FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Any exterior wood surface where it will PENETRATE.

Registered wood preservative products contain a component(s) that kills rot causing organisms should they try to eat the wood fibers i.e. Registered products are PESTICIDES. Pesticidal ingredients can actually PRESERVE and protect the wood against organisms like fungus and rot and wood ingesting insects like termites as well – as in the case of Outlast Q8 Log Oil. The active ingredient will be specified on the front of the label of Registered Products. They will also specify the EPA Registration Number. Outlast Q8 Log Oil is EPA Reg. No. 81819-1. The active ingredient (pesticide) in Q8 is Copper 8 quinolinolate, also known as Oxine Copper.

Remove any barrier to penetration prior to application. Barriers include mill glaze from sanding or planning, waxy substances applied to protect the wood during transport, previous coatings and surface discoloration from dirt, debris or mildew. Start with a clean surface because pigmented Q8 Log Oil provides semi-transparent color and no opacity to hide surface imperfections.

Mill Glaze, wax, dirt, and mildew can be removed with Outlast KleenStart. Previous coatings might be chemically dissolved (ask the manufacturer of the previous coating which chemical to use). Sand, cob and glass blasting are also used to remove prior coatings. If this option is chosen, follow it up with a KleenStart application also.

Best: flood coat with a pump-up sprayer. Apply to REFUSAL.

On logs and siding: 6 -24 months after the initial treatment (depending upon temperature and moisture content) and then 4-8 years thereafter. On decks: Every year or every other year.

NO. Just make sure the surface is clean and the waxy surface coating (if any) is removed prior to treatment with Q8 Log Oil. Build the deck and stain it all at the same time!

Any cut made to fabricate the lumber, logs, decking materials etc. is an end cut. If the lumber is chemically pre-treated for rot/decay the end cut is a critical juncture because the factory pressure treatment did not reach the center of the board for 100% protection. Treated lumber always has a sticker on the end of each board indicating the brand name and type of chemical used in the factory. Any cut or puncture or fastener hole must be augmented with a suitable Registered Preservative to “heal the breach” in the factory treatment. This is required by the warranty on the wood and specified in the building code.

Apply ONE application to the point of refusal.

Cold wood has “shrunken” cell pockets and warm wood has enlarged cell pockets. (Think of a frozen sponge.) If Q8 is applied to cold wood, the pockets are small and contracted but will open larger when heated and therefore accept MORE Q8 for a maximum “point of refusal” treatment.

No. Q8 does not form a surface film. It is not a coating!

Whether “oil-based” or “water-based”, all coatings will fail without regular maintenance. Maintenance is required to make sure the “skin” of the coating is never breached. Most of the log home stains on the market are film forming barrier coatings that act like a raincoat to prevent moisture infiltration. Over time, the “skin” is worn away or damaged by debris allowing an opening for moisture to penetrate. Once it is breached if not immediately repaired, rain can penetrate just as it would a hole in a raincoat. Plain wood is subject to rot when it is wet.**DRY wood will not decay. Keeping the wood dry is the key with barrier method coatings, i.e. paints and stains.

Outlast Q8 Log Oil must soak into the wood cells in order to be effective. It must penetrate to the point of refusal. Do not UNDER treat or fail to prep adequately because this can result in spotting. If you have prepped to remove previous coatings or mill glaze and you still can’t get absorption at the recommended spread rate, you will need to re-treat as soon as the cell pockets below the wood surface are “open” and available as reservoirs. Warm dry wood is more receptive than cool wet wood. Outlast Q8 will help dissolve the spots with light brushing during retreatment.

Good question! Outlast Q8 protects against attack by wood eating insects such as termites and powder post beetles. But Outlast Q8 does not repel nuisance insects like ants, wasps, carpenter bees and other NON-wood EATING insects. NBS 30 effectively REPELS nuisance insects that want to burrow into or nest on the surface area.

