How to oil a timber deck with Haymes Decking Oil
A timber deck out here takes a hiding, because it gets full sun for most of the year and then a run of cold wet weather, and raw timber left to sort itself out will go grey, dry out and start lifting splinters. Oiling it is not a hard job and it doesn't take a whole weekend, but it does want doing properly and at a sensible time of year, so here's how I'd go about it.
What the oil is actually doing
Haymes Woodcare Decking Oil soaks into the timber rather than sitting on top of it like a film, and that difference is the whole reason people use an oil on a deck instead of a varnish. A film sits on the surface, the timber underneath keeps moving, and eventually the film cracks and flakes and you're back to sanding. An oil goes in, repels water, slows the UV damage and helps hold off mould and algae, and when it wears back you just clean it and put more on. No stripping, no flaking, no starting again.
Clean it first, and give it time to dry
Preparation is most of the result here, and it's the step people skip. Sweep the boards properly, get in between them, and give the timber a good scrub to shift the grime and whatever is left of the last coat. Then leave it alone. The timber needs to be genuinely dry before any oil goes on, and a couple of dry days in a row is about right, because oil onto damp timber won't cure the way it should and you'll see it in the finish.
There's a quick test worth knowing. Flick a few drops of water onto the boards, and if it soaks straight in the deck is ready for oil. If it beads up and sits there, something is still on the surface and it wants a light sand before you go any further.
Putting it on
Work with the grain, use a wide brush or a lambswool applicator on a pole so you're not on your knees all day, and put it on in thin even coats rather than trying to flood it. Thin coats soak in and cure; a heavy coat sits on top, stays tacky and picks up every bit of dust that blows past. Do one board or two at a time from end to end, so you're not stopping halfway along a board and leaving a lap mark where the wet edge dried.
Pick a mild day rather than a stinking hot one. Too much heat and the oil skins over before it has soaked in, which leaves patches. Too cold or too damp and it won't cure properly at all.
Natural or tinted
The Woodcare range comes in a natural finish that just deepens the timber and leaves the grain showing, and in tinted versions if you'd rather push the colour towards a Merbau or a warmer tone. Both do the same protective job, so it's honestly a decision about how you want it to look rather than a decision about performance. If you're not sure, the natural is the safer starting point, because you can always go darker later and you can't easily go back.
How often it needs doing
Once a year is the habit worth building, and the deck will tell you when it's due long before it gets ugly, because the water stops beading and the colour starts going flat. A deck that gets a coat every year takes a couple of hours. A deck that gets left for five years needs sanding first, and that is a completely different weekend.
Shop related products
- Utility Paint Brush 100mm, synthetic. Wide enough to move along a board without it taking all day.
- Utility Paint Brush 75mm, synthetic. For edges, steps and the awkward bits.
- Uni-Pro Natural Bristle Chip Brush 100mm. Natural bristle, which suits an oil.
- Uni-Pro Masking Tape Pull Down Drop Sheet. Keeps oil off the wall and the pavers.
- Macsim 8-10 x 42mm Treated Pine Screws, C3. For the board that has lifted before you oil over it.
Did you know the Haymes Woodcare Exterior Decking Oil itself is an in store line, in natural in 1, 4 and 10 litre, in Merbau, and in a stain tint in 1 and 4 litre. Paint is a dangerous good so it can't be shipped, which is why it isn't on the website. Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf, or come in and we'll tint it to order.
More from us
- Paint mixing and the Haymes trade centre
- Paint and accessories on the website.
- Why your deck needs annual attention
- How to protect outdoor timber furniture with Haymes oils
If you're standing there looking at a grey deck wondering whether it's past saving, bring a photo in and we'll have a look, because most of them aren't and it's a cheaper answer than you're expecting.
Cheers,
Candeece
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