This post was updated on May 1, 2024
Not to be confused with Cabot Australian Timber Oil
Timber Oil Brand is a deep penetrating paraffin oil-based wood and deck stain. This stain dives deep into all exterior wood to condition the wood cells while preventing UV fading and water damage.
TimberOil Brand is strongly suggested by the manufacturer for all new wood. Many wood and deck stains have difficulty with penetrating new exterior wood such as cedar, redwood, and especially pressure-treated pine. Timber Oil Brand promises ease of application and proper penetration into new decking.
Note: We tested the TimberOil Brand on a new cedar deck three weeks after installation. Only prepping was a light cleaning to remove the dirt.
TimberOil Brand Stain Rating (1-10)
Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 8
– The Timber Oil Brand looked even on our new cedar test deck. No overlapping or issues were apparent. The Honey Gold color was a rich “wet look”. The railings did not have any drips or runs. Penetration into the wood was 100% with no surface film or oily residue.
Preventing UV Graying at 2 Year Mark: 5
– About 50% of the original color was left after 2 years. Wood looked more “natural”.
Wear/Tear and Peeling: 8
– Timber Oil Brand had a slight amount of wearing on the railings otherwise, there were no issues.
Cost Per Square Foot: 7
– We used 6 gallons of the Timber Oil Brand for our cedar deck. The cost was decent per gallon but square footage was a little on the low side. Not bad but average. About $.31 a foot.
Preventing Mold/Mildew/Algae: 8
– Paraffin oils do not “feed” mold or mildew growth like other oil-based stains that contain linseed oil. Little to no mold was noticeable on the cedar. A small amount of algae around the railings.
Ease of Application: 10
– Very very nice to apply! We were surprised at the ease of application on the new cedar. We applied the Timber Oil Brand with a garden sprayer then back wiped the excess with a pad applicator. At the time of application, there was puddling under the railings from overspray but this went away once dried.
Color Shifting (darkening) after 2 Years: 9
– No darkening for the Timber Oil Brand. Fades lightly while looking more natural.
Difficulty of Reapplication: 8
– Light cleaning to remove dirt and grime. No need to strip or sand.
Overall Score TimberOil Brand Stain at 2 Year Period: 7.875
– If you have a new deck then Timber Oil Brand would be our top choice. Fades faster than some of the top stains but still lasts the normal benchmark of two years. The ease of application is a plus.
Product Information:
Where To Buy: Click to Find on Google
Cost: $59 per Gallon, $289 per 5 Gallon Pail
Stain Type: Semi-Transparent Paraffin Oil Based
Available Colors: Warm Honey Gold, Western Cedar, Brown Sugar, Amaretto
Application Temperature: 45-95 F
Coats Required: 1-2 Coats
Coverage Per Gallon: 150 sq. ft per gallon as tested
Application Tools: Sprayer, Pad, Brush, Roller
Dry Time: 2-24 Hours
Cleanup: Mineral Spirits
VOC Compliant: 250 Compliant in All 50 States
More Info: Product Data
Manufacturer:Â Extreme Solutions
Test Deck Stats:
Deck Wood Type: 1-month-old Western Red Cedar Deck
Deck Square Footage: 800
UV Exposure: Full Sun
How Many Years Tested: 2 Years
Stain Color Used:Â Warm Honey Gold
*All products tested and results are from our experience. We offer no guarantee of similar results. Take in consideration that results may differ due to different wood types, exposure to UV radiation, and natural weathering.
If I use timber oil to stain my deck. Do I need to use a clear sealer over the top? Or does the timber oil count for that?
It is a sealer and a stain. You cannot apply anything on top of it.
How many coats did you apply? We just finished a 700 sq. ft. deck 2 weeks ago. It is No. 2 prime kiln dried lumber. Is it okay to strain with this product in 2 weeks?
Just one coat on new wood. You can apply now to your wood type.
Okay. So, for a new deck you would recommend this or Armstrong-Clark? According to your article on new decks, AC suggests waiting 4 months before cleaning and brightening then staining. I am looking for something durable that hopefully you don't have to redo every year and they both seem to do that. Will probably be going with a darker brown color that is transparent as we want to see the grain. Semi-transparent hold up better I know but my wife doesn't think you will see had much grain. 🙂
The first time you stain new wood it only lasts 12-18 months. After that you will get 2 years with either the AC or TimberOil. You can stain new woods sooner with the TO (about a month) then you can with the AC (about 3 months). Semi-trans show all the grain and do not mask the wood.
