If you have purchased a wooden memorial from us or simply have one and want to know the best way to look after it then this blog will be very helpful for you. We will take you through the different timbers, what you should treat them with and how frequently you should treat them.
Oak
If you have an oak memorial then there is quite a few treatment options available for you. A key feature to note with Oak is that a specific fungal can get into the timber and turn it black so regular treatment is required. Our recommended treatment is Varnish but please be aware not all burial grounds allow varnish. Our oak memorials that are treated with satin varnish are; anti-fungal, 1 base coat, 3 layers of top coats and a wood milk layer. This treatment should last a least a year (depending on whether) and after that, we recommend you re-treat yearly. To retreat varnished signs you want a dry day and to be relatively dust-free. You want to lightly sand down the plaque and then apply a few layers of varnish. You can use a soft rag or a soft paintbrush.
The other treatment options available for Oak is Devon Oil or Osmo Oil. With both of these treatments, we still treat with anti-fungal and then we apply 3 layers of the oils. Devon oil is a completely natural oil, made with all natural products which makes it a great choice for natural burial grounds. The Devon Oil will need to be reapplied a few times a year to keep the plaque looking its best. Osmo Oil is a bit tougher treatment and it takes longer for water ingress to occur than Devon oil so you can leave it longer between treatments however we do reccomend a couple of times year you retreat.
Iroko
If you have just purchased an Iroko memorial then you will have received it with two coats of Devon Oil. Iroko is a fantastic hardwood that works very well for outdoor use. Unlike the oak it does not go black with water ingression but will turn silver. Looking after the Iroko plaque is much easier than oak but more frequent. We recommend re-treating with oil a few times a year. To retreat you simply need to add oil to rag and wipe over the plaque. If the plaque has weathered a little you can lightly sand and then re-oil.
Douglas Fir
Douglas firs is very similar to the oak apart from that it does not go black with water ingression. Treatment can either be our Satin Varnish or Devon Oil. Both of which work very well with this timber and instead its whether you would prefer to treat more regularly but with an easier method (wiping over with oil) or less frequent but more involved (sanding and re-varnishing).
Key Points
The main key point with looking after a wooden memorial plaque is to semi-regularly check the condition of the plaque. If you can spot signs of water ingress and re-treat before the water gets under the treatment then all your wooden plaques will last a very long time. The issues only occur once the water has got in under the treatment. At this point a more thorough refurbishment will be required.
Here at The Sign Maker we do offer refurbishments if you want us to help restore old plaques. Be sure to contact us for more information.