All surfaces should be clean and dry. If it has been previously coated, loose, flaking paint should be stripped back to bare wood. Test a small area first for colour and adhesion.

MINIMUM OF 2 COATS REQUIRED. SUBSEQUENT COATS MUST BE APPLIED ON THE SAME DAY NO LONGER THAN 8 HOURS APART. IF NOT POSSIBLE, LIGHTLY SAND DOWN SURFACES BEFORE RECOAT TO ENSURE ADHESION.

Apply in dry conditions, above 5 degrees Celsius and when bad weather is not forecast, minimum of 2 coats required. The final colour will vary depending on the surface and number of coats. If adhesion is inadequate on previous coatings, lightly sand before application. Make sure wood has been pre treated with appropriate wood preserver to prevent wood and decay.

Use a suitable primer before painting if applying on resinous timber to protect from tannin staining particularly in lighter colours.

Coverage per 1L:

• Smooth planed wood
  • Brush: 10-12m²
  • Spray: 4-5m²

• Rough sawn wood
  • Brush: 3-5m²
  • Spray: 2-3m²

Coverage can vary depending on application method and the condition and type of surface.

Brush:
Stir thoroughly, before and during use. Brush on product, evenly, along the grain.

Spray:

Stir thoroughly before pouring contents into the Cuprinol sprayer. Refer to the Sprayer user guide for full instructions before every use. Cover any nearby surfaces in case of overspray. Any overspray should be cleaned up immediately (whilst still wet) with water and household detergent.

Cuprinol Garden Shades will be touch dry in 1 hour under normal weather conditions. On areas subject to wear, such as garden furniture, allow a few days before heavy use or contact with soft furnishings.

Reseal can after use. Clean up spills while still wet. After use, remove as much product as possible from brushes before cleaning with water. Do not store or use in extremes of temperature and protect from frost.

Surfaces painted with Cuprinol Garden Shades can be cleaned at regular intervals with a dampened, lint-free cloth or Cuprinol Garden Furniture Cleaner.

I have purchased Garden Shades and it seems extremely runny and watery. Is this right?

Garden Shades is a relatively thin and slack product by design. It is free-flowing to enable a smooth finish that gets into all the gaps and allows the profile of the wood to be a maintained. As its sprayable, it also needs to be of low viscosity and will be runnier than other traditional paints. This is not a fault. The product will still achieve good opacity in 2 coats over a similar colour, although deeper colours may require a third coat.

As Garden Shades often goes on directly to the wood, without a primer, sometimes it will soak deep into the wood and this can create the need for a third coat. This may be noticeable with rougher woods, open end grains or indeed deep colours. If wood has been exposed and dried out for a long period of time, this may also draw the more of the product away from the surface and into the wood structure.

Be mindful that it is waxed-enriched and that once these waxes are dried, they act to repel liquids, which would include an additional coats. Don't try to coat the whole project with one coat before getting onto the next coat. Instead it is better to paint sections in in time chunks of 2-4 hours.

To avoid difficulties it is good practice to acknowledge how much time you can commit to a project in one straight run and not to attempt too much; Divide the task into hourly chunks and paint the first coat on a section of the project, perhaps one or two sides of the shed. Before moving onto the next phase, go back over what you have just done with the next coat before moving on to the next phase. If you can see any area's that might want an extra coat, get that done before starting another whole phase. This little bit of time planning can ensure you get the look you want, first time, every time.

I have used Garden Shades and it has gone on my brickwork, how can I remove it?

Garden Shades is a water based product, so an application of water and detergent should provisionally be used. If this has been done without success you could cover the area in sodium bicarbonate and leave for 20 mins and then scrub with a brush and warm water. This should make the stain disperse. You must remember that this surface is very porous so a number of applications might be needed.

I applied Garden Shades on my bench and after a few months, I can see some brown staining. What is that?

This appears to be the tannins bleeding through the wood. Tannins are chemicals found in tree sap that can stain your wood. They are particularly found in resinous woods which are a category of timber that contains high amounts of resin. Some timbers intentionally use naturally resinous woods for increased durability. Common examples of resinous woods include Pine, Fir, Larch, Cedar and Spruce. The best way to avoid this from happening is to prime your wood before painting with a suitable primer that has stain blocking properties to ensure resistance to the tannins.