Are you going to make any furniture with pallets? If so, you can not miss this guide to know how to protect and treat the wood of the pallets. With it you will learn to protect your indoor and outdoor furniture, as well as not to put the rest of the furniture in your home at risk, preventing it from being contaminated with insects and pests.
With pallets you can make practically any type of furniture, both indoors and outdoors. However, the wood of the pallets is usually subjected to conditions that make it especially sensitive to pests and insects. This is because pallets are used to carry goods on trucks, ships, trains, etc., and during transport they come into contact with dirt and germs. In addition, they usually spend a lot of time outdoors, both in the sawmills and in the factories and warehouses of destination.
Termites, pine wood nematodes, caterpillars… are some of the insects that eat pine wood and can live inside pallets. It can even get fleas and other insects if it has been stored in an unsanitary place. In addition, detecting with the naked eye if a pallet contains parasites inside it is usually complicated. Therefore, it is essential to treat wooden pallets properly or we risk infecting other furniture in our home, and even wooden floors. The following video tutorial will show you the most suitable products to treat Cedria wood, as well as their application.
Prepare the pallet
The wood of the pallets usually has quite a few imperfections, apart from dirt. For this reason, before applying a treatment it is necessary to prepare them as indicated below:
- Sand the wood to open and the pore and favor the penetration of the products that we apply. In addition, in this way the surface will be smoothed so that it is more uniform and there are no splinters that can damage us.
- Remove mold stains that the pallet may have with a sponge soaked in water with bleach and allow the wood to dry well.
- Remove the nails to avoid nailing them and so they don’t rust the wood.
How to treat the wood of new pallets
The wood used to build the pallets is treated to eliminate larvae and insects. This treatment usually consists of introducing it into high-temperature ovens. For this reason, if we know for sure that the pallet has just been manufactured or we buy the pallet slats directly from the sawmill, it will be enough to apply a treating product such as Cedria Primer Primer/Tratante Plus. Its properties are:
- It is colorless and water-based, so it does not alter the color of the wood and is environmentally friendly.
- Protects against bluing (wood fungi) and woodworm
- Regulates the internal humidity of the wood and repels water
- Prevents sinkholes, that is, the wood absorbs the finishing products unevenly
- Improves the adhesion of paint and/or varnishes
Its application is very simple, you just have to impregnate the wood with the treating primer/bottom using a brush. If you want to apply a second coat, you will have to wait 12 hours, but it is very important that you do not sand between coats as this would remove the product and lose its effectiveness.
On the other hand, in the case of leafy woods such as fir and some pine species, it is recommended to apply a Cedria Tannin Blocking Primer to avoid the dark spots they produce. Bearing in mind that most pallets are made with this type of wood, my advice is to apply a base coat of treating primer and another of tannin-blocking base coat, allowing 12 hours to pass between them.
How to treat wood from old pallets
If the pallet is not new or we have collected it from the street, It will be necessary to apply a product that is treating and curative which will remove any parasites and insects you may have. To do this, you can apply:
- Cedria Matacarcoma if the pallet shows obvious signs of being affected by this wood xylophagus, that is, if small round holes are visible on the surface. This woodworm killer is solvent-based and exterminates all kinds of insects, while preventing new attacks. For its application, the wood must be impregnated with a brush, a sprayer, by injection or by immersion if it is not very large. After 12 hours, any finishing product can be applied.
- Cedria Treating Primer Plus when the woodworm is not visible, but could contain a pest inside. Its action is preventive-curative and eliminates fungi and insects. It is also water-based, so it is completely odourless. It is applied in the same way as the woodworm and you also have to wait 12 hours to give a finishing product (lasur, varnish, paint…).
If you follow these tips you will get protect and treat wood pallets from insects and pests, something essential when building your pallet furniture without taking risks. To get inspired, you just have to see this article with the best ideas to make furniture with pallets, you will see that they are decorative as well as functional and that they look good anywhere.
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