a) Suitable surfaces:
- hard, set plaster, (neutral, prime with Primer No. 301 if necessary)
- solid masonry (bricks, limestone)
- properly pasted wall paper, fabric, etc.
- well preserved, old, hardened coats of paint
- plaster-boards or sheet rock (prime either with wall paint primer No. 301 or thinned down wallpaint )
- to be clean, dry and free of penetrating impurities
b) Apply in this order:
1. one coat of Emulsion Wall Paint No. 321 or No. 322; + 5% water (on bare sheet rock wall paint primer No. 301 or our wall paint + 20% water)
or our new product chalk-casein wall paint No. 751
2. same if necessary but undiluted
c) Remarks:
- tint as you desire with Color Concentrate No. 33010-33099 (see sample-color card No. 330 - only for No. 321). To properly judge desired toning, first make sample and allow to dry!
- apply rich, even coating (use lambskin roller).
- apply one coat of Natural Resin Oil Primer No. 121 only to strongly absorbent plaster surfaces.
- dark or contrasting surfaces: if necessary apply an undercoat of No. 321 + 20% water.
- our wall paint has a pleasant fragrance. Its 'breathing' properties create an agreeable room climate.
2. Colored glazing of indoor walls
a) Suitable surfaces:
- hard, completely settled plaster, (neutral)
- properly pasted wall paper, fabric, etc.
- well preserved dispersion coating
- plaster-boards sheet rock
- to be clean, dry and free of penetrating impurities
- Unsuitable for humid rooms
b) Apply in this order:
1. apply a basic white wall paint (as under 1 a-b). Allow at least 6 days to dry!
2. one (or more) coats of Plant Pigments for Wall Lasur No. 360, thin with distilled water to obtain desired intensity.
c) Remarks:
- apply one coat of Natural Resin Oil Primer No. 301 only to strongly absorbent plaster surfaces.
- dark or contrasting surfaces: if necessary, apply an undercoat of No. 321 or 322 + 20% water.
- glazing with earthen pigments is also possible by applying Natural Color Concentrate No. 330. Thin with plenty of filtered or distilled water.
- improve consistence of strongly diluted glazing by adding Lasur Binder No. 379.
- plant pigments are beautifully transparent, lively and harmonic. They may, however, eventually fade, especially pale glazing and if they are constantly in direct sunlight.
- we recommend multiple glazing, also applying different pigments with each layer. Do not mix the pigments with each other. Always apply very thin coatings.
- glazing technique requires some skill. Practice on a small scale on some left over sheetrock. Observe individual technical information sheets.
3. Open-pored protection of indoor wooden furniture and wall paneling.
a) Suitable surfaces:
- untreated or stained wooden surfaces
- clean, dry, absorbent and free of grease
b) Apply in this order (also see # 8):
1. depending on absorption capacity and degree of use, apply one or more 'wet in wet' coatings of Natural Resin Oil Primer No. 124 or 117 for oak or other tanic wood species. Drying time 24 hours.
2. sparingly apply one coat of Wax Finish No. 184 (or No. 187) and allow one hour to dry before buffing thoroughly in direction of the grain.
c) Remarks:
- it is not recommended to wax chairs. The body heat can melt the wax especially if it is applied to thick.
- if tinting is desired, apply Natural Primer No. 124 and then Natural Stains 160's.
- on walls and ceilings, one of the two above application procedures may often
be sufficient.
- use only an oil for a finish (e.g. No. 143 linseed oil)
- wooden surfaces are particularly pleasant to touch and expressive when upgraded the natural way by impregnating and waxing. This enhances and accentuates grain and pattern. It provides a water-repellent surface without, however, interfering with a sensual experience of the material.
4. Open-pored protection of indoor wooden, cork and clay-tile floors
a) Suitable surfaces:
- wooden, cork and unglazed tile floors, untreated and sanded
- clean, dry absorbent and free of grease. Caution: make samples before applying to wood containing a substantial amount of tannic acid, oils or resins in particular oak.
b) Apply in this order:
1. apply one thin coat of Natural Floor Sealer No. 127 or No. 117 for oak floors.
2. evenly apply one very thin coating of Floor Wax No. 187. Allow 24 hours to dry before buffing thoroughly. Buff wood in direction of the grain.
c) Remarks:
- cross-cut timber and clay tiles: allow first coating of primer 24 hours to dry, then continue 'wet in wet'
- Primer No. 127 or 117 must be completely absorbed. Remove possible excess primer by brush or rag before drying.
