ~ only protects and preserves it, retards fires, etc.... It doesn't discolour the wood, doesn't provide any UV protection to the wood ~ it reduces the water penetration, reducing water related damage such as rot, warping, mildew/mould, etc.

Since it's IN the wood, not on it,  the outside of the wood is still exposed to the elements. The wood will turn grey over time (actually, it turns more of a silver with Clearly The Best Wood Sealant) as UV works its impact on the outside of the wood.

Our wood sealant addresses the integrity of the wood, not the cosmetics. That's what stains and brighteners do but they're temporary solutions.   However, if you stain/paint over the sealed area, the paint/stain lasts much longer ~ at www.seal-it.ca, they state that it will last about 300% longer.

It's a win/win situation.  Less of the planetary resources go to the up-keep of your property, the use of non-toxic solutions do not impact the environment you live in, the surface treatments you use last much, much longer reducing even more of your carbon footprint...  With proper care and minimal annual cleaning, the time, energy and resources you expend in caring for your home have a positive long lasting impact on everything from your personal finances to global warming.

We like to think your choice is clear....

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