The increasing popularity of reclaiming old barn wood has sparked a craze for using this material to cover house walls.

However, preserving the original color of the wood while protecting it poses many challenges. Oils tend to darken and even alter the wood's color, while varnishes provide too much shine and a plastic-like effect. Waxes, whether made from plant or animal wax, yield similar results to oils.

The only solution that preserves the original color of the wood is the application of two coats of Renaissance microcrystalline wax, a refined mineral wax made from petroleum, like paraffin.