FAQs

Before each coating, the respective substrate should be checked and also pre-treated. If this is forgotten, nasty surprises can sometimes occur during coating or later during use.
Depending on the type of substrate (wood, metal, mineral substrates), various tests / pretreatments are required:

Wood:

  • Before coating, the surface of wood or wood-based materials should be sanded – this improves adhesion in particular.
  • Especially in outdoor areas, it is not advisable to paint directly on smooth planed wood, as this can lead to shorter renovation intervals or even to the paint peeling off.
  • The firmness of the wood substrate should also be checked in advance. If you brush your fingernail across the wood fibres and notice distinct scratches, the loose wood substance must be removed with a brass brush or other abrasive.
  • Non-adhesive and possibly brittle old coats of paint must also be removed. ADLER-Abbeizer or a hot-air dryer are suitable for this purpose.

Metal:

  • Loose and coarse rust must be removed mechanically with a wire brush or other abrasive before coating. Spots of creep rust should be ground out.
    Residual rust can be transformed using ADLER Ferroblock or ADLER Entroster-Spray.
  • It is also important to degrease the surface of metallic substrates – ADLER Entfetter is suitable for this purpose.
  • Especially for galvanised surfaces and aluminium it is also essential to sand the surface well with e.g. an abrasive fleece and degrease it at the same time.

Mineral substrate:

  • Before coating, large cracks or holes can be filled with a suitable filler. Once the filler has dried, it is advisable to sand out the filled areas and, if necessary, prime them to prevent adhesion problems.
  • Discolourations caused by e.g. water or nicotine stains should be pre-painted with Aviva Isolier-Weiß.
  • Especially when using wall and facade paints, but also for the coating of concrete floors, the absorbency and chalking of the surface should be tested beforehand.
  • By using suitable ADLER primers, chalking substrates can be reinforced or the absorbency of the substrate can be equalised.

For each of these substrates, it must be dry, clean, load-bearing, free of dust and free of "separating" substances (such as grease, wax, silicone, etc.) before coating.

In the technical data sheets you will also find detailed information on which substrates an ADLER product is suitable for and how the respective substrate should be pre-treated. Further helpful information can be found on the links below:

Check the substrate before refurbishment and detect the soft distemper

Products used

Wood in outdoor areas is exposed to natural weathering (UV light from the sun and rain or moisture) as well as other "hazards" such as fungal or insect infestation.

Wood preservatives (also called "chemical wood preservatives") are products that contain biocidal active substances that protect wood against attack by blue stain fungi, wood-destroying fungi and preventively against insect infestation.

Especially softwoods (e.g. spruce or fir) are very susceptible to fungal infestation due to their natural resistance. Preventive wood preservation can help to increase durability here.

Furthermore, there are also products which contain a so-called "film protection" – this means that the respective product or the surface coated with it is protected with a biocidal active substance against a superficial infestation from blue stain and mildew.

ADLER is aware of its high responsibility towards people and the environment, quality and, of course, legal requirements. Therefore, all ADLER wood preservatives are externally tested and approved and listed, for example, in the Austrian Wood Preservatives Register.

We recommend that you do not use any wood preservatives indoors!

Dimensionally stable components are e.g. windows and front doors made of wood.
A high wood quality must be used here and high dimensional stability is required. This is why "thick-film" paints and transparent wood finishes are also mostly used here in order to reduce the natural swelling and shrinkage of the wood to a large extent.

Non-dimensionally stable components are e.g. wooden facades, balconies, fences, carports, etc. 
These components are usually exposed to heavy weathering and the stress on the coating is also correspondingly high. Due to these conditions, only "thin-layer" coatings, e.g. wood protection finishes, should be used. This significantly reduces the risk of the coatings peeling off.

Besides these two types, there are also components with limited dimensional stability, such as garden furniture, shutters and conservatories.

Which products should be used for which application can be found in our application guide.

Basically, there are two types of coating – paints and transparent wood finishes.

Opaque coatings – usually paints – form a closed layer on the surface and completely cover the substrate. This means, for example, that the grain and texture of the wood can no longer be seen.

With a transparent coating, the respective wood finish also penetrates the wood substrate, whereby the wood is better protected – especially when exposed to the weather.
In comparison, transparent wood finishes form considerably smaller layers on the wood and are partly formulated with transparent pigments.
With transparent colours, the texture and appearance of the wood remains largely visible.

Please note that in addition to the transparent wood finish and the chosen colour, the quantity of the product applied, the appearance and the texture of the wood have a significant influence on the final colour of the surfaces.

In the case of painted surfaces, the paint forms a cross-linked layer on the respective substrate. This layer protects the substrate from mechanical and/or chemical influences.

Very natural and open-pored surfaces can be achieved with oils or waxes. However, oiled or waxed surfaces do not form a continuous layer on the surface, but saturate the wood pores. As a result, oiled surfaces are also less durable or resistant to external influences.

The most important advantages and disadvantages of the respective surfaces can be found quickly in this table:

Painted wood surface Oiled wood surface
+ low maintenance effort - higher maintenance effort
+ very robust + very natural look and feel
- very large amount of repair work in case of major damage (coarse scratches, stains) + dirt, scratches, etc. can be very easily removed and repaired by yourself

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