Freshen up your outdoors

By Kath Gannaway
DON’T wait until the summer heat starts to beat down … spring is the best time to start freshening up your favourite outdoor spaces.
For timber decks, pergolas, sun screens and feature timber, exposure to nature’s elements takes its toll in terms of both good looks and structural integrity.
The paint experts at Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute (PQI) recommend the slip, slop and slap approach to summer’s heat – timber, just like skin needs UV protection, they say.
Today you can choose between water-based opaque exterior paints with a range of fashionable colours or go for a more natural look using varnish stains.
Top quality, 100 per cent acrylic paints in colours that enhance your setting, create a great environment for living and entertaining, and provide the best long term protection.
For those planning a new deck or pergola, the experts at PQI have a useful tip – painting the bare timber surfaces within two weeks will ensure you get the best in long lasting protection. For more natural looking timber features, semi-transparent, water based acrylic varnish stains are a very popular alternative.
The light pigmentation of water based acrylic varnish stains enhances the natural golden colours of timber and protects it from the sun’s UV rays, and the transparency allows the beauty of the grain to show through.
While there are a variety of finishes available in oil or water-based products, top quality 100 per cent acrylic water-based timber coatings are your best choice for long lasting sun protection. And, of course, being water based, brushes and rollers simply wash out in water making the job of maintaining your timber’s natural look, that much easier.
For independent advice on paint and painting, just visit PQI at www.paintquality.com.au.