Decking oils - which is best?

With a lot of talk about decking ('tis the season after all) I thought it'd be good to share our experiences and preferences with decking oils as there are many on the market. There's water based and oil based. Different levels of gloss. Colours. And everything in between.

For me, you can't go past Cutek Extreme. It's a top quality product and one I've used several times myself. I know some carpenters and a couple of building supplies companies that use/recommend it too. It gives a beautifully natural finish (without tinting), is long lasting and has the versatility of being tinted to your desired colour/tone. I've always found the timber I've applied it to is well preserved over the years. (I don't benefit from the "promotion" of this product)

Unfortunately it's not available at Bunnings, but I have always heard good things about Cabot's and Feast & Watson (which are available at Bunnings) too.

Keen to hear from others.

PS WÜRTH SS decking screws FTW.

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Comments

Jason

Thanks for kicking off the discussion @ProjectPete.

I used Intergrain Ultradeck on my deck renewal project a few years back and was very happy with the results so that's what I use and recommend these days.

Looking forward to hearing from others in the community. It's certainly the season to be getting your deck reading for entertaining over the summer.

Jason

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/6819#Comment_6819

Nice one @Jason. There are just so many out there and like paint there are some stand out brands but will always come back to a person's experience/preference.

May be worth adding to the convo...

How often do you oil your deck? Do you stick with the standard once-a-year? Or do you have a different frequency?

My personal/recommended approach is 1 coat on underside (and obviously all cuts/joins) at install followed by 2-3 coats on top. Give it another coat in 6 months (from install date), then once-a-year moving forward. The more you stay on top of it, the better - you'll reduce the likelihood and frequency of needing to sand it back as well as oil it to bring it back to life.

What do you use to apply your oil?

I've used the decking applicator pads before and rollers. On the decking I'm doing now I've rolled the first coat and plan to try this brush to finish it off. Interested to see how it goes.

Andrew8754

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/6819#Comment_6819

Hi All,

We had around 80 sqm of decking installed, 60 out the back, 20 out the front. I used cutek oil on the front deck, and intergrain on the back. The cutek soaks into the wood, the intergrain product acted more like a sealant. Both are 1 year into their life, the intergrain that isn't undercover has peeled and worn and that timber has cupped and split, the intergrain undercover (no elements) is fine. The cutek that is both exposed to elements and undercover has greyed to a patina, but the wood is still in perfect condition.

Just about to embark on bringing the back deck to life, before using Cutek on it this time around.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/67774#Comment_67774

Great to hear you comparative experience with the two products @Andrew8754!

You can add a toner to the Cutek to give the timber renewed (colour) life too. Fantastic product IMO.

Brad

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/96730#Comment_96730

I have used Feast Watson Wet Look on the front and back steps, not exactly decking but still wood. Well check in daylight how much damage has been done out the back by the sun and dog.

I picked up some scratch and dent Feast Watson Japan Black Exterior for a dog bed and a meter box. Japan Black decking is on the cards around the pond.

diy_hausdesigns

Hi all

I tried Feast and Watson's Natural Decking Oil as I saw hoping to let the timber shine as naturally as possible. I applied it onto new decking (Karri) and some on existing decking (unknown type and after some hectic sanding).

Very happy with the results on both. Brought back both timbers to their natural glory.

Cheers

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/67774#Comment_67774

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Andrew8754. It's fantastic to have you join us and many thanks for contributing to the discussion.

Your experience with a deck that is just one year old doesn’t sound typical. I have discussed it with the Intergrain team and they would like to learn more and assist you. Could you please reply to my private message so I can pass on your contact details?

Mitchell

Brad

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/96733#Comment_96733

I do have a noticeable line on the back step where Marty and the sun have gone to work.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/115001#Comment_115001

Japan Black looks so good for decking and would be awesome around a pool. I considered switching mine to Japan Black but decided to keep the (more) natural timber tones of the Pacific Teak as I have whites/light greys and blacks throughout the area.

