Painting guide

What is pine tar?

Pine tar paint from Auson comes in a number of colours. The pine tar protects and reinforces the wood, as well as giving it an attractive matt colour with a durable result. When you paint with pine tar, you provide the wood with natural protection from weather and wind, and keep the wood from drying out. Wood painted with pine tar lasts a long time before you need to repaint.

Use pine tar paint for your façade – and roof, fence, decking, jetties and other outdoor wooden constructions. Pine tar has a characteristic smell that is most noticeable the very first days after painting, and then stays for about a month after painting.

How to paint with pine tar

Important to know!

Always stir well before and during painting, as the colour pigment gathers near the bottom during storage. You should avoid using a paint shaker, and if you use an electric stirrer, you must also stir it manually to make sure all the pigment is taken up in the mixture.

NB Soaked rags, material waste, etc. can self-ignite and should be soaked in water and disposed of in a fire-proof place. This applies to Red Pine Tar, Black Pine Tar, Black-Brown Pine Tar, Brown Pine Tar, Pine Tar Vitriol and Roslags Mahogny.

Before you paint

• Paint in warm weather, at least 10°C. This lets the tar absorb into the surface more easily and dry quicker.
• Check the weather forecast! Look for a period of a few days without rain.
• For bright colors use stainless or galvanasied nails of good quality.
• It is preferable to put a first coat on panelling before assembling it. An unpainted façade can also easily be attacked by fungal spores.

• Cover surfaces that are not going to be painted. Leave any plastic cover on until the surface of the pine tar has started to dry.
• Unplaned wood? Just start painting! The same goes for wood that has previously been treated with tar, iron vitriol or distemper, and wood that has dried out.
• Planed wood? Dilute with an extra 10–20% turpentine or denatured alcohol.
• Pine tar vitriol is ready to use as it is and should not be diluted further.
• In timber houses where the paint slowly absorbs into the planed surface, you can wait until the following year for the second coat. In that case, first wash the facade with a mildew remover
• If you are building a new house, it is important to apply the first coat of tar as soon as possible. If the façade has been left untreated for more than 4 weeks, you should wash it to protect it against attacks of mildew. Wash all wood and let it dry before treating it. Use a high-pressure cleaner and façade cleaner suitable for a wooden façade.
• Remove any mould and the dead top layer from the surface. If mould is visible or suspected, wash the facade with algae and mould remover then leave to dry thoroughly. This applies both to surfaces treated previously and new, untreated surfaces.
• For wood surfaces that have already been painted with, for example, red paint – remove flaking paint, wash the surface with mildew detergent, use a pressure washer or a wire brush. Use the same colour as before.
• Stir the pot thoroughly before you start to paint.

When you are painting

• The hue may vary slightly depending on the production number – see label on the lid. If you have cans with different numbers, they should be mixed together to avoid differences in hue. For black and black-brown pine tar paint, you don’t need to do this.
• Use a wide brush, approximately 70–100 mm.
• Paint as you would with a regular paint.
• Try to avoid painting in thick layers, as this can create a lacquer-like glossy surface. Paint thinly and dilute further if necessary.
• Stir regularly. Pine vitriol needs more frequent stirring.
• Paint twice before the end of the painting season if the wood has not been treated before, for the best colour tone and protection against water.
• Paint a whole plank at a time for an even cover without differences in shade.
• Finish painting  a whole wall at a time using the same batch.
• Don’t paint in direct sunlight.

When you have painted

• The pine tar will be absorbed into the wood and help prevent the wood from drying out and cracking.
• Paint again after 6-8 years on exposed sides.
• On sides where the wood is not as exposed you can wait much longer.
• The intervals between painting grow gradually longer the more times you apply pine tar paint. The tar strengthens and protects the previous layers.
• When repainting, first wash all the wood and then let it dry before treatment. Use high-pressure washing and a detergent for algae and mold that is suitable for wooden facades.

What is pine tar oil?

Are you tired of discoloured wooden decking? Pine tar oil prevents the wood from drying out, starting to crack and absorbing water. Nor will the wood turn black as the years go by, which is the case when using conventional wood oils. Instead, pine tar oil preserves the natural grey hue of the decking wood at the same time as cracking is minimised. Pine tar oil provides lasting protection and a stylish surface with the wood pattern intact. The wooden deck will remain beautiful for a long time, and renewed treatment every two or three years will be enough. Pine tar oil also works well for fences, untreated outdoor furniture and pallet rims, as well as on façades on which you don’t want full coverage.

How to treat with pine tar oil

Important to know!

Newly laid pallets don’t need to be treated directly with pine tar oil, allow it to attain a bit of surface before painting so it is easier for it to be absorbed. The pine tar has a natural brown colour and will provide a slightly darker surface that will gradually become lighter from sunlight and weather. The surface regains its natural hue after a few months.

Before you start

Clean the surface thoroughly before starting the treatment. Use a high-pressure cleaner and washing detergent that is suitable for decking. In the case of mildew, use washing detergent/removal agent specially for this. Make sure the wood is completely dry before treating. Don’t paint too early in spring.

When you paint

Use a brush, roller or paint sprayer. The pine tar is easily absorbed by the wood. Wipe off what’s left on the surface and pay extra attention to oil that may remain on knots where the pine tar might be less absorbed – use a rag soaked in turpentine or denatured alcohol and wipe off as you keep treating the decking wood. Clean the brush with denatured alcohol or turpentine.

Coverage: 6–10 m2/litre depending on the surface. Very dried out wood can require 2-3 times the amount of paint.

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