The real forest products experts

By Ed Burke Joint Forest Products/Coatings Committee Member USDA Forest hoducts Laboratory

I-IFTEN common problems related to home repair. \-lremodeling and construction originate in advice provided by those who can collectively be catled the 'pseudoexperts."

However there is a trustworthy source of advice on topics related to most problems associated with residential construction: the USDA's Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wi. This is the home of scientists who collectively study and report on all things related to wood. For industries that construct homes made of wood, or more accurately forest products, having such an unbiased and scientific source of advice is a great asset.

As a member of a FPL committee, I work with members of both the coatings industry and the forest products industry in a co-operative FPL affiliation. This makes credible my advice offered on behalf of forest products produced by companies in both Canada and the U.S. Since such non-profit groups cannot produce technical papers on many issues related to their products, the FPL becomes their natural asset. Trade groups are usually inclined to promote their products and would be seen as biased; the FPL is not.

The Forest Products Laboratory is a division of the United States Forest Service, with many locations including the main facility located in Madison. The "rvork units" of the FPL study a wide range of issues that often confuse many homeowners, professional home builders, remodelers and tradesmen.

Painting and staining wood siding is one example. The FPL issued a paper titled, "Mill Glaze, Myth or Reality." As yet, they have never been able to create the phenomenon known as mill glaze in the lab. All samples sent in rvith coating failures attributed to mill glaze were simply explained-rvithout bias-by normal problems of weathered rvood. dirt or moisture.

Sadly. many people believe that wood siding requires constant repainting. The FPL has proven that the truth is much better. In research conducted by the FPL's Wood Surface Chemistry rvork unit and its senior scientist R. Sam Williams. a test begun 25 years ago demonstrated that all rvood begins a process of surface erosion rvhen exposed to sunlight.

In a ferv rveeks time any wood surface becomes damaged because the sun degrades the lignin in the wood and begins a process of erosion. If the paint is applied to this damaged surface, it rvill not bond properly. The photographs shorv the difference between a panel painted after 16 rveeks exposure to the weather and one not exposed to the rveather. The pictures were taken after 17 years of outdoor exposure. Boards exposed to 16 weeks of weather prior to being painted started to fail after about three years.

This research effectively debunks the common misconception that applying a coating to extensively weathered rvood is desirable. Research by FPL scientists clearly shows that such "rveathering" guarantees paint failure. For a coating to perform on rvood that has weathered for even one to trvo rveeks. the surface must be scuff-sanded prior to painting to remove the damaged surface.

The USDA Forest Products Laboratory has invaluable advice for every homeorvner. builder and dealer. I urge everyone to access their many wood-related research papers. rvhich offer similar enlightenment (wrvw.fpl.fs. fed.us.).

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