The Best Oil-Based Wood Stains
Oil-based wood stains penetrate the wood fiber and color it from inside, rather than sitting on the surface as a pigmented coating. The result is a finish that does not peel, does not flake, and weathers gradually rather than failing all at once. A properly applied oil stain on exterior wood will last three to five years in a harsh climate and seven to ten years in a mild one. These are the stains worth applying.
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How to Choose
Penetrating stains work best on bare, unfinished wood or on wood that has been stripped to bare material. They do not adhere well over film-forming finishes (lacquer, polyurethane, old paint). Surface preparation is the entire job: sand with the grain to 120 grit, dust clean, and apply in a thin, even coat following the wood grain. Wipe off excess after ten to fifteen minutes -- oil stain left to puddle will dry tacky and uneven. Two thin coats are better than one heavy coat.
Minwax Wood Finish Oil-Based Stain
Minwax has been making oil-based wood finishes in the United States since 1904. The Wood Finish penetrating stain is available in 35 colors and penetrates and colors bare wood in one step. The formula is linseed oil-based, which feeds the wood fiber as it stains it. It does not require a separate conditioner on most wood species, though soft pines and other blotch-prone species benefit from a pre-conditioning step.
A hundred and twenty years of continuous production in the American market is the most reliable proof that a product does what it claims.
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Cabot Australian Timber Oil
The Cabot Australian Timber Oil formula is specifically designed for dense tropical hardwoods -- teak, ipe, mahogany -- that have high natural oil content and do not accept most penetrating stains readily. The formula uses a combination of natural oils and solvents that penetrate the dense fiber structure and restore color and flexibility to weathered tropical wood. It is the stain that deck contractors specify for ipe and teak.
Dense tropical hardwoods have a different absorption profile than domestic species. A stain formulated for them penetrates where others bead off.
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Flood CWF-UV Cedar and Wood Finish
A penetrating oil-based finish designed for exterior softwoods: cedar, redwood, pine, and pressure-treated lumber. The UV-stabilizer package protects the wood from greying; the alkyd resin provides a more durable surface than pure oil formulas. One coat applied to new wood sets the baseline; re-coat every two to three years as the finish weathers. Available in clear, natural, and tinted versions.
Cedar and redwood require a UV-stabilized finish to prevent graying. A straight linseed oil formula without UV additives will last half as long on sun-exposed wood.
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