Bangkirai is one of the most durable woods in the construction industry. Nevertheless, care is essential to ensure that it retains its resilience over the long term and offers an even, natural coloring for many years. Different care rules apply to tropical wood than, for example, to domestic types of wood. Oiling the Bangkirai is an important part. The following instructions show what the oil care should look like and what to look out for.
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Definition – Usage: Bangkirai Wood
This type of wood is a tropical wood that comes from the Asian region from trees of the same name and up to 75 meters high. In Asia it is one of the most popular timbers for outdoor use. It is primarily used as electricity pylons, railway sleepers and in bridge, jetty and boat/ship building. In addition to its resilience, the wood also has a special property: it is resistant to wood-eating insects, pests, fungi and wood-damaging microorganisms. It contains essential oils that keep them at bay.
In the meantime, the rest of the world has learned to appreciate the advantages of this type of wood. In Central Europe, it is often used as decking boards as well as around pools and ponds.
Recognize
Not everyone made a conscious decision in favor of Bangkirai, but perhaps bought it when buying a house. In order for the correct care with oil to be applied, the wood should be recognized as this species in advance, which is possible through the following characteristics:
- Particularly homogeneous appearance
- High inner wood density
- Helleres plywood
- Yellowish to olive-brown heartwood (changes to grey-silver over time)
- Barely discernible growth zones with the naked eye
- Very few knots
- Possible, strongly pronounced resin channels as light transversal and longitudinal lines
- Possibly uneven fiber structure due to interlocked grain
- Hard wood that is difficult to work with – can hardly be worked without electrical aids
care reasons
Although Bangkirai is extremely robust and resilient, without special care it changes over time, ages and loses valuable properties. It is also not permanently protected against weather influences. Wind and weather bother him. In addition, valuable ingredients are released from the inside of the wood, which are washed out and as a result the wood decreases in weather resistance. Above all, UV radiation and sunlight cause the Bangkirai to fade because they lead to the decomposition of the lignin in the wood. This creates a transparent, whitish cellulose, which creates a silvery-grey shimmer on the wood surface, robs the wood of its characteristic hue and makes it look old and worn. To prevent this or to restore the original state,
Oil based products
It is important when choosing care that it is an oil-based product. Oils combine with the wood’s own oils, while water-based products do not create a connection and therefore no comprehensive/complete care can take place.
Special Bangkirai Oil
The ideal bangkirai oil ensures that it refreshes the pigments so that the natural, fresh and young color tone appears again and also offers protection against aging when the wood’s inherent protective function is lost through the wearing away of the silvery-grey patina. Bangkirai oil, which is offered as a pigmented wood preservative, is ideal for this. These products replace an additional glaze or varnish to compensate for the loss of color. A normal, conventional wood preservative oil, such as is used for domestic types of wood, usually does not meet the high demands of the wood and can even have negative consequences.
care rhythm
Only a uniform, undamaged and intact wood protection offers sufficient protection against “wind and weather”. For this reason, decking boards, pool and/or pond surrounds made of Bangkirai should always be checked for damage and excessive wear at regular intervals. Here it is important to act immediately and to close the “gap” again with Bangkirai oil. If there is no damage or the like, an oil treatment once a year is sufficient under normal use. In the case of heavy use, such as terrace floorboards in a busy restaurant, oiling twice a year is recommended.
Best time
The best times for oiling the Bangkirai once a year are in the spring. Any winter influences can be removed here and the wood will look like new during the summer season. In addition, the protection against UV radiation and intense sunlight is then significantly higher than if oiling is only applied in autumn. Decking boards in the commercial sector should also be oiled in autumn or after the decking season, when heavy signs of wear have worn away the oil protection, so that the wood is well prepared for the winter. Ideally, oiling in the spring can possibly be spared. Once the Bangkirai has been laid, you should wait at least two weeks before oiling it.
manual
Required material:
- Broom, mop and cleaning brush with soft bristles
- Mop / Wiper
- Lint-free, soft cloth
- water
- Pigmented bangkirai oil with high UV protection
- degreaser
- Fine grit sandpaper
- Brush – soft, long-bristled and broad
remove dirt
The first step is to remove loose dirt and contaminants:
- Sweep and collect
- A vacuum cleaner is better at removing dirt from the smallest cracks
- Always sweep in the direction of the grooves on corrugated boards
- Loosen stubborn dirt with a cleaning brush (if necessary, soak with water and/or scrub off)
degreaser
If the pool, pond or terrace floorboards are dirt-free, the graying agent is finally used according to the following instructions:
- Gray remover is used undiluted
- Apply degreyer with a brush
- Always paint in the direction of the groove and grain
- Fill in the grooves well with degreyer
- Leave on for 20 minutes
- Apply again
- Another 20 minute wait
- Rinse off residue with water
- Remove the last residue and graying with a scrubber and circular movements
- rinse generously with water
- Soak up water with a mop/wiper
- Allow Bangkirai to dry
Apply bangkirai oil
Before you oil Bangkirai, make sure that the surface to be oiled is dry and free of dust and grease. The procedure is as follows:
- Stir product well before application
- Apply oil with a brush as described under “Regreyer”.
- Apply thinly so that it can be absorbed (several thin layers are better than one thick layer)
- Approximately 15 minutes waiting time
- Then wipe up oil residue with a cloth (surface feels rough)
- Go over the wood lightly with sandpaper/abrasive to make it smoother (don’t sand too much)
- Dust the floorboards
- Apply second layer of oil
- Let soak for 15 minutes
- Remove oil residues again
- Can be walked on again after complete drying
