Lifetime Wood Treatment
Through the process of designing and builiding a tiny home with local builders Nanostead, I discovered the virtues of the amazing non-toxic Lifetime Wood Treatment. We were looking for a sustainable way to seal the rough-sawn pine siding for the home (pictured below), which was purchased at my favorite lumber mill in the area, D.T. Ramsey Lumber Company. It was from them that we learned about Lifetime.
This wood treatment is entirely non-toxic, meaning that it is friendly to plants, animals and people (aka the planet). It can be used in direct contact with garden soil, and is ideal for building raised garden beds, fence posts, compost bins, chicken coops, beehives and more. It solves a huge concern over using toxic chemicals in the construction of places where we grow our food and elsewhere. The possibilities and applications of this wood treatment product are endless.
** above photo courtesy of Max Cooper
The treatment is easy to apply and starts working immediately. You'll quickly see your wood change in color and tone, and it will continue to age beautifully over time, enhancing the natural qualities of the wood, all the while protecting it from rot without having to apply it again, ever! They say it lasts a 'lifetime' and while the product has only been in use for about 60 years, so far it's held up to the claims. In the case of the pine siding on the tiny home, it turned from yellow to a rich brown-red tone in just days -- most people assume it is made from cedar. The results will vary depending on the type of wood you apply the treatment to, environmental conditions such as rain and sun exposure, and how much time has passed.
Most recently I used this product to treat a restored vintage bier garden table + bench set that I found on sale at Oddfellows Antiques. The paint was worn and chipping off, so I sanded each piece with a palm sander until I reached the open pores of the wood. Then I simply started painting Lifetime onto the wood using a paint brush. The picture below shows an untreated bench aside one that was just treated, and the table a few hours earlier. Note how the table is already turning a subtle warm grey.
Another great feature of this product is that it is affordable and indefinitely shelf stable. It comes in a powder form that you simply add water to, in packages that will make either a 1-gallon or 5-gallon supply. For this project, I only needed about 1 quart to cover the wood, so I mixed up 1/4 of a 1-gallon package, saving the other 3/4 of it for another project down the road. In terms of cost, that translates to a mere $6 spent on this project!!
Lastly here is a video showing the application process. It is so simple and pleasant to use (no nasty smells or mess to clean up), it is almost hard to believe that it works. But based on personal use and reviews I have read (the Canadian government uses it for their outdoor wooden signs in national parks), it lives up to the claims of preserving wood for a lifetime.