The project

Picturesque Portsea is a coastal haven at the southern tip of Victoria's Mornington Peninsula. The town’s homes reflect the refined yet relaxed vibe of the area, with timber featuring heavily in many designs. While timber is a perfect building material for a beachside town, it needs protection to preserve structural integrity and deliver an attractive finish.

When the owners of a charming Portsea home had a new cedar clad garage door installed, they wanted to use a coating that would provide high-performance protection while retaining the timber's beautiful, natural aesthetic.

The challenge

Intergrain Trade & Industrial Business Development Executive, Sean Thomas, explains the impact of coastal elements on unprotected timber. “With surf and bay beaches in close proximity, this garage door will be exposed to constant salt air and sea spray, often carried by high winds. Add in high UV exposure,
temperature extremes and humidity fluctuations, and you have a recipe for untreated wood to deteriorate quickly.”

“Additionally, when fine contaminants land on uncoated timber, they penetrate the substrate and will eventually erode the wood structure. This garage door is made of cedar, which is particularly vulnerable because it’s a soft wood.”

The Intergrain solution

Sean attended the site to provide advice, specification and support for the project. With the homeowner’s goals in mind, Sean recommended Intergrain Universal Timber Oil with colour additive in Coastal Greyto achieve a rich tone while showcasing the cedar's natural grain. The product was applied with decking oil applicators and decking brushes, with any excess wiped off with a dry applicator pad.

Rather than simply sitting on top of the timber surface, this oil-based coating deeply penetrates the timber to nourish it from within. It builds a clear finish that won’t flake, blister or peel, and prevents warping, cupping and splitting of the timber substrate.

The results

The garage door’s rich cedar colour really ‘pops’ against the cool grey colour scheme of the house. Delighted with the finish, the homeowners feel confident their new garage door will maintain its good looks throughout the seasons.

“Intergrain’s Universal Timber Oil is such an easy and versatile product to use,” Sean explains. “It’s simple to apply and has the flexibility to be over-coated with nearly any topcoat at a later date, whether it’s oil or water based. This ‘unlocked’ system gives the owners the option of a completely different look in the future.”

“The owners will be able to maintain the fresh finish by cleaning the surface to remove contaminants before they can penetrate the timber,” Sean continues. "After wetting the surface, they will simply apply Intergrain UltraPrep Timber Cleaner with a soft bristle brush and then rinse off. A maintenance coat of Universal Timber Oil can be applied to maintain the colour.”

Get in touch

The Intergrain Trade & Industrial team specifies solution to meet each project's individual requirements. To access our product knowledge, service and expertise, call our Help Line on 1800 630 285 to find out how we can support your next project. Or visit our Project Gallery for more inspiration.