CUTEK® Extreme CD50 and CUTEK® Wood Preservative diffuse deeply into timber and will continue to provide moisture protection and improve dimensional stability even if the CUTEK® Colourtones are not added and the wood becomes weathered and grey.
If you would like to retain the natural freshly oiled colour of the timber you’re working with, you MUST add a suitable Colourtone to the clear oil. Choose one of our 16 Colourtones which have been specifically developed to closely match many popular wood species.
For best results, select a CUTEK® Colourtone that stays close to the natural shade of the coated timber.
CUTEK® Colourtones are only to be used with CUTEK® Extreme CD50 and CUTEK® Wood Preservative. CUTEK® Colourtones are not compatible with and must not be mixed into CUTEK® Interior or any
third-party product.
- Wood projects using clear CUTEK® oil that have silvered can easily be returned back to the wood’s original colour using CUTEK® Restore and high pressure washing followed by further applications of CUTEK® Extreme CD50 clear oil.
- HOW TO INCREASE COLOUR BUILD ON NEW WOOD
New wood is milled smooth and often has a mill glaze which will greatly restrict the initial colour build of any pigment. Better results can be achieved by creating a rougher surface and preparing the wood using CUTEK® Restore in combination with a high pressure washer. Sanding the new wood to 80 grit will give even better results as it removes mill glaze and creates a much rougher surface which will enable higher colour build. Note…The rougher the surface of the wood, the greater the colour build and durability. Rough sawn or heavy brushed wood profiles will take more oil and colour so much bolder colour contrast can be achieved. The amount of mill glaze if any that is present on any job can vary significantly depending on species density, and machining method used.
Note: sanded surfaces should be vacuumed or washed thoroughly to remove all loose wood and dust.
- SELECTING THE RIGHT CUTEK® COLOURTONE
Our CUTEK® Colourtone system is designed to enhance the wood colour and grain you select. With this in mind, you need to think about your original wood choice and the colour it most represents. Is it light to Golden, Brown, Red or a combination? Here are a few common examples to help you understand: Black Butt and Silver Top Ash: Light tones so Rustic Gold is a good choice Spotted Gum: Light creamy to brown and greys so Rustic Gold and Sela Brown will all look similar on new smooth wood. Merbau and Red Iron Bark: Red to brown tone so Autumntone, New Bronzetone, Merbau or Burnt Red will all look very similar on smooth wood. Forest Reds and Jarrah: Red tones so Autumntone, New Bronzetone and Burnt Red are all close options and will look similar on smooth wood. For a good idea of what a colourtone will look like on your timber type, use our Colourtone Visualiser above.
- CHANGING THE ORIGINAL COLOUR OF ANY WOOD
For horizontal walk on surfaces such as decking, we recommend you select a CUTEK® Colourtone that is the closest match to the wood you have selected, rather than attempt to change the colour. You can talk to any of our stockists for advice. For cladding and screening, a much higher build of colour can be achieved which can completely change the original tone of the wood. Even very light wood coloured species can become an almost solid Black, Grey, Red, Brown or Gold if the wood surface is suitably rough and more coats or a higher pigment loading has been added. In some circumstances you can double your CUTEK® Colourtone to achieve bolder effects on rough or brushed wood. We advise that you contact us to discuss this option in more detail as we want to ensure you have the best information possible.
- NOTE: WE RECOMMEND ORDERING A FREE SAMPLE TESTPOT TO SEE WHAT YOUR CHOSEN CUTEK® COLOURTONE WILL LOOK LIKE ON YOUR SPECIFIC TIMBER PRIOR TO STARTING YOUR PROJECT