Why Can Oak Gates Turn Black?
Sometimes a wooden gate can turn black, let’s explore why this happens and the best way to remedy such a problem. It is important to understand that staining on wooden gates can be indicative of things such as ferrous fixings such as nails, or things made of iron, reacting with other chemicals.Let’s explore this in-depth and develop an understanding of the process needed to clean damaged wooden gates.
As already briefly touched upon, it is important to consider the potential reactions with ferrous fixings and tannic acid which can lead to a stain on wooden gates. This is a very common thing, and this can occur on a variety of other things that use ferrous fixings, such as doors.A great way to prevent such an occurrence from happening in the future can be done by using non-ferrous fixing on your gates, to remove the iron’s potential to react with such chemicals in the future. However, it’s important to note that this is not always possible and that you may need to clean these wooden gates, but this is certainly one way to help prevent this from happening in the future.
How to Clean the Gate
As mentioned, sometimes these scenarios are impossible to avoid, so let’s present you with some cleaning wooden gate advice. The most common chemical used to combat these dark stains on oak gates is the application of Oxalic acid, which should be carried out using safety precautions such as masks and latex gloves, as it can have particularly damaging effects on humans. Being as precautious as possible is the best scenario.After you have considered the relevant safety protocols, you should mix the acid with water to help create a solution. It is crucial that this should be done in a metal container as it can melt plastic containers; use this compound very carefully.
Once your solution is formed, it’s important to then apply it onto your oak gate using a paintbrush, extremely cautiously to prevent the paint from corroding any surfaces that it touches. The process in total should take approximately 5 minutes to complete, and then you will be able to wait and see the stain removed.Therefore, it is important to prevent this from occurring in the future to prevent yourself from hardship. You should consider using non-ferrous objects such as nails to help prevent this staining from occurring, as it is much less likely to lead to an adverse reaction that you have to fix, helping reduce problems for the future.
Make sure that whatever method you use to clean your damaged wooden gate is completed safely. If you would like to find out more about how we can help you and your business, please feel free to get in touch with our friendly team on 01844 342036 or head over to our contact page for more details.