Ronseal Ultimate Protection Decking Oil 5L - Natural Cedar

Product Information

Top tip — Western Red Cedar has fantastic exterior finish-retention qualities, especially when smooth, as opposed to textured. Therefore, if you’re particularly interested in longevity, look for planed cedar. 1. Opaque or solid-colour When left untreated and exposed to the sun’s oxidising UV light, Western Red Cedar fades and bleaches to a beautiful silvery-grey finish. So if you’re after the weathered cedar look — perhaps some ‘silver fox’, distinguished weathered cedar cladding, for example — you simply don’t need to apply any treatment. Semi-transparent stains are usually best applied with a brush, although this can be achieved with a roller, pad, spray or drip. A second layer can be added for extra protection, but only if the cedar will accept it. For a transparent finish with some modest protection, consider a coat of water-repellent preservative, or a bleaching oil. There are a range of products on the market.

A thorough coating or two of an acrylic-based paint is by far the most protective of the finishes on offer. It will shield the timber from moisture and weathering, but will completely conceal the wood’s colour and grain — so make sure to choose a wood paint of your desired colour. I was extremely worried when the oil was applied as it was darker than expected up until it began to dry which takes some days. Paints and solid-colour finishes allow you to take full control of appearance, adding a bit of excitement, colour or charm to a finished cedar project — but they’re not for the indecisive! When choosing the right product for protecting cedar cladding (or any exterior cedar wood project), you’ll have to strike a balance. We’d recommend something like Owatrol H4 Wood as an excellent weather protector that doesn't contain any UV filters, allowing the cedar to silver naturally.

Steps to take before applying decking oil

We recommend using the clear version, as it delivers a beautifully natural finish. The same can't quite be said about the teak colour, as it's a little orange. Owatrol Textrol HES is a good example of a powerful, oil-based protection for cedar wood against weather and UV, available in a range of tints from virtually clear to a charcoal. Whilst concealing some of the natural colour, a well-chosen finish like this can enhance the grain of your cedar. How much protection do you want or need? The amount of sunlight and rain hitting your wood will shorten the lifespan of the finish applied, so if it’s exposed, consider a strong, oil-based stain or paint.

However, once totally dried in the hot sun and after a few rain pours or plain water washes, the smell soon reduces and the worry is gone. Generally, opaque treatments (like paints and solid-colour stains) offer higher protection at the expense of obscuring more of the wood’s natural appearance. Although these don’t provide good UV protection, this sort of red cedar wood preservative will keep the wood’s warm tones for longer. Contains Fatty acids, C6-19-branched, cobalt(2+) salts, 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)one and reaction mass of 5-chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one and 2-methyl-2Hisothiazol-3-one (3:1). May produce an allergic reaction.

Cedar wood is pitch and resin-free, which means that finishes are held very well by the wood as long as they are applied before the weathering process has begun.

P101 If medical advice is needed, have product container or label at hand.P102 Keep out of reach of children.P103 Read carefully and follow all instructions. When applying a paint or solid-colour stain, make sure to apply a primer coat before applying the main topcoat. If you’re adding two topcoats, allow the first to cure for the recommended period on the manufacturer’s instructions. Semi-transparent or water-repellent application Oil is also really durable and is easy to maintain – you just need to keep it clean and touch it up every now and then. It’s very resistant to dirt and water so doesn’t require much upkeep at all.'

When are oil-based decking treatments not suitable?

If you’re tired of restoring your wood and find you’re going to undesired lengths to keep the cedar looking good, there’s always the option of buying treated timber. Duffield Timber: your place for Western Red Cedar products, treatments & more Natural, water-based protection doesn't penetrate as deeply, but still afford a good deal of protection, containing fungicides that inhibit the growth of mildew. They’re seen as more environmentally friendly. Another thing that can affect the quality of finish uptake is how weathered the timber is. If your Western Red Cedar is showing signs of age, you’ll have to prepare the wood with a heavy-duty clean and restore. Skip the section below for more details on how to do this. Paint or solid-colour stain application It’s designed to penetrate deep into the wood to replace the natural oils lost over time through weathering, and to offer deep-seated protection against splitting and drying, while the tinted oil brings out the colour in greyed wood for a fresh look.