Frequently Asked Questions

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HOW IS CUTEK® DIFFERENT?

CUTEK® EXTREME – TRUE PENETRATING OIL WITH A SELF-HEALING EFFECT

CUTEK® Extreme offers powerful protection while enhancing the natural beauty of wood. CUTEK® Extreme diffuses deeply into wood to repel moisture, maintain structural integrity and ensure the longest possible service life.

What sets CUTEK® Extreme apart is it’s ‘self-healing’ action. Once diffused, CUTEK® Extreme protects from the inside out by actively displacing water throughout the wood and providing unsurpassed long-term protection against water damage. The protective components penetrate and stay PERMANENTLY MOBILE in the wood, migrating to any cut or perforation, automatically sealing it against the damaging effects of moisture. It is this mobility and self-healing effect which makes CUTEK® the professional’s choice for long-term wood protection.

Traditional varnish and natural oil ‘penetrating’ type coatings work by forming a protective film on the surface of the wood to protect against moisture damage. Over time, UV rays and wood movement break down this film causing it to degrade, flake or peel. This allows water to get into the wood which will lead to cupping, warping, splitting and rot. Fixing this is costly and time consuming as the old coating will need to be stripped away before reapplying.

CUTEK® is different. CUTEK® Extreme penetrates deep into the wood core and drives moisture out of the wood from the inside. This offers superior long-term protection and minimizes cupping, warping and splitting. This penetrating oil technology ensures the longest possible service life for your wood. It has been proven to work and has been independently tested by industry experts in many countries over the last 30 years.

NOTE: Coatings that are not permanently mobile inside the wood and do not exhibit the self-healing effect ARE NOT the same as CUTEK®, no matter what is claimed.

To maximize your wood’s unique features, we have developed a simple 2 step system.

  • Step 1   PREPARE:   Enhance your wood by preparing it properly for coating.
  • Step 2   PROTECT:   Long-term protection that highlights the natural beauty of your wood and improves dimensional stability.

Each product in the CUTEK® system has been designed to be easy to use and reduce the manual labor required for wood protection.

Maintenance is quick, simple and cost effective. CUTEK® Extreme does not flake or peel meaning that you generally do not have to sand or strip again.

DOES CUTEK®EXTREME REDUCE LONG TERM SPLITTING, CUPPING AND WARPING OF WOOD?

Yes.CUTEK® Extremediffuses deep into the wood to actively displace and protect against moisture from the inside out. It is important to understand that it is the free exchange of liquid and gas phase moisture between wood and the environment that contributes to splitting, warping and cupping. Once diffused,CUTEK® Extremewill stabilize the wood by controlling the free moisture exchange between the coated wood and the environment.  BecauseCUTEK® Extremeispermanently mobile and self-healing, this protection is permanent even if the wood is damaged, cut or perforated with fasteners. The result is improved dimensional stability, structural integrity and an extended service life.

DOES CUTEK® EXTREME EVER PEEL OR FLAKE?

No.CUTEK® Extremewill not peel or flake, although over timeCUTEK® Extremecoated wood will fade where it is exposed to the sun, and the Colortone can wear or erode over time with use. If this occurs, the wood will require a maintenance coat of colortonedCUTEK® Extremeto maintain your color choice. The rate of fading, or wearing/eroding will vary depending on species, situation, design, degree of weather exposure and other environmental factors.

HOW LONG WILL CUTEK® EXTREME LAST? HOW OFTEN WILL I HAVE TO REAPPLY?

CUTEK® Extreme should be reapplied when the wood is no longer beading or as frequently as necessary to retain the natural or altered color of the wood. Timing will differ depending on many variables including the age and porosity of the wood, species, situation, design, aspect, weathered exposure and adequacy of preparation.

When considering frequency of maintenance there are two factors to consider:

  1. Protection: CUTEK® Extreme diffuses deeply into wood to provide long-term, cumulative, inside-out protection. Even when the wood surface has grayed and weathered, CUTEK® Extreme will remain permanently mobile in the wood, meaning protection is not compromised even if the outward appearance of the wood has changed. Each additional coat of CUTEK® Extreme provides further additional protection against moisture.
  2. Appearance: To maintain the natural color of freshly oiled wood for longer or alter the appearance of your wood, CUTEK® Extreme with an added CUTEK® Colortone should be applied. Over time and with exposure to sunlight and UV, the color will slowly fade to a silver patina, or ware/erode with use. Color durability and the rate at which this fading, or wearing/eroding occurs is dependent on many factors, such as age and porosity of the wood, species, situation, design, aspect, and degree of exposure to the weather. CUTEK® Extreme with an added Colortone should be reapplied as frequently as necessary to maintain desired color vibrancy.

DOES CUTEK® EXTREME HAVE A CUMULATIVE EFFECT?

Yes.CUTEK® Extremediffuses deeply into wood, protecting it from the inside out.CUTEK® Extremestays permanently mobile inside the wood to repel and displace moisture. With each additional coat ofCUTEK® Extreme, this protection increases. This means that if you continue to maintain your wood withCUTEK® Extreme, the better protected against water that wood will be.

WHAT ABOUT NATURAL OILS? THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD FOR WOOD.

Most natural oils claim to be ‘penetrating oils’ but will actually contain drying oils/resins and evaporating solvents which form a traditional varnish/film type encapsulation coating. Once this surface type coating has been degraded by weathering, cutting or fastener perforation, water may freely enter the wood leading to significant cupping and splitting.

CAN I APPLY CUTEK® EXTREME OVER OTHER COATINGS, DECK STAINS OR OILS?

No, generally speaking you cannot.CUTEK® Extrememust be applied to bare, clean and dry wood. Some oils, stains, paints and films act as a barrier forCUTEK® Extreme’sdiffusion/penetration and must be fully removed first. For full instructions on how to Prepare your wood properly for coating withCUTEK® Extreme, follow this link to ourPreparepage.

IS THERE ANY WARRANTY ON CUTEK® PRODUCTS?

While CUTEK® products are manufactured to the highest standard, we are unable to offer any specific performance warranties related to protection and/or color retention because of the wide variation of possible applications and purposes for CUTEK® products. These variables include but are not limited to: the age and porosity of the wood, species, situation, design and structure, aspect, differing exposure to the weather and adequacy of preparation.

CUTEK® will not accept liability for:

  • the application of incorrect color to any substrate for any reason
  • the application of CUTEK® to wood with a moisture content greater than 17%
  • the application of CUTEK® to any substrate with a pre-existing coating

Further, while some manufacturers choose to specify CUTEK® materials for use with their own products, CUTEK® is not included or involved with any independent warranties issued by a specific manufacturer or distributor in relation to their own product.

CUTEK® has Pre-Mixed Samples available to help you determine if CUTEK® Extreme is suitable for your project. We ALWAYS recommend testing our products prior to full application.