Exteriors

Timber cladding brings with it grains, knots, colour and texture of wood – these minute variations make a beautiful building material. Even the most modern, sleek architectural designs feel softened and comforting when built with timber. Resene Woodsman wood stains let the timber be the star of the design by accentuating its natural beauty and protecting it from the elements.

Key products for exteriors

• Resene Waterborne Woodsman is a penetrating stain for weatherboards and fences, available in a range of colours.

• Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain is a waterborne penetrating stain for decks, available in a range of colours.

• Resene Woodsman Wood Oil Stain is ideal for those who prefer a more traditional wood oil style finish.

• Resene Kwila Timber Stain is designed for kwila and other exotic hardwoods and is very popular on decking, furniture and garage doors.

• Resene Furniture and Decking Oil is a lightly coloured oil ideal for decks and furniture.

• Resene Timber and Furniture Gel is much like a furniture polish, but for outside projects, this is a thicker product that can be applied to a variety of small timber projects and is easier to apply than a standard stain.

• Resene Timber and Deck Wash is ideal for cleaning down timber surfaces before you paint or stain. While waterblasting can seem like a quick way to clean, not only is it likely to be less effective than scrubbing using Resene Timber and Deck Wash, it can gouge and badly damage the timber.

• Resene Deep Clean will work with the weather to help keep your exterior surfaces cleaner. Once your decorating is done, simply spray or brush on Resene Deep Clean every 6-12 months on paths, patios, decks and other exterior cementitious, timber and painted surfaces.

Choose the Resene woodcare product best suited to your project:

Note: Scroll to the right to view table content on small screens		Resene Waterborne Woodsman	Resene Woodsman wood oil stain	Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain	Resene Kwila Timber Stain	Resene Furniture and Decking Oil	Resene Timber and Furniture Gel
	Weatherboards	Yes	Yes
	Plywood	Yes	Yes
	Garage door	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
	Front door	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes
	Windows/Shutters				Yes	Yes	Yes
	Fencing/Gates/ Letterbox	Yes	Yes
	Decking (new or aged)		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Outdoor furniture	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes
	Beams/Pergolas	Yes	Yes
	Planters	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes
	Retaining walls	Yes	Yes
	Rough sawn timber (new or old)	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
	Dressed timber (new or old)	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
	Bare timber (new or old)	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes

Stain and able

Resene Woodsman wood stains are designed for exterior timber. Resene Woodsman not only colours timber but weatherproofs it, protects it from UV damage and kills fungi and mould, prolonging the lifespan of the wood. Stains are semi-transparent and penetrating, meaning the colour is absorbed into the timber to allow the wood's natural grain to show through.

How to choose a stain

As timber comes in various colours, densities, textures and weathers in different ways, the colour of your stain will vary depending on your type of timber. Stain applied to light woods such as Siberian larch will appear much stronger and brighter in colour than the same stain applied to darker wood such as cedar. Use an offcut of the cladding to test the colour of the stain before you start the job. Some woods may need multiple coats of stain to reach the desired colour.

If planning a new build with exterior timber cladding, consider access and maintenance. Wood stains need to be reapplied every couple of years, so if stains are applied at a height that requires scaffolding, this adds significant hassle and cost to reapplication.

Most wood stains require maintenance every 2-3 summers and wood oils, often annually.

Which product?

Resene Waterborne Woodsman

This penetrating oil stain is absorbed into the timber, colouring the wood and allowing the grain and natural beauty of the wood to show through. Resene Waterborne Woodsman is available in a wide range of colours, including black, bright and limed colours and in Resene CoolColour variants, to allow greater design freedom and creativity. This Environmental Choice approved product contains fungicides to help prevent damage from mould and also helps protect against UV light.

It’s suitable for use on a wide range of exterior timber surfaces, including weatherboards, dressed and rough sawn timber, fences, beams and plywood. It is also tolerant of poorly prepared and weathered timber, making it an excellent choice for older cedar.

Resene Woodsman (traditional oil-based) wood oil stain

This solventborne traditional penetrating oil stain gives a natural look to timber. It absorbs well into exterior timber surfaces such as weatherboards, decking and furniture. It is very suitable for rough sawn timber on weatherboards and fences and on decking as an alternative to Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain or Resene Furniture and Decking Oil. Resene Woodsman is often used on more weathered surfaces as the solventborne stain can penetrate better.

did you know?  Resene Woodsman comes in a CoolColour variant, which reflects more heat, keeping the stain and surface cooler in the hot summer. Resene CoolColour also reduces the incidence of cupping and warping. Dark colours are not suitable for all surfaces, so check with your Resene ColorShop team whether a dark colour and a Resene CoolColour are right for your project.

Waterborne vs solventborne?

Waterborne stains and clears can be thinned and cleaned up with water when wet and have a faster drying time. They are low odour and lower in VOC (volatile organic compounds) than solventborne stains. Waterborne stains are, in most cases, more durable.

Solventborne stains tend to give a more natural look when first applied, but they must be cleaned up with other solvents, such as turps. They are high in VOCs and higher in odour. They usually penetrate deeper than waterborne stains and are more tolerant of adverse weather conditions (e.g. humidity) while drying.

top tip  Tannin staining from timber is a brownish or tan discolouration of waterborne wood stains that can occur when the stain is applied over bare wood. Staining commonly occurs when water soluble tannins found in wood, particularly cedar, redwood, kwila and beech, seep through a waterborne stain and discolour it. Although the discolouration may bleach out in open, exposed areas, it can be persistent in damp areas that receive little sunlight. If tannin staining is likely, use a solventborne stain like Resene Woodsman Wood Oil Stain.

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