Plugging Away

During the final finishing of an Architectural or Premium Grade beam we need to ensure there are no loose knots, pitch pockets, or voids on the exposed surfaces. There are two accepted approaches. One, using a wood filler compound that gets smeared over the spot. 

At Unalam, we use the second approach: clear wooden plug inserts. This does take a bit more work, but it is worth it in the end. Here is how we do it...

First we route out the defect, aligning the repair to the ply lines and squaring the the corners by hand.

Second, we glue in clear plugs with a bright color on the top. This ensures that we don't miss any! We have standard shapes and sizes precut with matching templates in order to make the process as efficient as possible.

Third, we plane the plugged areas by hand to ensure the texture matches the rest of the beam. Matching the surface is important, especially if a beam is going to be stained. A sanded surface absorbs stain differently than a planed surface. 

Once the plug is planed flush, the beam can get its final coat of stain or sealer. Because we use solid wooden plugs , matched to the species, carefully installed and planed... they blend right in. It can be hard to spot once the beam is installed in the building!