How to care for wooden beams

Marseille soap, white vinegar, and cooked and raw linseed oil. When are chemicals needed?

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Houses with wooden beams always have a special charm. And this isn't just true for farmhouses and cottages in the countryside or in the mountains, where wood is usually the original load-bearing material for ceilings and roofs, but also for attics and lofts in cities, or period homes in historic centers. Even more modern buildings, following green building techniques, use laminated wood beams for the load-bearing structure.

 
Wooden beams have two essential functions: functionality and aesthetics. From a functional standpoint, they support the weight of the roof and transfer it to the perimeter walls, ensuring the house is perfectly safe. Furthermore, wood is a insulating natural, which helps retain heat in winter (in fact, beams are widely used in mountain homes) and reduces the echo of noise in the various rooms. At the same time, it has excellent resistance and elasticity, which makes it particularly useful for earthquake protection (in Japan it remains the primary material used in construction). Aesthetically, the textures and colors of wood make it the perfect material to add warmth to a room. At the same time, if the beams are left exposed, they draw the eye upward and create a sense of spaciousness. The room appears larger with wooden beams.

How are they treated?

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Wooden beams need to be well looked after to protect them from two threats: woodworms and humidity. The first thing to do is to remove dust continuously: you can do this very easily with a small vacuum cleaner, a brush or a damp cloth. Never use bleach or ammonia which risk irreparably damaging the wooden beams.. Furthermore, it is advisable to carry out an annual check, even if only visual, to check for traces of humidity, insects, and possible cracks.

Natural products

For a weekly cleansing, even deeper, always choose natural products:
  • Marseille soap or liquid black soap. They dissolve well in warm water and clean the wood effectively, without damaging it. Use a well-wrung-out cloth to avoid moisture buildup.
  • White vinegar and olive oil. Not only that, when used in equal parts, they remove surface dirt and moisturize the wood, making it less dull and brighter. Exposed beams become more beautiful to the eye.
  • Cooked or raw linseed oil. With this natural treatment, one of the most popular for caring for wooden beams, you can effectively hydrate them while protecting the surface from natural aging.
  • Virgin beeswax. Perfect for finishing, it seals the wood's pores, imparts a warm, satin sheen, and protects the surface from wear and tear. It's often applied after linseed oil.
  • Tung oil.  A pure vegetable oil that offers even stronger water-repellent protection than linseed oil, leaving a natural, matte finish.
  • Cedarwood, lavender, or garlic essential oil. Woodlice hate these pungent odors. Massage oils for wood can be mixed together as a preventative repellent.

When chemicals are needed

There are cases where the use of chemicals to save your wooden beams becomes indispensable. For example, when they are affected by a very deep infestation of woodworms and termites, or when there are evident signs of fungal rot. The same applies when weather events have created severe humidity levels, such as water or excessive sun.
Liquid chemical woodworm killers are permethrin-based and penetrate deep into the wood, removing insects and eggs. They are inserted with a special syringe. For weather-resistant products, solvent-based chemicals contain UV filters and biocides that seal the wood and protect it for 3 to 5 years.

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