To let the wood of a building have an untreated appearance has become more and more popular. A building treated with iron vitrol will have a silverish grey appearance, characterized by the weather. Of course, it also helps to know that this treatment only needs to be done once, and the wood does not need maintenance. If you don’t want to paint or stain the exterior cladding, this is the perfect solution to get the beautiful “mountain hut” mark on the wood.
Iron vitrol treatment will quick and easy give the coat an old, worn look and greyish patina. In this way, the wood will have a silver-grey appearance on the surface, which is influenced by two things; moisture and sunlight. The use of iron vitrol will accelerate the natural aging of the wood faster as the surface of the wood reacts with the sunlight and then breaks down.
What’s important to keep in mind before choosing an iron vitriol treatment on the house or cabin is that this treatment does not contain oil, and the woodwork on the building will therefore be completely open. On the other hand, if the wood gives good ventilation and avoids contact with the ground, it can last for a long time. It is also a great advantage that you do not have to treat the wood again later, only one treatment is needed. One thing that you also must keep in mind is that wood that are under roof protrusions, frames and shade in areas that are sheltered from rain will often take longer to turn grey. This may initially give a slightly blotched look, but will smooth out eventually.
Vyrk treats exterior cladding with iron vitrol by stirring the iron vitriol sulfate with water, which then is applied to the exterior cladding. Iron vitrol is also commonly called iron sulfate, and consists of iron and salt. Iron, salt and water is a poor combination, so it`s important that the installation of iron-vitrole-treated wood must be done with acid-resistant screws and nails to prevent rust. It is also important to know that metal fittings around doors and windows can give marks and begin to rust when rainwater flows from the cladding. These should therefore be made of suitable material. This type of treatment causes the outer layer of the wood to break down chemically and that’s why you never can apply paint later. Therefore, you have to be sure that this is the treatment you want your cladding to have.
Feel free to contact us at Vyrk if you have any questions about exterior cladding, whether painted, stained or treated with iron vitrol.