- large surfaces: use manual floor polisher or machine-polish
- application provides a unique, water-repellent surface. Characteristic features
of wood are accentuated, a positive influence on the room climate maintained. As
floors are not totally sealed, cautious use is advisable.
- in some circumstances it is possible to apply Natural Stains No. 160's . Please
be advised that this kind of 'stained' floor finish will wear unevenly if the wax
or clear sealer coating on top of it wears off (extensive tests should be done before
applying this technique to a whole room floor).
5. Applying clear amber varnish to indoor wooden surfaces
a) Suitable surfaces:
- untreated or freshly sanded wood. Very limited use for wooden floors. Caution: make samples before applying to wood containing a substantial amount of tannic acid, oils or resins in particular oak.
- clean, dry, absorbent and sanded with fine sandpaper
b) Apply in this order:
1. prime with one coat of clear genuine Amber Varnish No. 222 + 20% Thinner No. 191. Allow 12 hours to dry, then sand slightly and remove dust.
2. sparingly apply an even second coat of Amber Varnish No. 222 (without thinner). Allow 2 days to dry. Not to be stepped on for at least 48 hours! Repeat if necessary.
c) Remarks:
- satisfactory results only when wooden surfaces largely free of dust (clean well after sanding).
- moisture exchange and reabsorption capacity of wood as well as your sensual access to the same are rather limited when applying a glossy surface coating as provide by the genuine Amber Varnish No. 222. Preference should be given to an open-pored treatment of floors (see under 4).
- a natural amber varnish such as No. 222 does not achieve the surface hardness as provided by conventional synthetic (polyurethane) treatments. Careful use is, therefore, indicated even after surface is fully hardened in a few weeks time.
- this amber varnish, like all our clear finishes, oils and waxes will give especially very light woods a slight honey color tone (darken).
6. Applying special finishes for open-pored protection of indoor wooden furniture
and wall paneling (special order only).
a) Suitable surfaces:
- untreated wooden surfaces
- clean, dry, absorbent and free of grease
b) Apply in this order:
1. sparingly apply at a brisk pace one coat of water-based natural clear Primer No. 611. Work in direction of grain. Drying time 6 hours.
2. sparingly apply at a brisk pace one very thin coat of water-based natural resin oil Wax Finish No. 621 and allow one hour to dry before buffing thoroughly in direction of the grain.
c) Remarks:
- it is not recommended to wax chairs. The body heat can melt the wax especially if it is applied to thick.
- if tinting is desired, add natural Natural Oil Stains No. 140's or No. 330 up to 5% into primer or wax. Also tinting with plant colors No. 360 up to 10% is possible.
- on walls and ceilings, one of the two above application procedures may often be sufficient.
- wooden surfaces are particularly pleasant to touch and expressive when upgraded the natural way by impregnating and waxing. This enhances and accentuates grain and pattern. It provides a water-repellent surface without, however, interfering with a sensual experience of the material.
- these new finishes are especially suited for people who felt that our natural oil finishes in section 100 had a too strong smell for them.
- these new finishes hardly change the color tone of the wood, especially light colored woods (e.g. pine, fir etc.) will keep its light, freshly sanded appearance.
7. Natural care and protection of wooden toys
a) Suitable surfaces:
- untreated wooden toys of all kinds
- clean, dry, absorbent and free of grease
b) Apply in this order:
- Impregnating and waxing: See under 3b.
- applying clear varnish: See under 5b or 6b.
- applying white or colored lacquer: See under 12b.
c) Remarks:
- in view of the important role of wooden toys in education and upbringing of children, we recommend because of the importance of the tactile experience to choose, where ever possible, the open-pored treatment (3b). For such purpose Primer No. 121 may be tinted (see under 3c).
- all lacquered and tinted surfaces are salivation and perspiration-proof.
- our new water-based wood finishes No. 611 and No. 621 (especially primer) may also
be used.
8. Open-pored protection of wooden window-frames, doors and sidings
a) Suitable surfaces:
- outside, untreated or borax-impregnated wood
- clean dry, absorbent and free of grease
b) Apply in this order:
1. one or two application of Natural Primer No. 124 or special primer 117. Drying time 24 hours.
2. one coat of Natural Stains No. 160's. Drying time 24 to 48 hours.
