Rejuventating a deck - can I use different brands of oil for the first and second coats?

[ncork]

Seasons greetings all!
For my festive fun (or is to atone for my sins?) I have been rejuvenating my mum's merbau timber deck. I've gone through the steps of cleaning deck - once with medium pressure water and the second with Cabot's Deck Wash - and then applied the first coat. For this I used Haymes Paint Woodcare Decking Oil because this is what I used last time, several years ago, and had a few litres of it leftover from that. However, the local hardware no longer stocks Haymes products (and Bunnings does not stock it), so we bought Cabot's Natural Decking Oil (Merbau tint). However, someone since has questioned whether the two products are compatible.

My question is, will the Cabot's Natural Decking Oil be okay to put as a second coat over the Haymes Decking Oil?

Thanks for reading and even more appreciation if you offer a reply. Wishing you a happy new year.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @ncork,

It's perfectly fine to start your own discussion. Your question does not need to be under that other discussion.

The big question here is what the base is for the two products, which will help determine compatibility. Despite the name, there are both water-based and oil-based decking oils. For example, we have both the Cabot's 4L Natural Decking Oil (oil-based) and the Cabots 4L Aquadeck Natural Exterior Decking Oil (water-based). It's essentially that you stick with the same system, either water-based or oil-based. 

The previous manufacturer of the decking oil also appears to offer both water- and oil-based systems, so you'll need to determine which one you used. If you stick with the same, you should be fine switching brands, but it's best to test a section in an inconspicuous location to check for any unusual issues. If it were a water-based product, apply the Cabot's version over a small section and then wait three days for it to fully cure. Apply clear tape over the area, then rip it off. If it pulls off the new coating, that suggests there is a compatibility issue. If the previous coating was oil-based, it's unlikely you'd run into issues applying another oil-based decking oil over the top, as they are penetrative, unlike the water-based versions.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell