Sealing Birch branches

[David Park]

Hi, I work for an Architect in Anchorage, AK and we have a project where we are using 2"-3" birch branches/trees for a permanent display in the reception area of a new clinic. These will be cut locally most likely. We want to seal the trees with a water based urethane to protect them but was wondering about whether they needed to to be dried for a certain amount of time or if sealing them after a few days of being cut is OK?

Thanks

[Jamie Buxton]

On birch trees in my area, the bark isn’t held very tightly to the wood underneath. I’d expect the bark to fall off your branches as the wood dries and shrinks.

[David Park]

We are using small diameter branches so the bark should be tight. They will be selectively chosen. The sealing is supposed to reduce the shrinkage and keep the bark together.
I have birch in my yard that fell 2 years ago that still has tight bark.

[Prashun Patel]

"The sealing is supposed to reduce the shrinkage"

That will not happen. It will dry. It may not dry to the point where it compromises the bark, but it will dry, and will likely check at the ends. That may not matter if the application is not structural.

My vote is to keep them unfinished, or kiln dry them, see how your bark is compromised, and then make a design decision then.

[Ted Calver]

I cut branches from my river birch during the winter months, after the sap has run, sealed the ends with Anchorseal and stuck them in the attic, where temps range from the 20's to 120F...and forgot about them. They dried perfectly with no loss of bark and I put on a coat of waterlox and use them for box handles and other misc rustic stuff. You will have more success if you cut the branches after the sap has run.

[David Park]

Thanks Ted, that helps a lot. It will be this winter that the prep work will begin so that should work out well. I was going to seal the ends as you suggested.