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‘CEDARTREAT’ INFORMATION
Q: What is Cedartreat? A: Cedartreat is a wood stabilization and preservation product comprised of three ingredients:
1. Texas Red Cedar oil. 2. Silane (a Dow-Corning NANO technology, silicon product especially formulated to organically cross-link with the cedar oil.) 3. Hydrocarbon solvent (naptha) as a carrier of the above ingredients.
These three components when combined in proper proportion do some amazing things to any timber, wood product or bamboo.
Q: What does this product accomplish and how? A: Cedartreat acts as a:
Wood Stabilizer -- According to the application level, Cedartreat decreases or completely eliminates warping, checking, and cracking of green wood. What occurs with treatment is a complex reaction between the silane hydroxyl molecule and moisture containing sap. Simply stated, upon penetrating the wood cell and wall, silane scavenges the water molecule, converting it to ethanol and water vapor. This process leaves the inside of the cell with a gel-like consistency referred to as a Si-Jel Matrix. The process is not unlike what occurs in nature when wood is petrified by long-term saturation with minerals. Drier wood is further dried in the same manner. In the optimum treatment where a piece of wood is totally penetrated (bulked) with Cedartreat there is virtually no water moisture remaining in the wood structure, either bound or free. Thus, it is water resistant and will not absorb any water moisture.
Preservative -- Termiticide, Insecticide, Fungicide -- Cedar oil is a natural agent that counters these detrimental factors that destroy wood.
Q: Who produces Cedartreat? A: Cedartreat is a trademarked name for a product patented and produced by the CedarCide Industries, Inc. of Spring, Texas.
Q: What are the use restrictions with this product? A: All three components of Cedartreat are FDA, GRAS, and EPA 25b listed and approved as minimum risk pesticides as authorized by the Food Quality Act of 1996. Cedartreat is safe for use on wood products used in the home.
Q: Once treated, are there any problems with gluing or finishing products? A: Cedartreat has total compatibility with current glues and finishing products, normally enhancing their performance.
Q: How do I use Cedartreat? A: Cedartreat application can be accomplished in several ways. Spraying, painting, immersion soaking (bulking) and pressure treatment are normal methods. Each procedure affords a different level of treatment based on how much product is used and for how long. Which method you use is based on a number of factors:
1. End use of the wood. 2. Level of stabilization required (less than or completely dry). 3. Level of preservation required (interior, exterior, in-ground). 4. Equipment available.
The optimum treatment is in a vacuum/pressure tank, but open tank immersion can accomplish similar results. The primary difference is in the time required. This varies according to the wood species, thickness and moisture content. Normally one to several hours could be expected as a time frame. Some recommended times are printed on the product label.
Q: How do I treat bamboo? A: Horizontal submersion, vertical internal saturation, sap displacement or pressure tank are some options. Since Cedartreat is hydrophobic and scavenges water, this non-aqueous product produces better and longer lasting results with bamboo than the commonly used, aqueous borate solution.
Q: How much Cedartreat is used per bd. ft.? A: The rate of uptake (gals./1000 bd. ft. was required for some timber. More recent work tends to indicate a rate of about 4 gals./1000 bd. ft.) is variable according to several factors, including timber species, thickness, moisture content, and application method. An average rate of about 4 gals./1000 bd. ft. can be expected with the heavier application methods. All l Cedartreat sold by Ninole Orchard, Inc. is at a 10:1 dilution rate (carrier to silane-cedar actives). This is the recommended dilution category for piers, poles and posts. For wood turners and furniture makers, less Cedartreat is required to accomplish excellent results. Only experience with specific woods can determine the minimum requirement.
Q: Where can I buy Cedartreat? A: Call John Mood, Ninole Orchard, Inc. at 1-808-963-5228 or email: cedartreat@warmlava.com Current price is approximately $40/gal. plus state tax.
Note: There are two earlier products still being produced by CedarCide for wood treatment, Cedarshield and Cedarseal. These products do not use NANO technology and do not have the same characteristics as mentioned above.
Disclaimer: The claims for this product are those of CedarCide Ind., Inc.
Compiled by John Mood with approval of CedarCide Ind., Inc., 3/10/07 |
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Updated May 3, 2007 |
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Received in an E-mail dated May 3, 2007
SOME INSIGHTS INTO CEDARTREAT USAGE
1. If a piece of wood is totally submersed in Cedartreat, there is a high probability that it will not absorb totally into the wood. This is due to trapped air within the wood structure. The preferable method is to sit the piece only partially into the Cedartreat so the solution is wicked into the wood and air can escape. Having said this, for turning wood, spraying or brushing after each stage of the turn seems to work very well rather than immersion.
2. Cedarcide Industries have been working with vacuum to expedite wood treatment with Cedartreat. They have found that wood placed in a vacuum vessel and brought to as little as 15 in. HG, and then flooded with Cedartreat, absorbs the product much faster and more completely than the industry-preferred vacuum/pressure treatment method. If you have a vacuum pump and a vacuum bag you can easily experiment with this system. Call me for details.
3. Powdery white mildew still stems to be prevalent on ends of Cedartreated woods and bamboo here in swampy Ninole (Big Is.) It appears to be caused from surface moisture and is cosmetic only. I’m working on a cure which I’ll keep you appraised.
4. For those of you who also work with fresh bamboo, we have now concluded absorption testing on the species Guadua angustifolia. Our procedure is to drill out all but the last diaphragm, stand the culm vertical and fill the bamboo with Cedartreat. In 36 hours, full absorption occurs with Cedartreat completely wetting the outside of the normally impervious skin. Similar tests with borate solutions still had no skin wetting after 5 days of vertical saturation. The tracking told the story -- even after 4 days, the culm wall was still only partially colored. Also, green or dried bamboo saturated with Cedartreat creates a watertight vessel that does not leak any water. Anyone wanting more info contact me for details.
5. There was some question at the March meeting about Cedartreat and dyes. First a general statement -- no dye is permanent, they all oxidize and diminish over time when applies to wood. If you want to try dying wood using Cedartreat as a carrier, you will need to buy a ‘’solvent dye’’ to add before treating. Solvent dyes are expensive.
6. As I am new to ‘’turning’’, I have not dealt with aging woods for pre and post turning. On this issue, it is my understanding that most turners rough out a bowl from fresh, green wood when possible, then cure the piece carefully to keep it in round and from cracking. With the use of Cedartreat, this careful procedure is not entirely discarded. It is more the time factor which is greatly decreased using Cedartreat. After a piece is turned, rough or otherwise and Cedartreat has been used, it is very important on most woods that it be cured for at least 72 hrs. so that the chemical reaction can be completed. A turned piece should be protected as you normally would from any rapid drying conditions. Wrapping them in plastic or other coverings help achieve the protection. My inexperience as both a turner and high confidence in Cedartreat has led me to a few ‘’cracking’’ disasters. We learn together.
John Mood
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