Homemade Wood Hardener Recipe

[Justin Edmonds]

Ok, I've been looking at a way to reinforce the siding on an old barn that had never been painted before I paint it. I thought I had found the perfect product in the Defy products, but they can't be painted over. So, I'm looking for a good product I can use to this end or can make myself relatively cheaply. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

[Mel Fulks]

Not sure what you mean by hardener. If the wood isn't rotten,can't you just prime and paint?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Justin,

Min-Wax makes a wood hardener that can be painted over.

[Thomas Canfield]

Justin,

Min-Wax makes a wood hardener that can be painted over.

Not very cheap. I often use a 1:1 shellac/DNA mix to harden soft wood and that is paintable, but not cheap. The old wood will really soak up the paint for sure.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Min-Wax makes a wood hardener that can be painted over.
It's no longer available everywhere though....
It's still listed on the web site as a current product, but, when I needed some a few months ago I couldn't get any (here in NE Ohio).

[Bill Rogers]

It's no longer available everywhere though....
It's still listed on the web site as a current product, but, when I needed some a few months ago I couldn't get any (here in NE Ohio).

I had the same problem when I need to buy Min-Wax Wood Hardener around a year ago. I ended up having to buy it on line and I think that I bought it through Amazon.

[Justin Edmonds]

I could but would feel a little better if the wood's fibers were reinforced a bit. It doesn't have to be a lot.

[Dan Rude]

Have you thought of using some Durham Rock Hard? http://www.amazon.com/Durham-Donald-RHWP25-Water-Putty/dp/B0009X8PLE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1381329600&sr=8-4&keywords=durham+water+putty You should be able to dilute it some and put it on. I started using it as a seam filler on underlayment after a my friend a retired flooring contractor suggested it. You could test before you buy a lot with a small amount to see if it would work for you. Dan

[Richard Coers]

You want to stabilize the entire barn? You could almost replace the sidiing for what that will cost. No offense, but I had a good laugh with the idea of coating the entire barn with Durham's. By the time you got that done, it would be time to start over. Miniwax wood hardener is about 75% solvent. It's basically like a little plexiglass melted in a lot of acetone. Just go to a really good commercial paint store and ask them what they have.

[Justin Edmonds]

Alright. I'll have to find one of those. They're not plentiful in my area.

[Mel Fulks]

Most paint mfgs have technicians you can consult on odd conditions. The textured surface of old barns is widely admired,
(see thousands of black and white photos) I would just paint with solid color stain. Maybe put copper naphthalate on boards closest to the ground.

[Justin Edmonds]

Copper naphthalate? How long will a solid stain last?

[Mel Fulks]

I'd say at least seven years on vertical surfaces. Some have guarantees of at least that. The beauty of the solid color stains is they don't peel,so when you recoat you don't have to scrape. I have only used the FLOOD brand which is actually an emulsified acrylic and oil formula,I like it. The copper stuff is a powerful rot preventer,needs to be used carefully .That mostly means don't let it drip on ground.