Okay. Man you guys are great. How does the semi solid do with showing the grain? I thinks it's only offered in the AC but provides even better protection right? I noted that you said the semi trans would probably fade faster than the semi solid on the AC test deck so would that make it comparable to the TO semi trans? I think I'm starting to lean more toward the AC over the TO the more I read. You can't use one then use the other the next time without doing a bunch of work can you? Seems like the AC has more "additives" (that I can tell from both websites) than the TO to help with protection and longevity or is that not the case? I have ordered the sample kit from Woolrich which will save me $15 on a future purchase but if it took 6 gallons of TO compared to 2.5 of AC on your test decks (mine is 700 sf), might not be worth saving the money.
Hi Barry,
Semi-solids show little grain but some. Brands will differ. See this for a better explanation:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/deck-stains/
Both products are easily removable with a stain stripper and pressure washing if you want to switch. No harder then cleaning the wood for the prep.
The AC does seem to have more to it. Coverage for 1 coat of AC on 700 Sq. feet with a semi solid would be more like 4 gallons. More if you have railings and steps on top of this sq. footage.
Sorry, another question.. I just learned the contractor used TWP 1530-natural on my new cedar deck. I don't love the orangey color. The next time I stain, can I power wash and brighten, then switch to Woodrich Tiber Oil "Western Redwood", or does all of the current color need to be completely stripped/sanded off so it's bare wood? thanks
It would be best to remove all of the old stain first.
I have a deck built with IPE Hardwood. Does your product work & how long should it retain the fresh look? Do you ship 2 gallons to a carton. Austin Tx area.
John, this is not our product. We would suggest the Armstrong Clark Hardwood Stain or the Defy Hardwood stain for IPE.
I've been pleased with this TO. I've got 2 cedar decks: 1 for our business (1 year old) and 2nd is at home (2.25 yrs old). I've used this timber oil on both of them, I'm currently applying it for the 1st time on the 1 yr old deck.
My question would be, what should be next? Do I continue to use the TO, or at some point do I switch to a stain from same company? The older of the 2 decks had its 1st application applied about a month or 2 after install, and then a 2nd application 1 year ago.
I'm cleaning the decks well before application with sodium carbonate (Oxiclean generic). Thanks for the help.
If you are happy with it then stay with it. It is easy to apply and maintain down the road.
Thank you. I am really ignorant to these things…. how often should TO be reapplied if using a quality product like Wood-Rich Brand?
Every 2 years would be normal.
Where can i buy this timber oil ??
Online most likely.
Any experience with the Woodrich hardwood stain? Newly installed deck floor (one month); kiln dried Garapa. Was hoping to use Armstrong Clark in Amber but is turning a little too "orange" for my taste on the Garapa wood. Tested Woodrich Brown Sugar and like it much better but concerned that it will fade quicker on hardwood. Any advice would be appreciated?
Yes we have used it before. It lasts okay for hardwoods. At most you will get about 1 year on a hardwood deck floor.
Thanks! So I'm reading between the lines and thinking it should last just as long as any other hardwood stain as one year seems to be the rule of thumb. I was a little concerned since you rated their regular stains at a 5 on UV graying.
Best is about one year. Some stains will last 3-6 months on hardwood decking. I would say that you will get somewhere between 6-12 months with the Woodrich Wiping stain.
We are in Georgia and having a pressure treated pine deck and porch being built which should be completed in a week or two. The floor on the porch is tongue & groove (will be screened in with EZBreeze vinyl windows). Exterior side deck will get a ton of afternoon sun. If we wanted to stain by early December, is our best option TO for both the porch and deck floor? Should the tongue & groove flooring be cleaned with wood brightener too (before staining)? Is there any wait time needed for priming and painting the rest of the porch with acrylic paint? Thanks!!
Yes the TO would be your best option and make sure to clean and brighten for the prep. As for the paint application, that depends on the brand you are planning on using as if you need to wait or how long. I would see what their directions say.
Hi, I am a first time home owner and I don't have a deck, but what I do have is a brand new cedar fence. Is there any reason this will not work the same on a fence? I am sorry to ask here on a deck website, but this product seems to be exactly what I am looking for to treat and preserve my new fence. I am just so lost in a haze of oil, latex, solid, semi-transparent, clear, acrylic, alkyd, and a hundred other words you can use to describe stain that I really just need to find something already. So again I apologize if this is not the place to ask, but any advice would be greatly appreciated!
You can use the same for fences and the good news is that deck stains on fences will last 2-3 times longer then on a deck. Use a penetrating semi-trans stain like Defy Extreme or the TWP.
Thank you! You don't then suggest the TImberOil? I don't plan on giving it a lot of time to weather and according to the "Staining a new deck" article I read on this site, it suggested that the TimberOil would be best for new cedar.
Timber Oil works well too. It does penetrate newer cedar better and sooner then other brands.
Hi I'm in sort of the same situation with new western red cedar engineered siding. Was leNing toward the TWP, but I'm nervous about the wait for weathering as I don't want any weathered look, what did you end up using on your fence? Did you weather it before staining?
Thanks!
We always weather and it is not a big deal. After the weathering you will need to prep and the at process will remove any dirt, oxidation, etc.
Hi, would you recommend Wood-Tux by the same brand (Woodrich)? It says it's the same as Timber Oil (though more expensive) but can be applied to a wet surface? This would be for a two-month-old treated pine deck. Am asking because there doesn't seem to be a single day without any rain, let a alone a stretch of 2 to 3 days. If you recommend sticking with Timber Oil, how much dry time would the deck need without rain to be safe after the stain is applied? Also, for new decks, do you consider Timber Oil better than Armstrong Clark (which I see you also recommend)? Many thanks
Stay with the TO. Wood Tux will not penetrate the same and is a very different formula. After applying it can take a rain within 12-24 hours. Both the AC and TO are about the same.
You cannot lighten a stain. It will lighten on its own though and should be a shade lighter in a week or two.
I applied Timber Oil ( Brown sugar color ) 36 hours ago using a brush . It was applied to new cedar deck board. ( I gave the new deck board a rinse with garden hose 24 hours previous ). The stain is basically dry now but when i wipe across it with my fingers i get an oily film on them still. The weather is cool however . Approx temp 60 in the day and down near 35 at night. Do i just need some more drying time or did i do something wrong in the application procedure ? Thanks in advance.
Did you wait a month after install and clean and brighten for the prep? It will dry so let it sit for now.
The review on this site says the only prepping they did was a light cleaning so that is what i did with the garden hose to remove the loose dirt. The water did not bead or sit on top of the deck boards whatsoever so i read that mill glaze would not be an issue in that case.
Light cleaning is not rinsing with a garden hose. You should use a deck cleaner and wood brightener if you have new wood as there always is mill glaze on new deck boards.
My cedar deck is now at the 2 year mark. I stained the deck initially 2 months after building it, and then again 1 year later. So i left 2 of the questions asking about 2 year issues blank since the stain o my deck is only one year old now.
I do remember noticing last year the stain was starting to wear off in the high traffic lane before re-staining. Now close to one year before staining again I do not see any of those issues. i may stain just the vertical boards again this Summer but it doesn't really appear that I need to.
My main reason in selecting this stain was the ease of application, and thre recommendation for using on new decks. I am very happy with it, very easy to prep to application of this product. I have been using the color called "Brown Sugar" and we do like the look of it. I am very happy with it and will likely continue with this product, eventually if the appearance starts to go I will move to their darkest stain color.
Hello Everyone.
I am facing (siding) my building with Clear Red Cedar. I am want a very modern look and want to enhance the color of the cedar without staining. It is facing east so it gets half sun everyday. What would everyone recommend on an Oil or clear stain that will enhance the color but also seal/protect the wood from graying. I am in Los Angeles, CA and was hoping for something I could find locally.
Someone locally mentions Safecoat Penetrating oil.
But I am not sure.
Please help!
Thanks
Enhancing the color and staining is the same thing. True clears will not enhance or give any UV protection form oxidation and graying. Look at Armstrong Clark in one of the light tones: Natural, Cedar tone, or Redwood Tone.
Thank you for you reply. Armstrong Clark is only available online I believe. For this type of siding would leaving it up a week and then staining it be OK? Would I need any special prep? I was hoping to stain it right away.
Are any of the over the counter solutions decent? Cabot, Sikkens, or Penofin?
