Stains and oils protect your exterior timber from the weather and help make sure that your timber stays in better shape for longer. Whether you need UV resistance, protection from the weather or mould resistance, staining or oiling your exterior timber makes a huge difference to how your timber looks as well as how long it will last.

As stains and oils are semi-transparent, the final finish will depend on the nature of the timber being finished. Stains applied to light woods will appear much stronger and brighter in colour than stains applied to dark wood. In all cases, ensure that a Resene testpot is first trialled on a sample piece of the timber to ensure that it gives the desired result before coating.



Most wood stains will require recoating every two to three summers. Performance is related to the depth of colour applied, therefore light applications and dressed surfaces may require maintenance sooner, while heavier applications and rough sawn surfaces will usually require less maintenance.

If you’re planning a dark colour outside, choose a Resene CoolColour option if it’s available. A Resene CoolColour reflects more heat than a standard colour, helping to keep the surface cooler and helping to reduce warping and other timber damage.

Resene has an extensive range of woodcare products to suit your every need. Resene Kwila Timber Stain is designed specifically for Kwila, Resene Furniture and Decking Oil is perfect to achieve a natural finish and Resene Timber and Furniture Gel is great for rejuvenating furniture.

The Resene Woodsman range is a great go-to for staining timber externally.



* Resene Woodsman Decking Stain is a waterborne modified oil-based stain developed especially for new and weathered decking.

* Resene Waterborne Woodsman is a waterborne wood stain ideal for a variety of external timber surfaces such as fences, planter boxes and weatherboards.

* Resene Woodsman Wood Oil Stain is particularly great for old, worn or rough sawn timber as it can penetrate deeply into the timber.