Please recommend a protective oil for outdoor wooden furniture

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Paul1977

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#2106751 12-Oct-2018 13:22

mdf:

Paul1977:

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For others following this thread, be aware of the current trend off manufacturers labeling a lot of water-based type products as "oils". These are the ones that flake and peel after a while. My understanding is anything labelled as "water cleanup" is NOT an oil based product.

Not exactly. There is a difference between water-borne and water-based products. It is now quite common to have stains and other penetrating oils in a water-based solvent. The magic is in getting the oil and water to mix nicely. I've found (for example) the Resene Waterborne Woodsman exterior stains to be easily as durable as the solvent-borne equivalents, and clearly much easier and quicker to apply and clean up after.

@mdf I didn't know that.

And they don't eventually suffer from flaking or peeling?

The thing I like about oil is that if you get lazy and leave it a long time it just fades, rather than peel or flake like some products. If you can get water-based ones that behave like that I'd be interested in looking at them as my deck is coming due to be re-oiled.

mdf

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#2106760 12-Oct-2018 13:42

You need to be a bit careful with decks (and other things that are walked on). A wall only needs UV protection and weather proofing, you don't expect a particularly high rate of wear. Compare that to something being walked on, having furniture dragged across it and grease spatters from the BBQ. So make sure you get something designed for decking; so far as I know, all Resene's dedicated decking products are solvent borne, but Cabots do Aquadeck.

You also need to consider the type of wood. Kwila for example has that reddy tannin leaching, which is waterbased. So will go straight through anything waterborne you put on it before the water solvent evaporates. You usually need leachy timbers weather in before you stain/oil.

Finally, if you're recoating, it's best to check in with the manufacturer directions about what goes over what. IIRC, you're not supposed overcoat solvent borne stains with water borne stains unless they are _very_ weathered.

mattwnz

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#2106783 12-Oct-2018 14:22

I think you maybe looking for something like Drydens wood oil, which is used for cladding and decking, as well as outdoor furniture. Goggle Drydens wood oil, they have a website. I haven't used it myself, but see that some cladding manufacturers use it.

neb

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#2106802 12-Oct-2018 14:47

Paul1977:
I thought the first time you do it you were meant to keep applying coats until it doesn't doesn't absorb any more (2 or 3 in total maybe)? But once it stops absorbing you need to wipe of any excess before it gets tacky. That what I did with my deck anyway - I've never done furniture.

It depends on what the "Teak Oil" actually is, given the UV stabilisers used and the fact that it's flammable I'd guess at least one component is polyurethane varnish, for which you can keep building up more and more coats in succession. However, after about three or four coats (of pure polyurethane, not an oil/varnish/solvent mix which has less urethane in it) the surface can get a plasticky look, depending on the type and quality of polyurethane used.

neb

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#2106804 12-Oct-2018 14:49

Paul1977:
I thought the first time you do it you were meant to keep applying coats until it doesn't doesn't absorb any more (2 or 3 in total maybe)? But once it stops absorbing you need to wipe of any excess before it gets tacky. That what I did with my deck anyway - I've never done furniture.

Oh, also it depends on whether you do wet-on-wet or wet-on-dry. I prefer wet-on-dry because it gives you more control over what's going on, less chance of it ending up tacky, but then it takes much longer than wet-on-wet.

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