AC is made in Cali. Might want to call them for help finding it or buy online. You always need to prep new wood and new wood should season for a few months after install before staining. You are very restricted in LA due to VOC laws there so AC or TWP 1500 is your best option.
Hi folks (sorry if this post is a duplicate; still trying to figure out the comments section). Thanks so much for all the great info. I'm six weeks in on a project to reclaim a 10-year-old pressure-treated pine deck that was nearly ruined with a Behr acrylic stain. (I'm in Maryland; hot, humid summers, moderately cold winters, deck is half in direct sun, half shaded.) I pressure washed it, stripped it (RAD stripper with follow-up scrubbing with a soft wire brush), and still had a ton of sanding to do. Finally got down to bare wood (pretty dry, some cracking, but I don't see much serious decay) and used a brightener/neutralizer.
The deck is an irregular shape, about 650-700 sq. ft., and I bought 5 gal. of the Timber Oil. Sprayed on a heavy saturating coat and barely had enough to cover the horizontal surfaces. It looks great, but the bare wood drank the stain like a dry sponge. I only had to back-brush a couple a very small areas. Now I've got a few questions:
1. How would I know if I should add another coat on the horizontals? This deck has been neglected but it looks like it's still got some life left in it. I want to give it a fighting chance.
2. What's the shelf life like for the Timber Oil? Can I order another 5 gal., use enough to finish the uprights (and another coat on the horizontals, if you think that's a good idea) and save the rest for a maintenance coat next year?
3. Now that I've started with the Timber Oil, should I stay with it? With longevity in mind, should I switch to something with a bit more staying power? The Timber Oil is so easy to apply, I certainly don't mind adding a maintenance coat once every 12-18 mos. if that will be enough.
Thanks for any input, and thanks again for all the great info on this site. This has been a long reclamation project, and I'm sure without the info here I would have made some mistakes and made it even longer.
1. Sounds like you could use another but wait until Spring of next year and lightly wash off dirt and apply another coat then.
2. If lid is closed it will be fine for a couple of years. Do not let it freeze either.
3. By all means stay with it if you like it and do not reapplying a light coat every 1-2 years.
Sounds good. Thanks for the quick response and again, for all the great info. Hugely helpful.
Welcome!
Welcome!
Thanks again, your recommendations so far have been spot-on!
I cleaned and brightened my new cedar deck two days ago (I couldn't have anticipated how good it looks!) and now rain is due to begin. I've called Woodrich but not heard back from their customer support team and my question is, how dry does the wood need to be before applying the stain? The instructions state to wait two days to stain following the cleaning and brightening so I assume that it's the same for staining following a rain. Do you concur?
Yes two days after a heavy rain. Once day if just a light rain.
I'm a bit confused. You've stated that you would apply one coat if less than a month old, but other times you state to not apply stain for at least a month. I'm going to be building a cedar fence and would like to stain the boards on one side before installation (due to posts and obstructions on the outside of our property) then coat the other side afterwards. Is okay to do with the Timber Oil?
To be certain you should let weather a month if smooth wood. Fences are usually rough sawn so you do not need to wait. You can prestain if rough sawn.
I can not find the Woodrich Timber Oil Brand Stain online anywhere only the Cabot Australian?
Try contacting the manufacturer for help.
I am withdrawing my prior question as on re-reading it seems you clearly recommend cleaning & brightening all new cedar decks before staining. I will follow this recommendation.
It sounds like you tested TO on a new cedar deck without using a cleaning and brightening process… ("Note: We tested the TimberOil Brand on a new cedar deck three weeks after installation. Only prepping was a light cleaning to remove the dirt.") Is this your recommendation for a new cedar deck or do you suggest following the cleaning/brightening process? Thanks for your reply.
Thanks for your most valuable website!
I installed a new red cedar deck two weeks ago and understand that I can use Timber Oil stain in another two weeks after cleaning and brightening the wood. I live in western Oregon and the weather should stay fairly warm during the days and cool at night with likely some rain showing up. How soon after cleaning and brightening do you recommend applying Timber Oil?
About 2 days after the prep you can apply the TO.
Thank you, I really appreciate your experience and guidance on this important matter!
I think I read in the comments that the Woodrich Timber Oil can only be purchased online. Is this correct or do retailers such as Home Depot and Lowes carry it?
Not sold in bog Box stores but online mostly. Might want to check with manufacturer for locations?
We used the Timer Oil stain on our deck after reading all the great reviews, it went on fantastic and looked wonderful until you actually walk on it. It shows every footprint and paw print to the point you actually don't see the stain. Can a second coat be applied or what would help? It was applied to a deck that was built last Fall so the wood was not old or rotted.
Any suggestions would be great!
Patty
Never had this issue persoanlly. Did you use the Timber Oil made by Woodrich? Applying more would probably not help.
We used the Cabot Australian Timber Oil , just at a loss at what to do to try and correct it
This review is not for the Cabot Australian Timber Oil. The Cabot ATO is a completely different product. You probably need to strip it all off and start over with a different brand that cures properly.
They just finished a second level 600 sq ft treated lumber deck with 2 sets of stairs. They said not to stain it until next summer or even better fall. I'm concerned about the winter weather we have. (Northern Wisconsin) Should I wait and let the deck dry? or stain later this fall to protect for the winter. How would I prep the deck for staining this year vs staining next summer/fall. I'm 65 so the easier the better.
With the Timber Oil you can stain in a month after prepping with a deck cleaner and wood brightener.
My question is along the same lines as this one. We are building a deck in early November so most likely won't be able to get the staining done before winter sets in. Is waiting til spring in a Minnesota winter too long to wait to clean/brighten and stain the wood? It is already on the cooler side here, 50 during the day, 30's at night.
We would wait at this point. It will be fine.
I just completed a western red cedar deck (11/16/2016) should I treat now or wait until spring. I live in Denver, Co.
At this point, just wait until Spring.
We built a new pressure treated pine deck last late summer. We wanted to stain before winter due to PA's wild winters so due to recommendations on here we bought this product (Timber Oil,brown sugar) to stain the deck so we could do it in the fall but due to a very chilly and wet fall we never applied the stain. We cleaned and prepped our deck the past week and have started to stain the railings and may I say "IT LOOKS FABULOUS AND GOES ON SO SMOOTH!!" We bought the product from the manufactures website, and it was a very smooth transactions. They answered all my questions promptly.
Great website! I will complete phase two of my cedar deck/gazebo in July August. I built phase 1 last Summer and left it to weather. I want to stain/seal the entire deck in September. I was thinking TimberOil. Your thoughts.
Yes that would work but personally we would use the Armstrong Clark since it will be over a year old.
My concern is that the new portion will only be a few weeks old. Would you still go with Armstrong Clark?
Yes
We built a new pressure treated pine deck last late summer. We wanted to stain before winter due to PA's wild winters so due to recommendations on here we bought this product (Timber Oil,brown sugar) to stain the deck so we could do it in the fall but due to a very chilly and wet fall we never applied the stain. We cleaned and prepped our deck the past week and have started to stain the railings and may I say "IT LOOKS FABULOUS AND GOES ON SO SMOOTH!!"
Now my question is, the rating on this stain seems to be based on it being used for new wood. But how is it going to be for a permeant product. It says there is graying after 2 years. Is this product really not meant for regular staining of a deck. Since I had to wait till the next year I am having (despite it looking great) a little buyers remorse that I didn't just wait and buy TWP or Armstrong that seems to be a more longterm stain product. Will I need to restain with Timber Oil every year to maintain the stunning look I have right now? And when I do go to reapply do I have to strip it or sand the whole deck or just pressure wash with water and reapply? Also do I apply just 1 coat or should be go back and apply a second coat to achieve more longevity or would a second coat just be overkill.
Bottom line for anyone wondering if this stain looks great and goes on easy. The answer is a resounding YES. My questions are mostly what is to come?
Thanks in Advance for your Answers and Comments 🙂 Thanks for all your hard work! If it wasn't for this site I would have bought some Big Box Junk….LOL
Just so you know, TWP and AC will need to be redone every 2-3 years. TO will give a little less UV protection and thusly requires reapplication sooner but it is easier to apply. Just clean and recoat. If you get two years out of the TO, than stick with it as it is very easy to reapply. Just use a deck cleaner and recoat.
Hi,
I have a two week old cedar fence and would like to use Timber Oil. Two questions 1) Is there any reason that this (or any) stain will perform differently on fences than it does on decks and 2) How "old" can the fence be before I should start looking at a stain other than Timber Oil.
Thanks!
Thomas, smooth wood on the fence or rough? Timber Oil can be applied to new wood virtually right away. Stains always perform better on vertical wood.
Just built a PT Southern Pine deck (Home Depot WeatherShield 5/4 in. x 6 in. x 12 ft. Pressure-Treated Standard Decking Board). Completed the last week of July 2013. We were waiting to stain it (as that is advised by most sites/companies) but have seen some minor drying/cracking. We thinking we are now ready to treat it before the cold fall/winter start to set in. The deck gets full sun exposure from about 11am to 5pm. Is TimberOil Brand the best bet for me and what should I do to prep? Oh, it is in Baltimore, MD (we get the full array of weather; rain, snow, ice, heat, cold). Thanks!
Adam, TimberOil works great on new wood and is what we would use. Prep with a clean and wood brightener.
We just installed a tongue and groove kiln dried yellow porch floor boards to replace a 100 year old tongue boards and would like to stain them darker. We dropped drops of water to test absorption and observed that some sank in while others beaded on the surface. What stain would you recommend for best penetration, paraffin or a water based stain for a semi transparent appearance and one or two coats wet on wet. This is a covered porch with sun and blow in rain exposure about three feet from the edge. A brand recommendation would be appreciated also. Thanks
Harry, if you want to stain now then the TimberOil would be your best bet for penetration into the new wood. One coat should be fine now.
We had 2 redwood decks installed in late July and are thinking of applying stain or timber oil. Is it necessary to stain the underside of the deck? We have 2 decks on the 2nd and 3rd floors and the underside is visible from each floor below. Is staining the underside cosmetic or does it provide needed sealing?
James, no need to stain the underside unless for cosmetic purposes.
John, https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
I just finished our new cedar deck, about 1000 square feet, plus all the railings and spindles. I cleaned with a sodium percarbonate product and let it dry a couple of days. Now, I just got done applying the Timber Oil Honey Gold, all with a brush (It looks beautiful). Application went great… but all told, I only used 3 gallons. It spread nicely, but I just can't believe how little stain I used. Should I apply a 2nd coat now, since I have the product, or is this what I should expect from new cedar? Or clean again next summer and apply a maintenance coat? Thank you.
MN Tom, I would suggest applying a light coat in the Spring.
I received a confirmation of my order but the order never arrived. Their Customer service phone number is dead, no response to e-mails yet. Not very impressed with this company.
Pete, sorry to hear that.
In 2 replies you said not to stain all 6 sides of the wood before or during installation of a new deck. But how in the world am I supposed to stain the cut ends AFTER they've been covered by fascia boards, or butted together, etc.? No matter how tightly they're screwed together, eventually the wood will shrink and water will penetrate those areas.
NYHomeOwner, there is no need to seal the ends and stains/sealers will not stop water 100% anyhow.
Can you mix Timber Oil colors…? Has anyone done it before and were either pleased or disappointed with the results?
We have never mixed them but I do not see why you could not. We have mixed other oil based stains with great results
Thanks. The sample kit was from the SealerStore. Can you advise me if the SealerStore TimberOil brand is the same as Woodrich's Timberoil? The SealerStore logo is eerily similar as well as their color stain selection and word for word description of the product. The Canadian distributor ran out of the Woodrich product and Woodrich support is lacking in response to emails or calls.
Was just informed by a spokesperson for Woodrich that they are in fact the same stain. Woodrich is the manufacturer.
Sorry…I have more questions since my previous comment. My red cedar deck will be completed in about 3 weeks. All told, the cedar will be anywhere from 6-8 weeks old from the time of delivery from the lumber yard. Do I need to wait any longer before staining the deck or can I do it as soon as they complete it?
Travis, wait at least a month or two then prep with a deck cleaner and wood brightener.
The picture of the deck shown in this review looks like the color is really red. I assume the cedar used was the typical red cedar. Can you confirm that the color of the oil used was Honey Gold? If I didn't want such a red color but wanted something more than just "natural" color, which color of this brand would you recommend? Maybe the Brown Sugar?
Travis, this was the Honey Gold. There is not a lighter tone. Brown Sugar is a brownish cedar color.
We are using new cedar decking and plan to use Woodrich timber oil…. we have been told it is good to apply on all six sides. Do you recommend we do this before installing?
Marilyn, there is no reason to or benefit by treating all 6 sides.
We are thinking of having our deck built out of cedar. The deck is partially sunny in the mornings and then shade for just a little in early afternoon on the end of our deck. It faces North. I am worried that cedar may not be the best choice for installing due to the moisture and shade. Would you be able to advise on which wood should be used in this area? I have done research on wood but have not found any concrete answers to this question. We have had just pressure treated pine for the last 16 years and it is very soft and rotten! Thank you for your time, this is a great site!!! I am from Canada, so I hope you won't mind me asking.
Linda, we personally like cedar better then pressure treated pine.
For $10 they have a sample pack of colors… Just ordered it… Great idea if u ask me!!
Soon to have a new cedar deck! Am I understanding correctly that anytime within even the first month after deck is built, we can use Woodrich Timber Oil? With long-term re-applying of Timber Oil, do you think there will continue to be a nice natural look to the cedar? Avoidance of a real grey look? Adequate protection from mildew/mold/algae?
If we used Timber Oil initially and then wanted to change to Woodrich Stain and Seal, can we do this by simply applying the Stain and Seal over the Timber Oil? But now after writing this, I've just been on their site and don't even see the Stain and Seal available for purchase (?). Do you know anything about this?
Am I correct that one of our benefits of finishing soon after construction, rather than waiting a year, is that we won't then have to use a special deck cleaner before using the Timber Oil? This is appealing because the cleaning and brightening sounds like it's quite labor-intensive.
Otherwise, I'm most impressed with the TWP 1500 series. So let me ask this, if we initially put on the Timber Oil and one or two years later wanted to change to TWP 1500, could we apply the TWP directly over the Timber Oil (just using a deck cleaner before the application of the TWP)?
Hope you don't mind the multiple questions. Thanks for this great sharing of information. Figuring out how to care for decks in a daunting exercise!
Rose, you always need to clean and brighten the wood before applying a new coat of stain. It does not matter which brand you use. If you switch brands you should strip off the old stain for best results.
Is Timber Oil brand the same as Woodrich brand Timber Oil?
Yes that is correct.
New PT deck (10 days old) in NY, full sun, eastern exposure. The deck contractor is pushing me to stain/seal it ASAP, but you recommend to wait 1 or more months. I already see small dryness cracks in the wood. Other pages on your site recommend cleaning and brightening even new deck, but your description up here says "only light cleaning". Should I still wait 1-2 months and clean and brighten it, or sweep it well now and stain it before more dryness cracks appear? Also, regarding temperature — if I apply it in the morning, while it's in the 50's, but overnight it drops into low 40's while it's drying, will it ruin the application? Thanks, great site.
Nadia, staining to soon will result in premature stain failure. You should always follow the directions of the stain brand you want to use when it comes to waiting for new wood to season and temperature ranges. Best to figure the brand you will use and then read their instructions.
SE Pennsylvania
Light sun in morning and late afternoon.. Deck is on north side of house so in shade most of the day except summer months.
New construction. 6 months old. Pressure treated pine.
No mold.
JeanP, I would look at the Armstrong Clark for this as it is now 6 months old. Make sure to prep wood with a cleaner followed by the brightener.
[…] Timber Oil Brand – Waiting period of about 1 month or less […]
What color should I use for redwood?
Annette, any color will work. All you are doing is enhancing the natural color of your redwood. Lighter color will enhance less then a darker color.
I ordered from Timber Oil from Woodrich 2 weeks ago. They took my money and I received an email that said they sent the product. It never arrived, they don't answer the phone (and voice mail doesn't work) and they don't reply to my emails. Careful ordering from this company.
BeeRose, that is not normal. We order Timber Oil all the time and never have issues. Did you order direct from manufacturer or from a distributor?
Can anyone out there provide comments on what this stain looks like down the road (at least 2 years) on your personal deck?
Bill, when we come back after two years the TimberOil fades in color but the wood has not grayed.
This site is great and is loading me with info.
would be nice to see 3-4 photos of all your projects though. After first coat, after 1 year, (second coat) after 2 year with second coat.
I have a new cedar deck, how many coats do I need to apply?
Typically one coat if less then a month. Maybe two light coats if the wood is a little older.
Do you sell small (~1pint) samples of Timber Oil? I would like to test the colors on scraps from the new deck before making a purchase.
Thanks!
We are not a retailer and do not sell stains