Outlast Products can be special ordered for you from your local Sherwin Williams Paint store. Some of them STOCK product. We also have a number of distributors who will deliver directly to your home via internet, phone or websites. Check out our distributor list www.OutlastProducts.com.

Q8 Log Oil is NOT a coating or traditional stain and it does not form a film or skin on the surface. The water repellency comes from within the available*cell pockets and is further enhanced by the PERMANENT oxine copper component which bonds to the cellulose and will not leach out. *Available cell pockets are determined by the water/moisture content of the wood. Freshly cut wood has almost 100% moisture content! Meaning that the weight of the water is equal to the weight of the cellulose. Very little if any Q8 could penetrate in this situation because the space is occupied by water. As the wood dries or seasons to ambient moisture level with its’ environment, cell pockets empty of water (evaporation) and become available for Q8 Log Oil to inhabit. When Q8 is present, it slows down rapid moisture loss that creates checking in the lumber! Subsequent periodic Q8 treatments applied to refusal fill-in the empty pockets as evaporation continues. Maintenance in the later years is a matter of combating the effects of the sun if the customer wants any color other than grey. (EVERYTHING fades to grey in the sun.) A fresh application of Q8 imparts more pigment for the surface color and appearance.

Clear Q8 Log Oil has no pigment added. This might seem strange because it will appear to look a greenish color when first applied. After it cures, the color disappears! You won’t be able to see that the product is there until you sprinkle the surface with water to unlock the amazing water repellency within the cellulose. The initial green appearance is a result of the copper 8 quinolinolate that sinks into the wood to prevent rot, decay and termite activity. Use clear Q8 if the integrity of the wood (rather than the color of the wood) is your focus. Over time, the appearance of the wood will resemble the beautiful patina of greyed driftwood. Use Natural Base (01) if you want a little wood tone color added to the appearance to fight off the UV rays of the sun. Select one of our other pre-tints if you want more or different color tones for your wood.

Tricky question – complicated by the fact that the angle grinders could set up mill glaze which if left will inhibit penetration of the Q8. We don’t want to kill any fish with detergents. Check the labels carefully before mixing detergents with lake water to dissolve mill glaze that can result from your angle grinder. Keep in mind that the grinding residue from the coating that you are sanding off might be harmful to some species also and that IF THE WOOD IS PRESSURE TREATED beneath the coating, some of it will come off as well and contaminant the lake with micronized copper, CCA or other. Caution should be exercised to vacuum (if possible) the grinding residue or sweep it up – bag and dispose of it rather than just letting it migrate into the water. After this, treat the surface with a suitable (safe for fish) detergent and pond water, rinse with more pond water and let the wood dry. Perform a “water droplet test”. If the water drop readily soaks into the wood, so will the Q8.

Thanks for asking! Outlast Q8 is a penetrating EPA Registered wood preservative. Unlike a surface coating that dries to form a film barrier on the surface, Q8 soaks and cures INTO the wood cell structure rather than coating the top. Typically, NEW (mill glaze free) wood accepts

Outlast Q8 Log Oil to the POINT OF REFUSAL at around 125-175 square feet per gallon depending upon the wood species. New wood can contain as much as 40% moisture at the core even if it registers less than 18% with a moisture meter at the surface. When the interior water evaporates away, more cell pocket space is available for Q8 to occupy. Oil is lighter than water, so Q8 settles into the cell structure above the water-logged interior. This process allows interior moisture to dissipate more slowly and evenly thereby reducing the RAPID moisture loss that leads to splitting and cracking of wood at the surface.

Coverage rates for OLD WEATHERED wood that is DRY might absorb at the rate of 50 square feet per gallon. A home that has been diligently maintained with Q8 over the years could only need 300 square feet per gallon. Surface coating spread rates are measured by 2 dimensions and the spread rate for Q8 has an unknown 3rd dimensional calculation to adjust for. Always apply the product to the point of refusal.