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The CUTEK® system is simple to understand and easy to use:
Step 1 > Prepare – clean and enhance your wood by preparing it for coating
Step 2 > Protect – powerfully protect your wood for the long-term
Need help? Our expert team is on-hand to provide technical support and clear, easy to understand, practical instruction and advice. Simply call 1-833-MY-CUTEK (1-833-69-28835).
Have a question about CUTEK® products, wood, or do you just need some helpful advice on your project? Explore our resources here or contact us.
At CUTEK®, we are dedicated to producing high-quality products that deliver exceptional performance while prioritizing safety when used as directed. As with any chemical product, it is important to avoid direct contact with skin and eyes, and to prevent ingestion and inhalation.
Some CUTEK® oil formulations contain a minimal amount of active ingredients designed to protect wood from biological degradation. These biocides are safe when applied to wood in built environments and present no/minimal hazard in normal use. However, burning CUTEK® oil-coated wood can release a small amount of toxic smoke. While this risk is minimal, we advise against burning CUTEK®-coated wood to avoid potential inhalation injuries that could occur from the fumes.
CUTEK® is the trusted choice of design and construction professionals to powerfully protect wood. While CUTEK® products are manufactured to the highest standard, we are unable to offer any specific performance warranties (including for color retention) because of the wide variation of possible applications for CUTEK® products.
These variables include but are not limited to: the age and porosity of the wood, species, situation, design and structure, aspect, differing exposure to the weather and adequacy of preparation. We always recommend testing our products prior to application.
CUTEK® will not accept liability for:
Always use a Pre-Mixed Sample, or contact our friendly team for advice, to determine if CUTEK® is right for your project.
The color and grain of wood can vary significantly. Wood coated with clear and/or Colortoned CUTEK® Extreme can fade, wear/erode, and weather at different rates when exposed to the weather.
CUTEK® is unable to offer any specific performance warranties in relation to color 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.
Specially formulated CUTEK® Colortones are available to mix with clear CUTEK® Extreme. This will help keep a freshly oiled look for longer while delaying silvering and maintaining the natural character of the wood.
To maintain the wood’s natural color for longer, choose a CUTEK® Colortone similar to the natural color of the wood. Suggested CUTEK® Colortones that match the natural hue of your wood can be found on our Colortone page. Colortones can also help alter your wood color if required (e.g. make your wood look lighter or darker than its natural state).
When choosing from the range of Colortones, allow for the Colortone you select to naturally lighten, slightly, during the first three to eight months after application, as natural weathering and leaching occurs.
Make sure to use a Pre-Mixed Sample to see if CUTEK® is right for your project.
New wood is milled smooth and often has a mill glaze which will greatly restrict the initial color adhesion. Better results can be achieved by preparing your wood for coating using CUTEK® Wood Reviver and removing with a pressure washer. This will clean your wood and open the grain for the Colortoned CUTEK® Extreme.
Alternatively, greater color intensity and durability can be achieved by mixing in double the recommended CUTEK® Colortone for the can size. This will apply more pigment to the wood surface and increase the UV protection of your wood.
Color will last longer on rusticated, or band sawn wood, and may be maximized by including the Colortone in all subsequent applications of CUTEK® Extreme. If your CUTEK® Colortoned wood has faded over time, wash the wood with CUTEK® Quickclean or CUTEK® Wood Reviver and apply a single coat of Colortoned CUTEK® Extreme to restore the original look of the protected wood.
Wood that has weathered and grayed can be easily brought back to its original appearance by using CUTEK® Wood Reviver.
Use ONLY CUTEK® Colortones with CUTEK® Extreme. These are proprietary products designed to work together and are also not compatible with any third-party product.
CUTEK® does not permit or endorse the use of CUTEK® Colortones in any other third-party products.
While we make every effort to ensure consistency of CUTEK® colored products, it is possible there may be an occasional color variation between made up product and Pre-Mixed Samples supplied. This may be due to a variety of variables including but not limited to: differences in Pre-Mixed Sample/Colortone storage times, transport and storage conditions, human error and/or variations in raw materials.
It is the sole responsibility of the applicator to ensure the actual color being applied is suitable for the intended purpose. CUTEK® does not accept any liability for the application of any incorrect color to any substrate for any reason. If you discover a variation or have any doubts about the accuracy of a colored product, please contact us for advice and assistance.
Before applying CUTEK® Extreme, it is important that your wood is clean, non-greasy and dry with a moisture content of less than 17% and a moisture gradient of less than 1%.
Do not apply CUTEK® Extreme to exterior wood if it is likely to rain within 48 hours of applying.
CUTEK® Extreme can be applied in temperatures as low as 40° F, however, cold temperatures may increase the viscosity of the oil, which can slow down rate of diffusion (drying time). Keep the CUTEK® Extreme ready to apply by storing the oil in a warm place until you start your project.
Because CUTEK® Extreme dries by diffusing into the wood, applying a second coat too quickly after the first coat, especially in cold weather will significantly delay the drying process. If this inadvertently occurs, remove excess oil from the surface with a rag. This will help the surface dry faster.
You may delay the second coat of CUTEK® Extreme for up to four to six months with no detrimental effect to the efficacy of the coating.