Em24

Hi Gents,

I have installed timber windows at the front 2 years ago and treated them with several coats of Cutek Extreme CD50, bought as per recommendation from a "timber expert" as I wanted to keep the natural look of the timber. I reapplied it every 6-7 months and followed the instructions to the dot.

Unfortunately with all the rain last year, I had mould at the sills and also saw that the timber had cracked on several places. Now I am trying to put on the Cobat's Exterior (oil based) stain as per the window manufacturers original suggestion. I wish I had not listened to him in the first place. 😓Picture below shows after I treated the mould.

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/28710#Comment_28710

Hi @Em24

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us.

In order to give you a comprehensive recommendation, can you please tell us what you treated the mould with? It looks like you sanded the surface, and it seems like the mould is still there. Looking at the bottom of your window it looks like the sealer has degraded very badly. If you are planning on putting on a new stain and varnish on your window frame, I suggest sanding the frame back to timber so that any new sealer or stain you apply will be properly absorbed by the timber.

Painting directly over old stains and sealers is not advisable as the wood will not be able to absorb the new seal and will simply sit on top of the old sealer. In order to help you with sanding the window frame, I suggest investing in an Electric Detail Sander. This will greatly reduce the amount of time you'll be spending sanding down the window frames.

Since you already have the Cabot's Exterior stain, I suggest testing it on a small portion of the window frame where you've already sanded. Let the stain settle and see if you like the finish. If it's satisfactory then you can commit the rest of the window frames.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Em24

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/76896#Comment_76896

Hi Eric,

As said, the original stain is Cutek Extreme CD50, which is oil based stain absorbed in. I never had a sealer. When I discovered the mould, I sanded it back of course, treated it twice with a vinegar solution. Not really trusting this, I then used, Mould action spray, Feast Watson Woodclean and UltraPrep Mould Killer from Intergrain, just to be sure. I can't remember at what stage I took the pictures attached, but the kind of black stains never went away. I then recoated it with Cutek Extreme CD50 again (twice) to protect it.

But as said, I am still not sure whether this is protection enough to avoid anymore damage. It looks bad as it is, see current photos. I am thinking I should go with the Cabot's exterior stain, but am not sure if it needs sanding or can I just put it on as both are oil based stains. I should not have used Cutek in the first place. Or shall I go with a varnish altogether?

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/102419#Comment_102419

Hi @Em24

If part of the timber still has the old oil stain attached to it, it will cause uneven absorption of the new oil stain. This is one reason for the light and dark stain on the timber surface.

I don't recommend painting over it the way it is as it will not protect your window frame properly.

I understand that it will be a bit of an effort, but I still recommend sanding the timber frame and removing all the old stain on it. I propose sanding the bottom portion of one of your window frames. Preferably one that has not been repainted, it will take you a bit of time, but it is possible to sand away the old stain.

Once you've cleared the area and it's free of the old stain, you can now test the Cabots stain on the freshly sanded surface. You should in theory have a uniform finish on the surface with no light or dark spots.

I also suggest having a look at these discussions - How to vanish and stain timber window and door trims? by @charliebohl and What do I use to stain new window trims? by @Woody1.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Em24

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/118227#Comment_118227

Hi Eric,

The dark stains on the sill are from the mould, that never went away with the mould treatments. It is definitely not a old stain. I could not get rid of the darkening from the mould after using several types of mould killer and wood cleaner. When you say "repainted" I only used stain, not any sealer, just for clarification. Do you recommend staining or vanishing the timber frames. Which one is better in the long run.

Thanks

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/127489#Comment_127489

Hi @Em24

Using varnish on window or door frames often lasts longer than stains. If you decide to use varnish over the stain, please make sure that it has fully cured and that the varnish you use is compatible with the stain you applied to the window frame. I recommend speaking to the paint specialist at the store on your next visit and asking them about varnish compatibility.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

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