CUTEK® Colourtones

Understanding Colourtones

It’s important to understand that CUTEK® is a unique penetrating oil system designed to enhance the natural colour and grain of wood. CUTEK® Extreme CD50 is sold as a clear oil which can be used to protect the timber from moisture and moisture related movement such as cupping, warping and splitting. Using just the clear oil will protect the wood, providing stability and structural integrity while allowing it to naturally lighten to produce a silver weathered patina over time. The soft natural lightening and silvering of the wood represents a low care option and is becoming an increasingly popular way to leave wood in weather exposed settings.

Wood projects using clear CUTEK® oil that have silvered can easily be returned back to the wood’s original colour using CUTEK® Restore and high pressure washing followed by further applications of CUTEK® Extreme CD50 clear oil.

However, if you desire to maintain the original colour of the ‘freshly oiled’ wood then you need to purchase a Colourtone to add to clear CUTEK® Extreme CD50. It is important that the colourtone that you choose is suited to your selected wood as it should further enhance the natural colour and grain and help to maintain its “natural” colour over a longer period of time.

Please note: CUTEK® is unable to offer any specific performance warranties in relation to colour retention for CUTEK® products because of many variables related to the weathering process, including but not limited to: the age and porosity of the wood, species, situation, design and structure, aspect, differing exposure to the weather, method of application and adequacy of preparation.

What to expect when using colourtone

Most wood care products on the market leave a build up of material on the surface of the wood. In the short term this provides more colour, but in the long term the finish can be prone to peeling and flaking, which requires time and money to repair.

The CUTEK® system is unique because colour is designed to fade slowly over time rather than peel or flake. New smooth timber that’s exposed fully to the weather will lighten faster over the first six months after installation than older, rougher timbers over the same time period. A follow up application of CUTEK® Colourtoned oil after the initial six months weathering period will provide much greater Colourtone build and durability as the wood becomes rougher and more absorbent of pigment over time.

How to increase colour build on new wood

New wood is milled smooth and often has a mill glaze which will greatly restrict the initial colour build of any pigment. Better results can be achieved by creating a rougher surface and preparing the wood using CUTEK® Restore in combination with a high pressure washer. Sanding the new wood to 80 grit will give even better results as it removes mill glaze and creates a much rougher surface which will enable higher colour build. Note…The rougher the surface of the wood, the greater the colour build and durability. Rough sawn or heavy brushed wood profiles will take more oil and colour so much bolder colour contrast can be achieved. The amount of mill glaze if any that is present on any job can vary significantly depending on species density, and machining method used.

Note: sanded surfaces should be vacuumed or washed thoroughly to remove all loose wood and dust.

Selecting the right CUTEK® Colourtone

Our CUTEK® Colourtone system is formulated to enhance your original wood colour or to modify it to suit your design specifications. With this in mind, you need to think about what look you are trying to achieve, and then select the colour that best suits your timber type as well as your design aesthetic. If you are not sure about how a Colourtone will look on your specific timber, make sure you use a free sample on your actual project timber to make sure that the Colourtone you have selected will meet your design expectations.

If you are trying to match your wood’s natural colour and keep it looking natural for longer, here are some things to think about:

What is the natural hue of your timber? Is it more Golden, or Brown, or Red, or a combination? Is it a pale tone, or is it quite a vibrant colour naturally? We have multiple colourtones available in each natural wood hue (brown/gold/red/grey), but each has a different pigment combination and colour saturation that will make a difference to how it will look on various timber types.

Here are a few common examples to help you understand:

Black Butt and Silver Top Ash: Naturally a light toned timber so choosing someting like Rustic Gold would be a good choice

Spotted Gum: Wood can vary from light/creamy to brown and greys. Colourtones like Rustic Gold and Sela Brown will all look similar on new smooth wood.

Merbau and Red Iron Bark: Naturally a very red and brown timber, so Autumntone, New Bronzetone, Merbau or Burnt Red will all look very similar on smooth wood.

Forest Reds and Jarrah: These are red toned timbers so Autumntone, New Bronzetone and Burnt Red are all close options and will look similar on smooth wood.

For a good idea of what a Colourtone could look like on your timber type, use our Colourtone Visualiser above. While the visualiser will give an indication of the potential look, it is essential to test a free sample on the exact timber you intend to coat.

Changing the original colour of any wood

For horizontal walk on surfaces such as decking, we recommend you select a CUTEK® Colourtone that is the closest match to the wood you have selected, rather than attempt to change the colour. You can talk to any of our stockists for advice.

For cladding and screening, a much higher build of colour can be achieved which can completely change the original tone of the wood. Even very light wood coloured species can become an almost solid Black, Grey, Red, Brown or Gold if the wood surface is suitably rough and more coats or a higher pigment loading has been added.

In some circumstances you can double your CUTEK® Colourtone to achieve bolder effects on rough or brushed wood. We advise that you contact us to discuss this option in more detail as we want to ensure you have the best information possible.

NOTE: We recommend ordering a free sample testpot to see what your chosen CUTEK® Colourtone will look like on your specific timber PRIOR to starting your project.

One CUTEK® colourtone size can be used in all pack sizes as follows:

• 1 x 180 ml CUTEK® Colourtone pot is required for a 5 litre can of CUTEK® oil.
• 2 x 180 ml CUTEK® Colourtone pots per 10 litre can of CUTEK® oil.
• 4 x 180 ml CUTEK® Colourtone pots per 20 litre can of CUTEK® oil

Stir and mix the CUTEK® Colourtone well before adding into the clear oil. Continue to stir well with a flat stirrer, lifting from the bottom, for about 2 minutes before use and give a quick stir about every 15 minutes during use to ensure even results.

For best results, one coat of clear CUTEK® oil should be applied to all faces of the wood prior to installing, with a second and third coat of colourtoned CUTEK® oil applied to the top surface once the first coat is completely dry. Two or three thin coats on finished wood and hardwoods are better than one or two thick coats. CUTEK® oils will take longer to absorb/penetrate into dense hardwoods so thin coats are best so as to avoid delayed drying of the oil.

NOTE: 1L CUTEK® Colourtones are available by special order. Our standard 180ml CUTEK® Colourtone is not suitable for a 1 litre can of CUTEK® oil.

Colourtoned CUTEK® oil will lighten/fade faster in full weather exposed areas whereas wood in protected areas will retain colour with minimal maintenance over time.

CUTEK® is designed to gradually fade over time rather than peel, split or crack.  Rejuvenation of faded timbers coated with CUTEK® oils is a simple, fast and cost-effective process.

Clear or Colourtoned CUTEK® oil should be reapplied as frequently as necessary to retain the natural beauty and colour of the wood. Assessment of this is subjective and it is important to realise that colour durability varies widely according to many factors including the age and porosity of the wood, species, situation, exposure to the weather and how rough the wood surface is.

Typically, horizontal exterior wood surfaces exposed to full weather such as pool decks and handrails will require re-coating more frequently (initially after 6 months, then annually), while other surfaces such as vertical rough-sawn cladding will need recoating less often.

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