It is very important to ensure that wood surfaces to be coated with CUTEK® Extreme are free from chemical residues and are not exposed to environmental contaminants such as dusts while the applied CUTEK® Extreme is drying. It is possible that contact with highly alkaline contaminants such as cement/fertilizer/other dusts or poorly rinsed cleaners may lead to chemical staining.
Wood that has been pre-oiled with products that contain natural/vegetable oils (e.g. linseed oil, etc.) generally cross-link to form a barrier which affects CUTEK® Extreme‘s ability to penetrate the wood. These products can also promote or accelerate unsightly mold growth on wood.
It is important that such natural/vegetable oil products are completely removed from your wood PRIOR to application of CUTEK® Extreme.
Refer to our STEP 1: Prepare products for more information on how to prepare your wood for coating with CUTEK® Extreme.
Even clean looking wood may be contaminated with mold spores that are not readily identifiable to the naked eye. If wood in this condition is coated with CUTEK® Extreme, it is possible that dark staining may occur. If this happens CUTEK® Wood Reviver may be able to rectify the situation.
CUTEK® products will not adversely affect hot dipped galvanized iron, silicon bronze, stainless steel or copper nails. Colortoned CUTEK® Extreme may lightly stain lead flashing and other substrates contacted by leachate. Make sure you adequately protect fastenings prior to coating with Colortoned CUTEK® Extreme.
CUTEK® Extreme does not stop wood from leaching but can significantly reduce it. Exterior painted or plastered surfaces, like stucco, that sit below CUTEK® protected woods may become stained by leachate from above. If this inadvertently occurs, in most cases CUTEK® Wood Reviver can remove leach/tannin stains.
Where plasterboard, plaster, drywall, sheetrock, or any other absorbent material abuts wood coated with CUTEK® Extreme it is possible that cross diffusion into the porous substrate may occur.
Please use a Pre-Mixed Sample to make sure CUTEK® is right for your project.
While CUTEK® products are safe and easy to use, always remember they are all professional grade and strength, so care must be taken to protect adjacent surfaces from inadvertent contact.
CUTEK® Extreme may stain concrete, while CUTEK® Wood Reviver, CUTEK® Quickclean, and CUTEK® Wood Stripper may dull, damage, or remove adjacent paintwork or coatings.
Acetylated wood can be finished with CUTEK®, but due to the unique nature of the acetylation process, results may vary. The treatment process can leave residual acid within the wood, which may affect how our coating interacts with the wood.
Because of this, we can’t guarantee specific results. To ensure the best outcome, we strongly recommend testing the product on a small, inconspicuous area before starting your project.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out—we’re happy to help!
Applying CUTEK® Extreme to some decorative plywood with extremely thin top veneers may cause underlying dark veneer glue lines to become visible due to the penetration of the CUTEK® Extreme, rendering the top veneer semitransparent. It is also important to be aware that plywood designed for interior use with very thin top veneer is often used against design specification in exterior situations such as soffits.
Please use a Pre-Mixed Sample to make sure CUTEK® is right for your project.
When CUTEK® Extreme is applied properly, it diffuses deeply into the wood and displaces moisture. This reduction in moisture content may loosen some knots, particularly in very knotty woods.
CUTEK® products are not suitable for use on food preparation surfaces.
Wood surfaces coated with CUTEK® Extreme may show splash or spilling marks if contacted with chemically staining products such as wine, cleaner contaminated water, or strong chemicals. At risk areas include outdoor kitchens, and spa & pool areas. If chemical staining occurs, CUTEK® Quickclean may be helpful in removing the stains.
Contact our friendly staff or use a pre-mixed sample to make sure CUTEK® is right for your project.
CUTEK® products have been successfully used on wooden joinery for decades. It is important to note that many silicones and rubber-based adhesives have poor oil and solvent resistance and are incompatible with CUTEK® Extreme. We recommend polyurethane or flouro-silicone technology as a starting point for adhesive evaluation for use with CUTEK® Extreme. At all times, careful testing of glues and adhesives used in joinery manufacture should be undertaken to ensure compatibility with CUTEK® Extreme prior to use.
Contact us, or use a Pre-Mixed Sample, to make sure CUTEK® Extreme is right for your project.
CUTEK® Extreme will dissolve rubber-based glues and adhesives, and will affect Butynol and rubber surfaces if not wiped off soon after contact is made. It also may affect some silicones in a similar fashion.
When CUTEK® Extreme is applied to wooden shingles, it does not normally affect the Butynol underlay. Wood protected with CUTEK® Extreme can become stained if it is in constant contact with bituminous type materials.
Contact us, or use a Pre-Mixed Sample, to make sure CUTEK® Extreme is right for your project.
If the wood being coated is on a garage door and the glue holding the wood to the frame is a rubber-based adhesive (or you are uncertain), run a bead of adhesion sealer along the back of the door where the wood meets the frame. This will ensure the wood remains intact if CUTEK® Extreme comes in contact with the adhesive.
The CUTEK® product range is designed to protect wood by increasing its dimensional stability and service life. However, it is in no way intended to replace licensed wood treatment processes.