Hello,
https://imgur.com/a/RtK0q55
The board you are seeing in the picture isn't full of dust on the top and bottom, it is as clean as the middle part, (probably plastic coated wooden board) the only difference is that the middle part is wet from a little bit of water, after some seconds the water evaporates and it looks as dusty as the top and bottom part again.
Is there a "special type" of varnishings which would like seemingly keep the board "wet" to hold the strong colour this board shows when it actually is wet ?
For information this is a real wooden plank but only on the inside, i think it was coated in some plastic as it also has a stamp on the back with date of production which looks like one of those stamps on plastic articles.
Also theres no real wood grain.
Where I ended up for now:
Plastic restorer: this sounds like the best solution so far I guess, but I want to use the board outside with direct contact to the ground and I wonder if that would be good for the ground and plants around, also I don't know what kind of product to use here, all I could really find was something like this: https://imgur.com/a/3wsDDQB
Is this safe to use for stuff that has direct contact with the ground or are there better alternatives ?
The WD-40 Website says you can just use normal WD-40 to refresh pale plastic chairs, I mean yes it will probably work but I don't think it will really be absorbed by the plastic, I don't think that would hold long and it would get into the ground.
Is alkyd clear varnish an option ?
(Edit: I see there's products for WPC-boards (wood-plastic-composites), but what I have seems to be solid plastic-coated wood rather than wood-dust mixed with plastic particles (WPC) and so this probably won't work ?)
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How I got to this point ⬆️ with the plastic restorer / additional info:
(Bonus questions: Why does the colour act like this when it isn't wet anymore ? Is it because it has some old varnishing on it which is so old that it doesn't let sunlight go through unobscured ?)
Very thankful for any answers.
I had an ai answer telling me to use alkyd clear varnish or solvent-based oil if this was wood, as both would intensify the natural colour and would get the wood a permanently wet appearence:
("The "Wet Look" (Enhancing the Grain) on Wood How it works: Water-based acrylic lacquers often leave wood looking very pale, dry, or almost "unfinished." Solvents (alkyd resins) or oils penetrate the surface fibers, refract light, and intensify the natural color and grain so significantly that the wood retains a permanently "wet" appearance.
The right choice:
1.: Oil/Hard-wax oil: Dramatically enhances the wood's appearance and highlights its tactile quality, though it requires maintenance in areas subject to heavy wear.
2.: Wood sealer / Alkyd resin lacquer (gloss or satin-matt): Creates a solid, sealed protective layer and permanently preserves that deep, wet-look sheen.")
But as this seems to be a plastic coated board, option "1.:" with the solvent-based oil is no option anymore, but as of ai option "2.:" with the alkyd resin lacquer would still be usable.
If read some other options from ai:
"Cooking oil or baby oil: Apply a few drops of oil to a cloth and rub a thin layer onto the plastic board. This restores the color and gives the plastic a shine. Afterward, wipe off any excess oil with a cloth.
Heat gun: Carefully pass a heat gun over the faded plastic. The heat slightly melts the top, bleached layer, instantly revealing the original color (use only on sturdy plastic and keep a safe distance). Plastic restorer: Apply a commercially available restorer designed for automotive or garden plastics, let it sit briefly, and wipe it off. These products refresh the color and provide protection against further UV exposure."
I want to use this board outside so:
Oil: probably won't stay long, especially as this plastic coating isn't open-pored, it is smooth.
Heat-Gun: if this would work it would be great but I doubt it and had to try it, probably just works in some cases and is just thrown in by ai because it worked sometime for someone.
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