Safer Exterior Wood Finishes

Reader Contribution by Vicki Mattern
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Can you suggest a nontoxic, protective wood finish for the unfinished exterior of my wood-sided home?

Several lines of wood finishes protect exterior siding, decks and fences from water and sunlight damage without the toxic solvents or heavy-metal drying agents found in many commercial wood protectors.

Architect Paula Baker-Laporte, president of EcoNest Architecture and author of Prescriptions for a Healthy House, recommends two brands: Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector and Weather-Bos’ “The Boss.” “Both are natural oil products that don’t off-gas any more than salad dressing does,” she says. “Because they are oils, you just reapply them every few years, without doing any stripping between applications.”

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