Slovenia is a land of forests, so the use of wood in construction is very popular with all generations

Some decades ago, trends dictated the use of wood coatings in dark colour shades – especially for windows, doors, roof eaves, panelling and furniture. This trend was beloved due to its elegant and classic appearance, which suited traditional architectural styles. Dark wood shades, such as mahagony, walnut and cherry, created a warm and rich atmosphere in interiors. From a durability standpoint, the dark wood protection was also appropriate, as the coating in a dark shade offered better UV protection and thus a longer service life of the wooden element.

Light shades are trendy

In recent years, the trend has shifted towards wooden elements in lighter shades. Light shades such as oak, maple and elm are becoming more popular due to their fresh and modern appearance. These wooden elements create a feeling of light and spaciousness, which is in line with today’s architectural trends that emphasise openness and minimalism.

If you want to keep up with trends when renovating older wooden elements (like windows, doors, roof eaves...), you don’t need to replace wood painted in darker shades with new wood. Old, dark wood – which is still healthy and not infested with wood pests – can be lightened with a special coating. This also helps to preserve nature by extending the life of the wood.

The simplest and most environmentally friendly way to lighten wood is to use the special Illumina coating. The coating does not discolour the dark surface, but it is sufficiently opaque to evenly cover the dark substrate and bring the shade closer to the natural colour of spruce wood. After covering the surface with Illumina, the wood structure will no longer be visible, but with proper preparation of the surface and proper treatment you can achieve the same final appearance of the wooden element as with all woodstains - the structure of the wood appears visible.

Illumina is not a classic opaque topcoat (enamel). Unlike opaque topcoats, Illumina creates thin and vapour permeable films, suitable for the protection of dimensionally unstable wood. It has good adhesion to properly prepared aged substrates and provides good adhesion for woodstains. It is not suitable as an independent coating as it does not provide good weather resistance. This is why it is always used in combination with a solvent-based woodstain, which provides the final protection and appearance as well as weather resistance.

Illumina is also suitable for the renovation of decayed wooden surfaces where dark spots have formed due to a blue stain fungi or mould infestation. It can be used on all kinds of outdoor dark woodstains.

Because Illumina is designed mainly to lighten wood, the best results will be achieved if you choose a light shade of the woodstain for the finish. With darker shades it is more difficult to achieve an even appearance of the surface, and brush marks are more noticeable. You should also take into account the fact that the shade of the selected final woodstain applied over Illumina will be slightly different than if it were applied over unpainted wood.

Surface preparation

If the surface is still relatively well preserved and there is still enough of the old coating on it, sand it with 120-150 grit sandpaper and dust it. If the coating has already become worn, the surface should first be scraped, sanded with sandpaper if necessary and dusted. This removes any poorly adhering coating particles and the layer of wood that has already decayed under the coating. After scraping, inspect the surface, then coat it depending on its state. If the wood is healthy, i.e. has not been infested with wood pests, first protect it with Base. Insect-infested wood should be treated with Fentin. Use biocides carefully. Always read the label and the information about the product before use.
 

With more demanding elements, you need to pay attention to swelling on the other side and keep cleaning it. Always coat one side only, and the other side only when the previous side has dried; otherwise the swollen spots cannot be repaired.

Woodstain application

Once the Illumina had dried well, apply 1-2 more coats of woodstain in the desired light colour shade (Beltop UV Plus or Belton). Great care and precision must be taken when applying the finishing woodstain. The woodstain must be applied in the direction of the annular rings. The final appearance will be better if 2 thin coats of the woodstain are applied over the Illumina rather than 1 thick coat. It is recommended to use a brush with stiffer bristles to better imitate the annular rings.