How to match putty to decking boards?

Tom37

Finished a deck install as beams underneath from previous owner were  rotting away. How can we get the putty the same colour as the deck boards? Both putty and oil were Jarrah colour. We have used 3 coats (2 coats full deck, 1 coat just where the putty is) of Cabot’s natural decking oil it’s slowly working but thought it would be closer to the same colour by now. Ideas would be appreciated. Thank you in advance ☺️

EricL

Hello @Tom37 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about deck oil and putty.

It looks like you’ve done a really solid job on the deck rebuild, the boards themselves look beautiful and well laid. The colour difference you’re seeing between the putty and the Jarrah decking boards is a common issue because most wood putties absorb oil differently than natural timber, even if they’re labelled the same colour. Jarrah, being a dense hardwood with rich natural oils, tends to darken and deepen in tone with oil and exposure, while the putty remains more porous and lighter.

To blend the putty better, you can try a few steps. First, lightly sand the puttied areas with fine-grit paper to open up the surface and remove any excess oil film that may be preventing absorption. Then, apply a tinted decking oil slightly darker than Jarrah something like Cabot’s “Merbau” or “Redwood” just on those patches using a small brush or rag. This will gradually tone them down to better match the surrounding boards. You can always blend the colour by feathering it into the nearby timber, then apply another light coat of your regular Jarrah oil over the top to even out the sheen.

Another way to match the shade more closely is to mix a small amount of Jarrah decking oil or even a darker decking stain directly into the filler before applying it. This helps ensure that once it dries, the filler already has a deeper pigment base that aligns with the surrounding boards. After the filler sets and you sand it smooth, apply one or two thin coats of your regular Cabot’s natural decking oil over the entire section so the tones blend uniformly.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric