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. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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 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.' Generally, opaque treatments (like paints and solid-colour stains) offer higher protection at the expense of obscuring more of the wood’s natural appearance.Treatments that are more transparent — like natural stains and water-repellent preservatives — usually offer more modest protection from the elements, but retain a greater amount of the timber’s natural beauty. While one coat should do the job, it does depend on the porosity and age of the wood. Application can be hand bushed, sprayed or dipped. If the wood has already been varnished or waxed the treatment won’t work, however, it is fine to be used on pressure treated timber. Depending on the product chosen, semi-transparent stains still offer up some interesting, subtle changes to the wood’s colour, pronouncing grains and knots — as well as affording great protection. Semi-transparent finishes can be oil-based or natural. These are also solid-colour stain finishes, which provide an opaque finish whilst retaining some of the original texture. They offer very strong protection against the elements.

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.

How to oil your deck

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.

Bear in mind that, over time, the cedar will still weather to a grey colour, although this will happen more slowly and you’ll retain the wood’s beautiful, natural tones and patina. 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 Oils often come in natural colours or clear, and enhance the natural appearance of your wood,' explains Jimmy Englezos, senior product manager at Sherwin-Williams.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. Fatty Acid Cobalt Salt. Hydrocarbons, C10-C13, nalkanes, isoalkanes, cyclics, 2% aromatics. 1,2-Benzisothiazolone. reaction mass of: 5-chloro2-methyl-4-isothiazolin3-one [EC no. 247-500-7] and 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol3-one [EC no. 220-239-6] (3:1). Of course, it’s possible to leave your project without any treatment at all — one of the glories of durable timber species like this. With all its resins, Western Red Cedar is naturally rot resistant and still performs well without a finish. 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! Whilst treated cedar cladding still looks great, letting your cedar go grey is actually somewhat of a trend. Amongst architects, there’s been a growing appreciation for leaving materials like timber in their natural, rustic state, with their inherent, untreated beauty on full show.