NovaSeal

Wood must be correctly prepared to let NovaSeal penetrate fully into the fibre. The surface must be clean, dry, and free of mildew, stains, dirt, dust, loose wood fibre and any other contaminant. Weathered wood must be sanded or pressure washed so only clean, bright, fresh wood is visible.

The surface must be completely dry, with wood moisture content below 15%. New wood may need extra preparation to open up the grain if a sheen or mill glaze is present.

Shake or stir the container for at least a minute before opening. Apply liberally with a brush, roller, pump-up sprayer or airless sprayer. If a second coat is wanted — and it is recommended — it must go on wet-on-wet, within an hour of the first, while the surface is still damp to the touch.

Apply at temperatures above 45°F (7°C). Allow 24 hours before putting the floor back into service. Do not thin NovaSeal with water or solvents.

Coverage, single coat, as published on the NovaSeal Product Sheet: 300 to 500 SF per gallon on hardwoods, 200 to 300 SF per gallon on softwoods. Where a floor lands in that range depends on the density of the wood and how open the grain is.

The calculator below sizes orders at 400 SF per gallon on hardwood and 250 on softwood — the middle of each published range — and tells you which figure it used. Thirsty, open-grained wood at the 300 SF end takes more, so the calculator shows that number too. If you are sealing a floor you cannot easily reorder for, buy to the thirsty figure.

NovaSeal is an interior product. It is built for the inside of dry vans, enclosed trailers, cargo bodies and railcars — surfaces that are out of the weather. Do not use it on an exposed deck.

For open flatbeds, drop decks, low boys and any other trailer floor that lives in the sun and rain, use Apitong Oil instead — it carries the UV blockers and fungicide that exterior wood needs.