Timber is separated into two and categories.  These are softwoods and hardwoods, which by themselves, can provide a very earthy quality to an environment..

                                                                            Knots in Pine                                                                                       Knots in Oak                                    

         Softwoods                                           Hardwood

Douglas Fir                                                  Ash

Larch                                                          Oak

Pitch Pine                                                   Beech

Redwood ( Pine)                                         Mahogany

Whitewood ( Spruce )                                 Maple

Western Red Cedar                                     Teak

                                                                  Walnut

You may notice knots in the wood when preparing these surfaces.  It is simply a place in the wood where a branch used to be. You may find, that sap would bleed from the knots over time and stain or lift the paint finish without preparing the knots first.  A knotting solution is available that can be applied to an area where the wood is knotted in order to seal it, thus preventing a bleed.  

Shellac is the main ingredient in most knotting solutions and is produced by an insect and melted into thin flakes.  Areas of timber that have been stained with resin, tar splashes, felt pen and biro marks, a knotting solution will prevent the stains from bleeding through a paint coating.  

Make sure any surface is clean and dry before applying with a brush.  Knotting dries quite quickly and surface coatings can be applied without much delay.

Known as pigmented shellac, it is also available coloured.  Aluminium provides a silver pigment while titanium provides a white pigment, and these are very effective stain sealers on stains made by fire and smoke, water stains and previously creosoted timber.  Pigmented shellac can even seal in smells such as pets and fire smoke.

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