Ayous wood treatment
If you don’t want your ayous wood to turn grey, or if you want to apply an opaque finish, there are several options available.
Leave the wood untreated
If you install the wood untreated on the façade, it will weather to a beautiful, even grey color while the wood grain remains visible.
There are 3 ways to treat wood:
Treating Ayous with Oil
The first option is to treat the wood with an oil. Oil creates a non-film-forming layer that keeps the wood structure beautifully visible. It is best to use a non-transparent (pigmented) oil. A fully transparent finish is still very vulnerable to UV rays from the sun and other weather influences. Once you treat the wood with a product that contains pigment, it helps block direct sunlight from reaching the wood surface.
Maintenance
It is recommended to repeat the treatment every 1 to 2 years.
Advantages of using oil
Preserves the natural appearance of the wood; the grain remains visible.
Since it does not form a film layer, it cannot crack or peel.
Easy to apply.
We recommend WOCA Exterior Oil. For more information, please visit the relevant product page.
Coverage: 8–10 m² per liter
Packaging: 750 ml and 2.5 liters
Colours: Available in 12 colours
Tip: For long-lasting and effective protection, make sure to treat the wood on all sides.
Treating Ayous with a Stain
For this, we work together with Remmers. Our wood stain has a 3-in-1 effect: impregnation, primer, and intermediate/top coat in one product. The stain protects the wood against moisture and has a preventive effect against blue stain fungi, mold, and algae.
The stain should be applied in at least 2 coats and has a drying time of 2–3 hours.
We recommend Remmers Aqua HSL-35/m 3in1.
Coverage: 5 m² per liter
Drying time: Dust-dry after approx. 1 hour, recoatable after approx. 2–3 hours
Packaging: 2.5 liters
Colours: Available in Ayous colour
For more information, please visit this page.
Impregnating Ayous Wood
Another way to prevent the wood from turning grey is to have it pressure-impregnated. The wood then receives the same treatment as green pressure-treated garden timber. However, with ayous, the effect is not green due to the natural darker tone of the wood, but rather a somewhat darker brown shade.
Impregnation is done mechanically. The wood is placed in a pressure vessel, after which the preservative is forced deep into the wood under pressure. Thanks to the relatively porous structure of ayous, the treatment penetrates very well, resulting in the wood being thoroughly saturated with the preservative.
Budget-Friendly Option
The main reason this method is often chosen is cost. Impregnation is charged per cubic meter (m³). For a small façade under 1 m³, costs start at approximately €150 excluding VAT. Since the impregnation is carried out externally, you should also take into account one additional transport movement.
Comparison for a 100 m² façade:
Treating a wooden façade yourself with oil:
4 cans of WOCA oil at €75 each = €300 totalMachine coating/painting in a colour of your choice:
€18 per m² = €1,800 totalImpregnation (1.8 m³):
Approx. €240 total, plus additional transport costs of around €125
Important:
Impregnation only delays the greying process by several years. This largely depends on the wind direction and sun exposure of the façade. On the north side, the brown colour may last more than 5 years, while on the south side in full sun, greying will occur more quickly, with the first signs appearing after 2–3 years.
Do It Yourself or Outsource?
You can treat your ayous wooden façade cladding yourself by adding our stain or oil to your order. Alternatively, you can choose to have your wooden façade cladding machine-treated.
The advantage of machine treatment is that the wood is finished more evenly than by hand, and it saves you time and effort.
Machine treatment of your wooden façade cladding is available from 25 m² onwards at a price of €15 per m².