What is Impregnation?
Wood is a material that adds a different look to homes and instantly naturalizes the environment. Accessories that those who seek naturalness in their homes cannot give up are usually wooden products. Wooden products constitute an important part of decoration. No matter how much technology changes, innovations enter our lives every day, new models and brands add color to our lives, it is difficult to give up some classics. When it comes to classics, one of the first products that comes to mind is undoubtedly wooden products. Wood is a natural material type. Although it adds a completely different beauty to the atmosphere of the home or environment, its existing disadvantages are also thought-provoking. The first things that come to mind are of course decay, fungus and insect infestation. When the material is natural, there is always a possibility of insect infestation. There are several ways to deal with such problems. If the wooden appearance is important to you, you can also prefer products made of other materials with a wooden appearance. For example, you can benefit from wooden composite deck products. These products are obtained with sawdust and some chemical substances obtained from carpentry shops. They are much more durable and resistant than wooden materials. Wood composite deck material provides benefits in many ways. These products are particularly resistant to abrasion, decay and insect infestation. For this reason, it has a much more durable structure compared to wood products. It is resistant to external factors such as moisture, water and the like. It does not absorb water, thus preventing water from passing through the wood fibers in its composition. It is possible to shape wood composite deck material easily. Tools, machines and similar systems used for trees can also be used for wood composite deck. All machines required for cutting or processing a tree can also be used to cut or shape wood composite deck products. If your aim is only to achieve a wooden appearance, you can prefer products made of wood composite deck material. However, if you definitely want it to be wood, then you need to take some precautions against decay, insect infestation and fungus so that its service life is long. This is where the impregnation process comes into play. Today, we will share information with you about the impregnation process. First, let's briefly talk about what impregnation is.
What is impregnation, briefly…
Let's continue with a brief definition of what impregnation means. Impregnation is a type of preservative that is used on surfaces such as wood, metal, brick, stone, marble, concrete and similar with special chemicals it contains and penetrates into the surface. Wood is a natural material. Untreated wood can be invaded by insects after a while and can wear out, deteriorate and complete its lifespan. In addition, wood is not resistant to high humidity and its shape can be distorted. Wood material faces the risk of deterioration due to rotting mold and fungus. Direct contact with soil and water causes the wood to suffer great damage. For this reason, wood materials are mostly used indoors. It would not be right to use wood materials for outdoors because it has a structure that can be quickly affected by external factors. The impregnation process, on the other hand, helps prevent these deteriorations. It has strong chemicals and prevents the wood from being affected by such situations. In this way, wood remains durable for much longer and is more resistant to external factors. The impregnation process can be described simply as impregnating wood with chemicals. These chemicals absorbed by the wood make it stronger and protect it especially against insects and fungi. In this way, the wood has a much longer life. Wood can be damaged by fungi, insects, worms and similar reasons over time. The impregnation process minimizes this damage. This chemical intervention applied to the wood will directly extend its life. The place where the wood will be used and the type of wood are very important during the impregnation process. Impregnation may not be possible on every wood. There are certain requirements for the application of the chemical process, therefore, impregnation cannot be applied to every wooden material.
What is the use of impregnation?
As we mentioned above, the impregnation process is a “protection” process. These chemicals that enter the wood extend its life and the wood becomes more durable. After a while, wooden materials may become infested with insects, fungi and worms. These possibilities are minimized with the impregnation process applied. The impregnation process is a process performed entirely to protect the wood. It ensures that the wood is protected with chemicals. In this way, the wood becomes more durable in harsh weather conditions and difficult environments. There is no cracking or bending in the wood after the impregnation process, so impregnation is a very correct process.
Where is the impregnation process applied?
Timber is a material used in all kinds of construction work. In addition, it can be used both indoors and outdoors. The impregnation process can be used in almost every construction work and fine workmanship. In this way, the product made is used for years. Impregnation also provides resistance to water and soil. Impregnation provides water-repellent properties in products such as walls, stones, concrete, marble, bricks and the like. It also protects these products and makes them resistant. It does not harm the natural appearance of the wood. In other words, there is no cracking, bending or deterioration in the wood after the impregnation process. Special wood impregnation should be used for wooden products. Stone impregnation can also be used for products such as stones, walls, concrete, ceramics and the like. In other words, the impregnation material to be used will also differ depending on the type of material to be used.
What are the types of impregnation?
There are special impregnation productions for different surfaces and materials. There are impregnations designed for different materials such as wood impregnation, stone impregnation, metal impregnation. Wood impregnation is the most well-known type of impregnation. In order for wood impregnation to be performed, there should be no paint or varnish on the wood. The wood should be completely natural so that wood impregnation can be performed. Impregnation cannot be applied to processed wood because the purpose here is for the wood to absorb the chemical. Processed wood cannot absorb the chemical, therefore impregnation cannot be applied. Wood that has been protected by impregnation is called impregnated wood. The purpose here is to protect the tree from the inside and make it resistant to all kinds of conditions. Wood impregnation also penetrates into the wood and closes the pores, thus protecting the tree against problems such as worms and insects. Metal impregnation is for metal and its derivatives. It creates a transparent protective layer on the surface. In this way, the metal becomes resistant to harsh weather and conditions. It would be correct to say that it is a kind of protective varnish for metal impregnation. It surrounds the metal with a protective shield, thus protecting the metal against negative external factors. There is also stone impregnation. This impregnation method is a natural stone protector.
How is impregnation done? What are the types of impregnation?
The impregnation process can be done with different methods. Three different methods can be used for this process. The impregnation process can be carried out by brushing, dipping or vacuum pressure method. In impregnation done by brushing, the tree is painted with a brush and the chemical is absorbed all over the tree. This process can also be done with a cloth, but support is commonly obtained from the brush. After the entire tree has absorbed the chemical, the impregnation process is completed and the wood becomes much more durable. Another method is the dipping method. Here, support is obtained from a large cauldron. The woods to be impregnated are placed in the cauldron. Then the cauldron is filled with chemical medicine so that it covers the woods. This is called the dipping method. Another impregnation method is the vacuum pressure method. Here, the woods to be impregnated are taken into a pressurized vacuum cauldron. Vacuum is applied here and the air inside the wood is removed. In this way, the impregnation process is carried out with vacuum pressure. The impregnation process will also vary depending on the type of material to be used. Therefore, it is important to use the right impregnation product for each material.
How to make impregnation at home?
The simplest way to impregnate at home is to use ready-made impregnations. If a wooden material is to be impregnated, you can dip the wood into a container full of impregnation and use a brush to apply the impregnation to the wood. If you want it to be more resistant to weather conditions after impregnation, you can also apply varnish. While impregnation prevents the wood from rotting from the inside, the varnish to be applied on it will protect it from external factors. It is easy to impregnate at home, and impregnation can be carried out at home by getting support from ready-made impregnation materials.
