U.S. and European Finishes for Weather-Exposed Wood–A Comparison

This paper describes different types of wood finishes and compares their use on wood used outdoors in the United States and Western Europe. The primary objective was to provide a mutual exchange of information and to show comparisons. Apart from different traditions in using wood as an outdoor building material, there are interesting differences in the wood finishes used for protective and decorative purposes. Latex (waterborne) paints are generally not used to a large extent in Western Europe, but they are extensively used in the United States and are one of the most important types for exterior siding. Also, solid color (opaque) stains are widely used in the United States but are rarely used in Europe, even though their advantages are ovbious in many finish situations. In Europe, semitransparent stains based on oil-modified alkyd resins are often film-forming and play an important role as natural finishes for millwork. In the United States, semitransparent stain finishes are also oil- or alkyd-based but have lower viscosity oils or alkyd resins and are usually penetrating so no surface film forms. A comparison study has been initiated between researchers in the Wood Section at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA) and the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL). Outdoor wood finishes available commercially are being evaluated on test fences in Madison, Wis., and Dubendorf, Switzerland, on commonly used American and European wood species.

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