Speeding to treat your wood before the next rain?

03.31.2009

The Bite:
We've got your finish lines right here: natural-based wood treatments (for indoors and out) that leave unhealthy synthetic chems in the dust.
The Benefits: 
  • The air wins. Low-emitting (aka low-VOC) finishes and sealants offer durability and aesthetic appeal without leaving you woozy or polluting the air.
  • The earth wins. At some point, those finishes will wash off into the environment, which is far less of a problem if they're made with ingredients like veggie oils, rather than the usual petrochems.
  • Better health for your next 10K race. You're even safe using them on food surfaces like cutting boards.
Personally Speaking: 
Jen avoids anything that requires putting on a gas mask, so she went with eco-sealant on her kitchen's wood bar. It needed twice as many coats as the conventional stuff to be totally water-resistant, but at least she didn't have to avoid her kitchen for days afterward.
Wanna Try: 
 

Cocktail Fact

An average cheetah can run at three times the speed of the fastest human being (Jamaican Usain Bolt - yes, Bolt).

Bang For The Bite

The eco stuff is usually pricier, but if 10,000 Biters stain their 200-square-foot deck with eco-stain, we'll avoid the production of enough nongreen chems to fill 100 bathtubs.

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In the books The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, and The Healing Powers of Vinegar by Cal Orey are some great eco-friendly uses for the home. One of my favorites is mixing one part olive oil and one part white distilled vinegar in a spray bottle, shake vigorously, and spray on finished wood furniture, let it sit for a few seconds,then polish with a clean dry lint-free rag (old cotton t-shirts are great for this). Shake spray bottle periodically to keep the mixture from separating, otherwise, you just get the vinegar that settles to the bottom of the sprayer. This treats and protects the wood, and the best part: It Repels Dust!! Cuts down on cleaning and dusting time throughout the year. And we can all use a little extra time from housecleaning for other pursuits.
These are GREAT eco-friendly tips....can you do a feature about eco-friendly paint....as well as suggestions for "green" household cleaning ideas like the olive oil and vinegar for wood.
Along with the wood treatment Fat City makes Tiki torch fuel and the most amazing lighter fuel for my corn burning Bar-B-Q grills. I have used these products from the begining. No bad lighter fuel taste on my grill. No smell in my Tiki torch smoke and my kids don't track harmful stuff off the deck. There products are wonderful.
Has anyone tried the Poor Richard's Woodserve? I'd love to see some more reviews of it...
We've got your finish lines right here: natural-based wood treatments (for indoors and out) that leave unhealthy synthetic chems in the dust. games adventure games

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