3. second coating of Natural Oil Stains No. 160's complying with standards of ultraviolet rays protection) as above.
c) Remarks:
- supporting and dimensional wooden structures first to be impregnated with a wood preservative.
- test compatibility of No. 160 with putty: in case of poor bondability apply lacquer to putty-groove.
- treatment of indoor window frames: same as outside but do not tint as much (depending on location of window) if neutral coating is desired.
- depending on exposure, refinish every 3 to 7 years by simply washing surface
and reapplying a coat of Natural Oil Stains No. 160's.
- beautiful effects may be achieved if the first coat uses a different stain color
than the second one.
- high outside humidity and/or low temperature delays drying process.
9. Applying enamel paint to indoor and outdoor wooden surfaces
a) Suitable surfaces:
- untreated, borax-impregnated wood
- clean, dry, absorbent and free of grease
b) Apply in this order:
1. one coat of Natural White Undercoat Enamel No. 253. Allow 24 hours to dry, then sand slightly (220 grit sandpaper) and remove dust.
2. sparingly apply one even coat of Natural Resin Top Coat: either white No. 250 or colored No. 250-15----250-99.
c) Remarks:
- supporting and dimensional wooden structures must first be impregnated with a wood preservative.
- treatment of indoor window frames: same as on outside frame.
- we strongly recommend to apply second top-coating to window frames after 2 weeks (step 4 above).
- if colored finish is desired, we recommend to add 10% of colored top coat of your choice (25015-24099) to natural white Undercoat No. 253 (step 2 above).
- satisfactory results only when surfaces and tools largely free of dust.
- high humidity and/or low temperature delays drying process.
10. Mild cleansing of indoor and outdoor surfaces
a) Suitable surfaces:
- all smooth indoor and outdoor surfaces such as wooden floors, paneling and furniture, waxed, glazed or varnished, as well as surfaces of cork, stone, ceramic (unglazed tile only after treated with a finish), linoleum etc.
b) Apply in this order:
1. dissolve Plant Soap (concentrate) No. 411 in lukewarm water (2 -10% depending on cleaning job). Soak cotton or linen cloth, wring well. Cleaning cloth is to be moist, not wet. Wipe surface.
2. after cleansing wipe with a dry cloth over surface.
c) Remarks:
- Plant Soap is only slightly alkaline and, therefore, mild and slightly 're-greasing'.
- cleanses without any synthetic detergents or additives.
- especially indicated for all natural surfaces.
- caution with wood rich in tannic acid, oils or resin such as oak. Discoloration may occur.
11. Polishing of furniture
(not in program anymore due to shipping difficulties with alcohol based finishes
- for information purposes only)
a) Suitable surfaces:
- all waxed and varnished (also conventionally coated) furniture and plastic surfaces.
b) Apply in this order:
1. apply some Cembra Furniture Polish No. 441 (shake well) by non-fraying cloth to surface. Rub on evenly.
2. glossy surfaces to be buffed with dry cloth shortly after application.
c) Remarks:
- the polish has both a cleaning and protective effect. This also provides synthetic surfaces with a very thin, fragrant, anti-static and protective coating.
- Caution: with glossy shellac surfaces and any conventional synthetic plastic finishes : it is advisable to first test by applying the polish to barely noticeable area and seeing if there is any discoloration.
12. Regular care of waxed floors
a) Suitable surfaces:
- Beeswax-treated, wooden, cork and unglazed clay-tile floors
- properly cleaned with Plant Soap No. 411 (see under 12)
b) Apply in this order:
1. dissolve Beeswax Floor Care No. 431 (10 - 20%) in some lukewarm water, soak cotton or linen cloth, wring slightly. Cloth should be moist, not wet. Wipe floor and allow to dry.
2. buff with dry cloth or floor polisher.
c) Remarks:
- regular care makes it easy to maintain and renew wax coating.
- when condition of floor requires thorough cleaning, apply Wax Cleaner No. 421 to surface, rub thoroughly and buff.
- when dull areas become visible, rewax floor the same way as the first application (see under 4b).
- caution: with wood rich in tannic acid, oils or resins such as oak. Discoloration may occur.
13. What to do about old coatings
a) Water-based paints:
- wet-finger test: when you can easily remove pigments by rubbing, entire coating can be washed off.
- use brush or sponge to wash off completely. Apply new coating as on untreated surface.
b) Binder or dispersion paint:
- wet-finger test: pigments cannot easily or not at all be removed by rubbing.
