Use and Care Guide

87 Tide Road • Tamaqua, PA 18252 • Tel: [phone] • Fx: 484.214.0182 • www.highwood-usa.com • E-mail: [e-mail]
Copyright © 2003 Highwood USA LLC • highwood is a registered trademark and used under license by Highwood USA LLC
MAINTENANCE
Little maintenance is required to keep highwood
®
material looking good. The product should be cleaned as needed to
remove dirt and debris. No abrasive or harsh chemicals should be used on the product. Aromatic solvents (e.g. toluene,
xylene) or cleaners containing aromatic solvents (e.g. Citri-Solv) should never be used on highwood
®
materials.
CLEANING
Hot soapy water is the best choice for cleaning highwood
®
material. highwood
®
is a hard material with a non-porous
surface, therefore it does not readily stain and most spills do not stick. Any water-based household cleaner can be used
to clean the surface, including Windex, 409, Pledge, Murphy’s Oil Soap, Simple Green and citrus cleaners. Avoid any
cleaner that contains solvents or harsh chemicals. If unsure of the cleaner, test on a small area before cleaning
Although not commonly necessary, highwood
®
materials can be pressure- washed.
COMPATIBLE MATERIALS
highwood
®
products are based on polystyrene, and are therefore susceptible to aromatic solvents such as benzene,
toluene and xylene, and the various derivatives of these chemicals. Such chemicals will cause permanent changes to
the product. Prolonged exposure to aliphatic solvents such as mineral oil, mineral spirits, n-petane, kerosene, VM & P,
and gasoline will cause discoloration of highwood
®
products, and may impact mechanical properties. Oxygenated
solvents such as alcohols, ketones, glycol ethers, esters, and glycol ether esters do not cause appreciable change in
highwood
®
products, and any water-based product, including cleaners, coatings and pesticides, is safe to use with
highwood
®
products. Before using any cleaning agent, stain, paint or other surface treatment, be sure to test a small
area to ensure that the product is compatible.
DAMAGE REPAIR
MINOR SCUFFS AND SCRATCHES
Minor scuffs in highwood
®
profiles can easily be removed by gently buffing with ‘0000’ steel wool. The steel wool
blends the scuff or scratch with the surrounding material, and leaves the area with a slightly different patina than the
original product. Now that the scratch is removed, the area can be polished with Pledge furniture polish or Carnauba
wax to bring up the luster to blend with the virgin profile.
DEEP SCRATCHES
To remove deeper scratches in the product, use a single-edged razor blade to skive the high spots from the surface
of the product. Holding the razor blade perpendicular (the tip of the blade directly against the product) to the profile,
scrape the surface along the length of the scratch to shave off the raised edges of the scratch. This typically requires
2 to 3 passes with the blade along the length of the scratch. Once the raised edges are removed, use the steel wool and
wax technique (noted above) for blending out the area.
LARGE DENTS
For large dents and gouges, use ‘sawdust’ from the same color highwood
®
profile and lacquer thinner to make a
‘plastic wood’ patch compound. In a small container, and using the proper personal protective equipment (e.g., gloves,
goggles, ventilation) for the solvent, mix some sawdust with a small amount of lacquer thinner to develop a thick
paste. Fill the gouge with the paste, smoothing the surface of the patch as best as possible. After the patch dries, use
a razor blade to skive off any high spots, and then buff with steel wool and polish the area to blend the color and
complete the repair.
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