Wood Windows: The Traditional Choice.
If you have ever built a beautiful wood patio or fence, and then left that wood out in the elements, you very quickly would have learned about the need for stains and sealers for protection. You may even have learned the lesson too late. Without protection, the wood likely discolored, and if left long enough, it would have cracked and needed to be replaced.
Many traditional homes prefer wood windows. Imagine if those windows were left exposed to the same elements that the patio or fencing mentioned above were. In addition to the exterior elements of heat, humidity, UV, and air pollution, you would also be exposing those windows to a very different interior environment at the same time, which can distress the wood even further.
Westeck knows custom homes, as we have been providing a wide range of window and door design solutions for nearly 20 years. Building windows with BC Fir – which is well suited for West Coast applications – requires the correct protection to ensure that your investment truly stands the test of time. In order to protect your purchase from these elements, Westeck uses the Laurentide Uraqua stain system. Follow along as we walk through the journey that your wood windows take during this protection process.
Step 1: Innoprep is applied, to greatly reduce the effects of water and moisture.
- Westeck impregnates a coat of Innoprep 84 into the wood frames.
- This impregnation is designed to be applied directly on wood to avoid any swelling of ends when exposed to humidity or water. Innoprep is a very fluid product that is absorbed by the wood surface and helps to equalize the penetration of the stain in order to get better uniformity.
- Innoprep also contains fungicides that help protect the wood against a wide spectrum of fungi that are present in different climates.
Step 2: Uraqua stain is then applied, to prevent heat buildup and UV transfer.
- Westeck applies Uraqua stain to the wood frames.
- This is a waterborne stain made to be easily applied to create very aesthetically appealing finishes, similar to what we expect from the furniture market, with excellent exterior durability.
- The pigmentation used in this system is special: the pigments have been selected to avoid heat accumulation and to resist UV rays.
- The stains stay wet long enough to allow a sufficient open-time, and dry quickly enough to allow for efficient application time at the production facility.
Step 3: Finally, Uraqua clear coat is applied, to protect against moisture, water, UV, and air pollutants.
- Westeck sprays two coats of Uraqua clear coat onto the wood frames.
- Uraqua clearcoat is a urethane acrylic varnish. It is a two-component coating that will protect the stain system from the elements. It is water resistant while being breathable, and is resistant to many chemical substances such as muriatic acid, nitric acid, household detergents, and others. It contains high quality UV absorbers that will maximize color retention, gloss retention, and wood protection.
- Uraqua clear coat shows an excellent mechanical resistance against scratches and erosion while being flexible enough to follow the dimensional variation of the wood.
- It creates a smooth and waterclear finish and is available in many glosses.
So, why Uraqua?
Westeck uses Uraqua stain products as an environmentally friendly solution.
- The Uraqua system of products is 100% waterborne.
- It contains low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and is isocyanate free.
- It complies with AAMA standard 633-11 for exterior stain finishes.
- It is made of infrared reflective pigmentation top-coated with a urethane-acrylic clearcoat containing UV absorbers, showing by far the best wood color protection for years to come.
The next time you are considering windows for your new home, rest assured that wood is still an excellent option, and if produced and protected correctly, will be a beautiful addition to your home for many years to come. Be sure to visit https://www.westeckwindows.com/wood/ to see the many options available.
About Westeck
Westeck Windows and Doors now has 30+ sales professionals, across offices in British Columbia (Vancouver, Chilliwack, Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna) and Washington State (Seattle) with a NEW showroom opening in September 2019 in Bellingham, as well as an extensive dealer network throughout North America. Westeck employs over 200 people, with the majority working out of the corporate facility in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