- advisable to remove only if on wall paper; in which case
remove the latter. Not advisable to strip from plaster or bricks; rather reapply new coating.
- firm, well preserved coatings (also synthetic resin dispersions): wash thoroughly with warm water + dash of liquid ammonia. Thereafter apply one or two coats of Emulsion Wall Paint No. 321 or professional Wall Paint No. 322 (see under 1) or apply one to two coats of Casein Paint No. 351 with or without the plant glazing (see under 2).
- peeling, flaky coatings: mechanically remove all loose particles, then proceed as above.
c) Oil-based or synthetic resin varnish on wood:
- remove with an earth friendly Paint Stripper. Apply paste by spatula, allow 1 hour to penetrate, scrape off, repeat if necessary with thick coatings and finally wash thoroughly with water, add some vinegar for final wipe-off. When thoroughly dry proceed as on untreated surface (impregnate, glaze, wax, varnish, etc.).
- alkaline proof coatings must be sanded off. Use only vacuum suction equipped sander; alternatively melt off by using hot-air gun. Ensure proper ventilation. Flaming off not recommended in view of nascent chemical decomposition products. Most conventional finish removers contain highly questionable chemicals. Skepticism is also indicated with supposedly 'biodegradable' products.
- firm top-coatings (also of synthetic resin varnish) in interior use may after proper sanding be refinished by applying top coats No. 250 (interior use only) or 260 (see under 9 section 3).
d) Varnish on wood, outdoors:
- weathered, open-pored coats of natural varnish, as well as conventional, can be refinished by applying Natural Oil Stains No. 160's. Completely remove all loose particles to where wooden surface is totally exposed (see under 11).
- to other areas apply only one finishing coat of No. 160. Don't forget light-protective UV tinting.
e) Remarks:
Check always for old lead and/or mercury paints and if necessary (peeling or otherwise damaged paint) have it professionally removed.
14. What about wood-damaging insects in your house
a) Some general remarks:
- an entire industry lives on our fear of wood-damaging, so-called 'noxious' insects. We must realize, however, that these pretended enemies are truly essential to the environment since they take care of the disintegration of withered wood and reintegration of its elements into an ecological cycle. Which other building material offers such a marvelous closed cycle?
- modern pest control products often contain hardly degradable toxins for which long-term experience is practically non-existent and for which nature is often lacking an equivalent to chlorinated hydrocarbons, heavy metal compounds, etc. The public's growing skepticism towards 'chemical clubs' contained in many conventional products is therefore, fully justified.
b) Preventive Building
- Use only properly dried, uninfected wood when building new. Apply physical barriers
like metal deflectors to foundation.
- try to use something like a borax impregnation before applying a finish
c) Tracing infected areas:
- Insect and mildew live mainly off and in wood that has a high moisture content so check periodically for any traces or insect tracks under (especially high humidity rooms) or near your construction.
- Many a time we fight nothing but bore-holes of a former infestation. Sure signs of actively infested areas are gnawing noises and fresh wood dust.
d) Measures:
- Presently practiced environmentally inoffensive alternative is the hot-air procedure,
which is a physical, not chemical, counter-measure. Please phone us for contractors
information. This system is also officially approved in California and other countries,
and can easily be applied to most areas. Total elimination is guaranteed. After-treatment
with a natural wood preservative will prevent reinfestation.
15. Applying fast-drying clear shellac varnish to indoor wooden surfaces
(not in program anymore due to shipping difficulties with alcohol based finishes
- for information purposes only)
a) Suitable surfaces:
- untreated or stained wooden surfaces
- clean, dry, absorbent, free of grease and sanded with fine-grained sandpaper. Not suitable for floors.
b) Apply in this order:
1. prime with one coat of clear Shellac No. 211 + 10% Plant Alcohol Thinner No. 219. Allow 4 hours to dry, then sand and remove dust.
2. apply one coat of clear velvet Shellac No. 213. Allow 4 hours to dry, then sand and remove dust.
3. repeat step. 2
c) Remarks:
- Application by spray gun is advisable.
- priming with No. 213 is also possible. However it is not suitable, for dark and/or strongly absorbent wood.
- shellac's contents of natural waxes and silicic acids provide a pleasant-to-touch
surface, allowing for limited moisture exchange. Only very minor static build-up.
If, however, you have a choice, preference should be given to an open-pored treatment
with oils and waxes.
BUILD WITH NATURE