How to apply decking oils, stains and treatments
In Part 2 of our Complete Decking Guide, Wood Finishes Direct covered some of the common problems that affect decked areas and gave some handy tips and remedies to help you get it right. In part three, the final part of our decking guide, we look at how to apply decking oils as well as giving more top tips about how to protect decking so it looks fantastic for years to come.
The application techniques we’re going to discuss cover oil-based decking finishes, as in our opinion these are much easier to maintain and patch repair. As such, this decking maintenance advice is suitable for:
- new wood
- preserved new wood
- wood which only has oil on it
Once your decking is clean, dust-free and physically sound, with any damage mended, you can apply a clear or coloured decking oil.
Oils are easy to apply with no special skill required. It’s simply a case of making sure the oil is ‘pushed’ into the wood rather than leaving it on the surface.
If your decking is smooth, a long-handled microfibre roller is ideal as it works really well with decking oils. If your decking is grooved, you can attach a floor brush head to a wooden handle – the firm texture will help you push the oil into the wood much more effectively.
How many coats of decking oil do I need?
Because it’s the oil content that protects decking against water, sun damage and more, you need to get as much of the product into the wood as possible. It’s important to apply the oil in thin coats because thicker coats can’t penetrate the wood as easily and take ages to dry. It’s much quicker and more effective to apply three thin coats than two thick ones.
There’s no need to use a lot of elbow grease. Just move the oil around the wood and apply a little pressure until it has virtually all sunk into the grain. A well-applied coat of oil will comfortably dry in a day.
Are there any exceptions?
Yes – if the wood is already naturally oily, such as teak, ipe or another exotic hardwood, it might not take in any more oil or might just accept one thin coat. If your wood is already saturated with oil, you’ll know because you won’t be able to get it to absorb any more. In that case, you can simply wipe the excess off.
What happens if I use too much deck oil?
Sometimes people apply as much oil as they can in the hope that the more they get on the wood, the better. All this does, though, is leave deposits of oil on the surface that can take a very long time to dry, often more than forty-eight hours. In the worst cases, the oil can’t evaporate or sink into the wood and it forms a skin on the surface which can ultimately peel off.
Top tips for decking maintenance with oils
We highly recommend a quality deck oil like Barrettine Decking Oil, also known as The Complete Decking Treatment. It contains rich resins and waxes and we invariably get excellent feedback about it.
- Get an idea of how much oil is still in your decking first – if you can’t tell, test a small area with a thin coat of decking oil. If it doesn’t sink in, your wood probably isn’t ready for extra oil yet.
- Try to avoid sealer-type decking finishes. In our opinion, they’re not as good as decking oils.
- Always apply the oil thinly.
- Bear in mind that thin coats enhance the grain structure best.
- As a general rule, the darker a finish, the better the UV protection.
- Sweep decking regularly – keeping it clean means it stays in better condition for longer.
- Attend to any visible problems like greying, blackening and dryness promptly and they’ll cause less damage.
How often do I need to oil my decking?
You can play it by ear. Less oily woods tend to need more frequent treatment than oilier woods. Keep a supply of your favourite decking oil handy and test a small patch somewhere unobtrusive every spring. If the oil refuses to sink in or takes ages to dry, you can leave it until it gets ‘hungry’ for more oil. If so, test it again at the end of the summer, just in case it needs to be fed more oil to protect it over the winter.
Colouring your decking
Black finishes on decking are becoming increasingly popular. It’s no surprise when the deep, rich colour complements the vivid greens of plants so beautifully. How do you dye your decking black? The easiest way to achieve the look is a black timber stain. The same goes for other colours. Osmo, for example, offers a vast range of lovely wood colours in oil tint form, from cool, subtle amber to rich gold, bright silver and dramatic white.
Once you’ve achieved the colour you want, whether it’s black or something else altogether, simply apply two to three coats of good-quality clear decking oil on top.
Can I buy non-slip decking oil?
Yes. If you’re concerned about slipping over, Osmo decking oil comes in a special anti-slip variant.
What’s next? Simply enjoy your garden decking!
When your decking has been cleaned, treated and restored, it’ll look beautiful, a real asset to your garden. Now all you need to do is magic up some sunshine, add friends or family, good company, food and drinks and you’re off. Here’s to a glorious summer!
Any questions?
If you have any questions about garden decking maintenance, we’re always delighted to help – just give our resident experts a call.
