Timber cleaning, restoration and protection

In short

We clean and restore timber across Wānaka and the Upper Clutha, including cedar cladding, thermally modified timber, hardwood decks and outdoor furniture. We assess the timber, its existing finish and the look you want, then plan the cleaning, preparation, protection and ongoing care. Timber can be part of a wider clean and seal project, or a specialist job in its own right.

We know how to clean timber

We tried shop-bought cleaners, then started blending our own solutions, and we've been refining them and our techniques ever since. We use dedicated wood cleaners, tailored to the job in hand, and we've developed processes for:

Maintenance cleans that leave no residue, removing pollen, alluvial dust and cobwebs, downstreamed from the ground with commercial high-flow equipment
Timber with mould or other organic growth, with the treatment tailored to what we find on the day
Hardwood decks
Water marks and tannin stains, which our solutions treat too

Preparation is often skipped on the assumption that “the oil will cover it.” It won't. We've put the time into getting cleaning and preparation right, because that's what the finished result depends on. We choose the method for the species, its finish and its condition, and we explain what can be improved and what may stay visible.

Restoration starts with preparation

When timber has fallen behind on maintenance, a routine wash or another coat of oil may not get the result you want. We assess organic growth, weathered surface fibres, existing coatings and staining before deciding how to prepare it. Preparation is a big part of the finished result.

Coloured or oiled finishes

If you want to keep or add a colour tone, we discuss suitable oils and treatments alongside the preparation and care they need. Depending on the project, our scope may cover preparation and treatment together, or preparation coordinated with a finishing contractor. Your quote sets out who is responsible for each stage.

Naturally silvered timber, with water-repellent protection

Some owners and architects want timber to weather to a natural silver, or “grey off”. The catch is that this look usually means no traditional oiling, or only oils without colour tones. Those oils break down under UV, leaving timber that takes on moisture. Moisture leads to freeze–thaw damage, splinters on decks and extra movement in cladding, and it shortens the life of the timber.

We apply a UV-stable treatment that chemically repels water but lets UV through. The timber is protected and still silvers off naturally over time. It doesn’t go grey straight away, and you’ll still see differences between exposed areas and those under eaves or in shelter, as you’d expect.

We have solutions for hardwood decks (SilaDeck) and all porous timber cladding (SilaClad).

What’s behind it

The treatments were developed in Australia a few years ago, and there are examples there from that time. One merbau (kwila) deck around a pool is now showing signs it needs a top-up at year five. We don’t promise a service life, and results depend on the timber and its exposure.

Monitored projects in Wānaka

We’re monitoring our recent Wānaka applications closely, and we’re impressed with the results to date. We’ll update this page as they develop. We're offering a small number of projects at introductory case-study pricing, in return for documenting the results. Get in touch if you'd like to be one of them.

Timber cleaning solutions for contractors

Years of work have gone into refining these timber cleaning solutions and techniques. They're not on the market yet, but if you're a timber contractor interested in downstreamable wood cleaning solutions, let us know.

Ongoing care

Care depends on the timber and its treatment, and a fixed annual recoating schedule doesn't suit every surface. Through the Evercare Club, agreed timber washing and inspections can fit into a wider maintenance plan. Extra restoration, oiling or specialist treatment is quoted separately.