Metal Clad Exterior

Metal clad exteriors do not require further finishing.

Wood Surfaces

All exposed wood surfaces including, but not limited to, edges of stiles and rails must be finished.

Factory Primed Exterior

• Loewen products with a primed exterior need to be painted within 14 (fourteen) days after installation or exposure to the environment. (Example: UV, dryness, moisture and dirt)
• The surface must be prepared by cleaning off any dust, dirt or construction debris. Using 180-220 grit sandpaper (avoid using silicon carbide types) lightly but thoroughly sand all surfaces to be painted. Do not use steel wool as fibers can cause discoloration of the final finish.
• Fill and repair any fastener or handling damage with high quality exterior grade sealant containing mold and fungus resistant properties. (Avoid using silicone types.)
• Wipe surfaces clean of sanding dust using a tack cloth. Touch up surface with a high quality latex primer where preparation has exposed bare wood.
• Mask off all glass surfaces leaving a 1/16″ (1.5mm) space of glass between the mask and surface to be painted. This will allow a proper seal to form over the surface.
• Loewen recommends a high quality exterior grade latex paint – 100% acrylic or acrylic/urethane latex. The use of alkyd paints is not recommended because they grow brittle with age. Oil based paints are also not recommended as they are less durable and have lower color retention.
• Follow the instructions on the label of the paint container. Loewen recommends that the manufacturer’s suggestions regarding conditions and methods be followed. Adhere to drying time recommendations.
• Ensure the finish does not contact surfaces such as weatherstripping, hardware, vinyl, sealant or any other unintended surfaces as their performance may be affected.
• It may be necessary to apply a second coat to ensure durability and proper coverage. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Ensure all surfaces are finished.

Bare Wood Exterior

You may have chosen to purchase Loewen products with an unprimed exterior. Follow all manufacturer recommendations when applying a high quality finish to bare wood exterior surface.

It is necessary for the bare wood to receive protection from the elements. (Example: UV, dryness, moisture, and dirt) Loewen strongly recommends that exterior bare wood surfaces be finished before installation.

Exterior Staining

• Before staining the exterior of your product, the use of a high quality pre-stain conditioner is recommended (but optional). Preconditioner helps build a finish to more depth and helps to prevent blotching. Preconditioner helps to control raised grain and promotes the uniform acceptance of stain. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for application of a preconditioner.
• Preconditioner tends to reduce the contrast in varying grain colors. A more highly defined grain appearance will result if the preconditioner is eliminated. Testing both finishes on the hidden face of side jambs is one way to preview the differences in finish.
• The surface must be prepared by cleaning off any dust, dirt or construction debris. Using 180-220 grit sandpaper (avoid using silicon carbide types) lightly but thoroughly sand all surfaces to be painted. Do not use steel wool as fibers can cause discoloration of the final finish.
• Wipe surfaces clean of sanding dust using a tack cloth.
• Mask off all glass surfaces leaving a 1/16″ (1.5mm) space of glass between the mask and surface to be finished. This will allow a proper seal to form over the surface.
• Loewen recommends a high quality grade stain with UV sunblock.
• Follow the instructions on the label of the stain container. Loewen recommends that the manufacturer’s suggestions regarding conditions and methods to be followed. Adhere to drying time recommendations.
• Ensure the stain does not contact surfaces such as weatherstripping, hardware, vinyl, sealant or any other unintended surface as their performance may be affected.
• Loewen recommends that all bare wood surfaces be finished.
• It is necessary to apply a second and possibly third coat to ensure durability and proper coverage. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Loewen does not recommend the use of finishes that allow water and/or water vapor to penetrate the wood. Some of these finishes include penetrating oils such as Tung and Danish oil.
• Loewen recommends the use of two or three coats of high quality exterior grade Spar or Marine Urethane on stained surfaces.
• Follow the instructions on the label of the container. Loewen recommends that the manufacturer’s suggestions regarding conditions and methods to be followed. Adhere to drying time recommendations.

Wood Surfaces

All exposed wood surfaces including, but not limited to, edges of stiles and rails must be finished.

Bare Wood Interior

You may have chosen to purchase Loewen products with an unprimed interior. Follow all manufacturer recommendations when applying a high quality finish to bare wood interior surface.

It is necessary for the bare wood to receive protection from the elements. (Example: UV, dryness, moisture, and dirt) Loewen strongly recommends that bare wood surfaces be finished before installation.

• Before staining the interior of your Loewen product, the use of a high quality pre-stain conditioner is recommended (but optional).
• Preconditioner helps build a finish to more depth and helps to prevent blotching. Preconditioner helps to control raised grain and promotes the uniform acceptance of stain. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for application of a preconditioner.
  Preconditioner tends to reduce the contrast in varying grain colours. A more highly defined grain appearance will result if the preconditioner is eliminated. Testing both finishes on the hidden face of side jambs is one way to preview the differences in finish.
• The surface must be prepared by cleaning off any dust, dirt or construction debris. Using 180-220 grit sandpaper (avoid using silicon carbide types) lightly but thoroughly sand all surfaces to be painted. Do not use steel wool as fibers can cause discoloration of the final finish.
• Wipe surfaces clean of sanding dust using a tack cloth.
• Mask off all glass surfaces leaving a 1/16″ (1.5mm) space of glass between the mask and surface to be finished. This will allow a proper seal to form over the surface.
• Loewen recommends that all bare wood surfaces be finished with a high quality grade stain.
• Follow the instructions on the label of the stain container. Loewen recommends that the manufacturer’s suggestions regarding conditions and methods to be followed. Adhere to drying time recommendations.
• Ensure the stain does not contact surfaces such as weatherstrip, hardware, vinyl, sealant or any other unintended surface as their performance may be affected.
• It is necessary to apply a second and possibly third coat to ensure durability and proper coverage. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Loewen does not recommend the use of finishes that may allow water and/or water vapor to penetrate the wood. Some of these finishes include penetrating oils such as Tung and Danish oil.
• Loewen also recommends the use of two or three coats of high quality grade Spar or Marine Urethane on stained surfaces.
• Follow the instructions on the label of the container. Loewen recommends that the manufacturer’s suggestions regarding conditions and methods to be followed. Adhere to drying time recommendations.

Factory Primed Interior

• Products with a primed interior need to be painted immediately after installation.
• The surface must be prepared by cleaning off any dust, dirt or construction debris. Using 180-220 grit sandpaper (avoid using silicon carbide types) lightly but thoroughly sand all surfaces to be painted. Do not use steel wool as fibers can cause discoloration of the final finish.
• Fill and repair any fastener or handling damage with high quality grade sealant containing mold and fungus resistant properties. (Avoid using silicone types)
• Wipe surfaces clean of sanding dust using a tack cloth. Touch up surface with a high quality latex primer where preparation has exposed bare wood.
• Mask off all glass surfaces leaving a 1/16″ (1.5mm) space of glass between the mask and surface to be painted. This will allow a proper seal to form over the surface.
• Loewen recommends a high quality interior grade latex paint – 100% acrylic or acrylic/urethane latex. The use of alkyd paints is not recommended because they grow brittle with age. Oil based paints are also not recommended as they are less durable and have poor color retention.
• Follow the instructions on the label of the paint container. Loewen recommends that the manufacturer’s suggestions regarding conditions and methods be followed. Adhere to drying time recommendations.
• It may be necessary to apply a second topcoat to ensure durability and proper coverage. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Ensure all surfaces are finished.
• Ensure the finish does not contact surfaces such as weatherstripping, hardware, vinyl, sealant or any other unintended surfaces as their performance may be affected