34 comments
Hi, I laid a hardwood sapelle deck in the summer and gave it 2 or 3 coats of Cuprinol ultimate decking oil in the weeks after. The oil didn’t pond and once it showed signs of not being absorbed I stopped. The deck looked amazing in the summer but as soon as we had persistent rain in the autumn the decking turned milky white in some places and this happens every time we get a down pour now. Once it dries out the milkiness dis appears, but it’s pretty unsightly when wet.
I’m assuming somethings gone wrong in the oiling but how do I rectify?
Hoping you can help, thanks in advance.
Reply to Jonathan:
Hi Jonathan,
This could be a number of things. Sapele is a very dense tropical hardwood and it requires a weathering period in the exterior elements before a product can be applied to ensure that some of the natural oils have dispersed the grain to make room for the new protective oil. We normally recommend at least 6 weeks to weather. It could also be that the timber was still slightly damp when the oil was applied. This is what causes the milky appearance that disappears when it is dry. Moving forward, the oil will need to completely removed by sanding or jet washing. Please bear in mind that jet washing does raise the grain and makes the surface slightly furry. You can then apply a thinner oil that is more suited to Sapele such as this one;
https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/manns-premier-uv-decking-oil
Please remember to weather the Sapele for at least 6 weeks after stripping as the natural oils will come back to the surface of the wood.
Hi,
I have just applied one coat of decking oil on my deck thus far as it was getting late in the evening. It has now dried, can a second coat be applied or will the oil not absorb into the wood now and remain sticky on the surface?
Thanks.
Reply to Ash:
Hi Ash,
If the oil is a two coats product that second coat will be required and as long as the first coat was applied correctly the second should be fine even with a slight gap between applications.
The key is saturate the wood with the oil, but not over apply, all the oil must soak into the woods and this will give a durable protective finish. If you find the oil remains tacky and is slow to dry this is an indication of over application.
Regular sweeping and cleaning will prolong the life of your finish and if you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of our friendly team via our contact us (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/pages/contact) page.#
Kind regards Samantha.
hi, i have 3 year old softwood tanalised decking, starting to age, just cleaned it and applied ronseal decking protector 2 coats, do i need to oil as well?
thanks
Reply to steve:
Good Afternoon Steve,
Thank you for getting in touch with your enquiry. The Ronseal Decking Protector (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/ronseal-decking-protector) is a finishing product in its own right and does not require any further product applied over the top.
As with any Decking treatment good maintenance will ensure long protection and top up annually or bi annually when you feel the wood needs it. For further advice please do not hesitate to get in touch via contact us (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/pages/contact) page.
Kind regards Samantha.
Hi
We have just had decking put around our static finished yesterday, it’s tantalised. Do we need to oil it now before the bad weather or wait till spring.
Reply to Debbie:
Good Afternoon Debbie,
Thank you for getting in touch with your question. It can be difficult this time of year to find a dry period of time for application, but if you can I would advice that you try to get the deck treated before the winter.
Its fair to say that the decking will essentially be okay over the winter period without any treatment as it is tanalised. It could start to weather over the winter however, silvering slightly and you would need to allow the wood to fully dry out in the spring before then applying a treatment.
To protect the decking from weathering I would recommend a Decking Oil such as Barrettine Decking Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/barrettine-decking-oil) which comes in a range of colours and a clear finish. It is a penetrating oil that will help to make the wood moisture repellent and slow down the silvering process.
I hope that helps and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Kind regards Samantha.
Hi there
My verandah has been cleaned with a wood cleaner and reoiled at least 6 times over 15 yrs .The timber has slowly darkened to almost black but still in great condition. Should i sand it back to its brown colour and treat it with an antifungal etc and reoil again or just leave it as is? Sonja
Reply to Sonja:
Good Afternoon Sonja,
Thank you for getting in touch with your question. Oil will be the best and easiest treatment to use. It is far easier to maintain over time and give a moisture repellent finish. The black you are getting could be a range of things from the type of wood you are treating or the type of oil you are treating it with. Sanding back will bring out the original colour for and you might want to consider applying a preservative first Barrettine Premier Universal Preserver (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/barrettine-premier-universal-preservative) this will help to prevent mould, mildew and rot.
You can then follow this with a topcoat of Decking Oil Barrettine Decking Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/barrettine-decking-oil) this will help to slow down the silvering process caused by UV damage and will give a moisture repellent protective finish.
If you take a look at these recommendations and feel free to get back to me with any questions you have.
Kind regards Samantha.