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,
Your guide is very interesting and useful. We’ve just had our decking boards replaced – as it is February it is cold and damp – should we get some oil on immediately or leave until the warmer weather, as recommended? Thanks.
Paul
Reply to Paul Miles:
Hello Paul,
Thank you for getting in touch. It would be wiser to wait for slightly warmer dry weather before application. Wood can appear touch dry but it really needs a few days of dry weather to really dry out and if you apply any treatment whilst the wood is still wet you are effectively sealing the moisture into the wood and this over time can result in problems with mould and algae.
If it is a tropical hard wood such as Balua it will have some natural oils in it to help make the wood moisture repellent and many decking boards will have a be tanalised. So my advice would be to wait a little while until the warmer weather.
I hope that helps and do let me know if you have any other questions.
Many Thanks Samantha.
Hi.
I moved into a new build property with outdoor decking around six months ago. I am not sure which kind of wood, and whilst I am sure it had been treated in some way, it didn’t seem to have been finished as it still had a light, natural colour. A few months in, I cleaned the decking after up-cycling some old chairs (sanding, oiling etc) and wiped it down with a dish cloth. Shortly after black spots appeared on the wood and I read on this blog post (and part 2) that it was probably mould after getting the wood wet.
It took me a little while to get around to it, but a couple of months later I tried to clean up the spotting with Knock Out Mould & Mildew Cleaner, before treating the decking with Barrettine Wood Preserver and finishing with Barrettine Decking Oil (both clear). The Knock Out cleaner seemed to do the trick – the black spots were significantly improved although not removed entirely. Unfortunately the weather turned so I had to wait a few days for a dry spell before applying the Wood Preserver. I applied to 2 coats (with some more rain in between) and waited for it to dry.
I’m not sure what has happened, but half the decking looks okay, and the other half is much darker. It’s similar but slightly different to the black spots before, as it is more even and perhaps a little fainter. Has Mould gotten in again and if so what I should I do (bearing in mind it is now sealed with 2 coat of Wood Preserver)?
My next step would have been to finish with decking oil, but now I’m not sure. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Nick.
Reply to Nick:
Hello Nick,
Are you able to send me some photos of the full decking and the areas effected to wood@finishes.direct It does sound like it could be a moisture problem but without seeing, its difficult to say.
Kind regards Samantha.
Hi Sam
I have cleaned old decking and bit confused
Should I use decking oil first or decking stain first
Please help !!
Thank you
Jono
Reply to Jonovan:
Hello Jono,
You should use one or the other but not both together. The Barrettine Decking Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/barrettine-decking-oil) would be my adviced option. It soaks into the surface of the wood and will not peel and flake over time. Its easy to apply and maintain over time.
The Ronseal Decking Stain (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/collections/decking-stain) is a surface sealer to give a paint-like effect to the wood.
I hope that helps and if you have any further questions about either products then please feel free to email me on wood@finishes.direct
Kind Regards Samantha.
Hello Sam
Sooo glad I found this site.! Bought my house 6 years ago with a massive deck. As I’m from South Africa and single, I’m totally clueless about decking. I need to replace the decking now as it rotting through in places.
Do i buy hardwoood or soft wood? i have 50 litres of Sadolin superdeck, 50litres of Ronseal ultimate decking oil but now so confused as it all seems wrong!
please help! Don’t want to get rid of the deck but just need someone to say hard say hard or soft wood and the name of proper decking oil please!
Than you in advance!
Jenna
Reply to Jenna:
Hello Jenna,
I can’t help you with the type of wood that you will need I am afraid and my advice would be to go to your local supplier of decking and speak to someone there who should be able to help. If you are able to take a small sample of the decking or a photos this will help them to advice you.
For the finish however I can help and for decking I would advice the Ronseal Ultimate Decking Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/ronseal-ultimate-protection-decking-oil) as good choice. It is designed to soak into the surface of the wood and so will not peel and flake over time. Always try a test area first to ensure you like the finish that will be achieved and there is no adverse reaction.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to let me know.
Kind Regards Samantha.
Hi, we just put up the new decking next to our house. The decking boards are from Wicks which are pre-treated. I would like to ask if we can straight away apply decking oil during the dry day or its better to wait until next year. We were told that for the new decking, leave it until next year to apply the treatment and therefore confused. Many thanks, Fang
Reply to Fang:
Hello Fang,
It may also depend on the type of wood the decking is made from. If it is a tropical hardwood such as Iroko or Balau then it may have some natural oil still in the wood. And if this is the case then you can leave it until next year. If you have a some standard timber decking then treating with a decking oil can only be a good thing.
The oil still allows the wood to flex and move in the changing temperatures and will give better protection over the winter months. You could have a look at Manns Premier UV Decking Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/manns-premier-uv-decking-oil), which is a good option and will help to prevent silvering in the sun. Feel free to let me know if you have any further questions or quires about the type of wood or the best way to treat.
Kind regards Sam.