What Is the Best Decking Oil?

There are two types of decking oils: oil based and water based. The water based products are also called acrylic. Both of these two types of oils have their upsides and downsides. You should be aware of them before you start applying them.

Here are some of the most recommended oiling product manufacturers:

• Sikkens
• Integrain
• Feast Watson
• Wattyl

The Sikkens seems to be among the most durable products, while it is also the most expensive one. Integrain and the others follow it in term of quality, but with a lower price. What works best for your decking timber depends also on the type of your decking.

Composite decking only needs washing twice a year. It can be done with hot water and any kind of detergent you have in your home. You just need to avoid bleach. If you notice mildew forming, you need to use a mouldicide products and it’s all done. No oiling is necessary, but you can do it if you want.

Timber decking and treated pine decking need regular annual treatment. Moreover, if you have the will and if there is need, you can even repeat this process once before summer and once before winter, just to be on the safe side.

The options for the decking treatment are oils, stains and paint. What works best for your particular deck is best discussed with the decking installer. They will know about any specific requirements of your deck and what needs your attention.

What Is Decking Oil For?

Decking oil penetrates the timber structure and protects it from the inside. It doesn’t not just stay on the surface like the paint does. It goes inside. Basically, it replaces the natural oils that are present in the timber before it ‘bleeds’ it out. Decking oil provides protection against the weather conditions, insects and fungi.

Stains and paint usually form a coat on the surface of the decking. However, these types of treatments don’t cover the joints and connectors of your decking. Oil does all that. Due to its consistency, it can reach details that other finishes usually cannot.

There are even some decking oils that can provide the UV protection which reduces the discoloration and preserves the hue of your timber.

There are two types of decking oil:

Acrylic Decking Oil

This type of decking oil is water based. It seales the pores of your decking timber and it creates a film over its surface. It is essential that, before the application, your decking is 100% dry and clean. All imperfections will create issues after the oil is applied.

Namely, your acrylic oil will bind to those layers of dust rather than to the timber itself. If there is still wetness, the oil simply won’t be able to adhere to the surface well. These circumstances will result in blotching, peeling and cracking. In other words, your decking will be ugly.

Those who are not the fans of water based decking oil claim that too many layers of this finish tend to look like some sort of cheap paint that doesn’t look nice. This means that it will have to be sanded after a couple of coatings. That can be a bit expensive and it can compromise the quality of your timber.

However, it all depends on the type of your decking timber, how dry it is and what type of weather it endures.

Oil Based Decking Oil

These decking oils go deep into the structure of your decking timber. They are very commonly used and they are among the first treatments available for outdoor decking surfaces.

Oil based treatments can sometimes change the colour of your decking. They will darken it. To get the idea how your decking will look, simply wet it. The colour of your wet wood is close to what the oil will do to it.

Image source: Advantage Lumber

While the protection offered by this type of oil is great, there are, also, some downsides to it. First of all, it needs to be redone every year and sometimes even earlier.

Oil based treatment needs to be applied carefully. The most common mistake with it is to apply to much of it and/or not leaving the first coat to dry well before applying the second one. These mistakes result in tacky and sticky coating that is prone to footprint marks and dirt buildups.

To prevent this from happening, first apply a thin coat of oil to a perfectly cleaned and dried decking. If it is possible, choose a hot, sunny day for this, so it can dry quickly and thoroughly.

Keep in mind that the oil will dry slower when it is overcast or when it is in shade. So, if a part of your decking is in shade, make sure you check if it is all well-dried just like the part of it which is in the sun. That is the only way to avoid uneven oiling.

The second coat of oil needs to be much thinner than the first one. Your decking timber has already absorbed the oil and it is highly unlikely that it can take up much more. This second coating is there only to provide the outside protection. Some people dilute the oil with a bit of turpentine before applying the second coat.

The best way to go with your decking oil is to read the manufacturer’s instructions. After that, you need to talk to other people who have the same or similar decking material installed.

Lastly, but not the least importantly, you should consult the decking installers. They have enough experience with different types of decking material and they already know the precise conditions in which your decking will be, as well as the timber used.

Given the cost of your decking, you want to do a good job at its maintenance. Additionally, you need to include the cost of installation in your total price of timber decking. While the maintenance costs what it costs, and there is not much you can do about it, there is some room for budgeting when it comes to installation. Namely, you can shop around for the best offer.

Get several quotes from different Australian decking professionals and see which offer fits your budget. It’s quick and straightforward and you don’t have to commit to anything.