Timber is a popular choice for home exteriors due to its natural beauty and durability. However, over time, exposure to the elements can cause timber to deteriorate, fade, and even rot.
Regular timber maintenance not only enhances the look of your home but also protects it from potential damage. Whether you have cedar cladding, Kwila or pine timber decking, or other timber features in your home, it’s important to understand the best practices for maintaining and preserving the timber to ensure its longevity and beauty.
Dryden’s range of products and expertise in exterior timber maintenance helps protect your home from rain, snow, and UV rays.
Protecting Cedar
Cedar is a great choice for exterior cladding and screening. It’s naturally resistant to insects, rot and decay, making it an ideal material for outdoor use. However, cedar needs to be protected against the elements in order to maintain its beauty and expand its lifespan.
Moisture and UV damage are the enemies – that’s why we recommend a migrating oil for your cedar cladding. Dryden WoodOil protects from the inside out to help prevent excessive warping, cupping, and splitting. For enhanced UV protection, Dryden Colourtone+ provides a protective finish as well as colour.
Protecting Kwila
Kwila or Merbau is a premium hardwood used widely for decking in New Zealand. Featuring a beautiful reddish-brown tone, Kwila is known for its high density, durability and natural resistance to boring insects.
Protect your Kwila by coating it with a high-quality decking oil like Dryden OilStain Exterior, which deeply penetrates the timber and nourishes it from within.
OilStain Exterior can be applied on its own to Kwila if you want a clear finish and prefer the natural silvered look caused by sun exposure. However, if you want to prevent silvering, maintain colour and add UV protection, we recommend mixing Colourtone+ with OilStain Exterior as part of your deck staining process.
Protecting Pine
Radiata pine has become a favourite for decking in New Zealand because it’s an affordable timber that’s easy to work with. It’s a durable, medium-density softwood that’s resistant to fungi and boring insects.
Dryden OilStain Exterior can be used to protect pine from the elements with or without Colourtone+. OilStain’s transparency and excellent interaction with the pine’s surface protect the wood from within while enhancing its natural warm yellow colour and growth rings.
Timber Cladding Maintenance
New Zealand’s moisture and UV factors are different from overseas. Dryden WoodOil is made for our conditions and is designed to be an easy and effective way to protect your timber from the elements.
The unique, New Zealand-designed formulae of Dryden Woodcare make it the right fit for every Kiwi home. Cedar, NZ natives and overseas timbers are all better with Dryden.
Cladding maintenance becomes much easier with Dryden! Our products can be applied with standard brushes, rollers and spray guns by DIY’ers and pros alike.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT TIMBER MAINTENANCE
Exterior timber should be cleaned at least every 12 months. An annual soft wash and surface inspection will ensure your timber stays protected and keeps looking its best. For softwoods already coated with migrating oil, follow it up with regular applications of Dryden WoodOil, which will help reduce the excessive warping, cupping, and splitting of the timber.
Generally, timber cladding needs a re-coat every 2-3 summers with a premium solution like Dryden WoodOil. Every wood is different, and a visual inspection each year will help you choose the right maintenance schedule.
For example, homes exposed to sea spray or facings with high amounts of sun may need more frequent re-coating than the south side of the house or those in shady areas.
Keep outdoor wood looking as new as possible with regular timber maintenance. An annual wash and applying the right protective coatings as needed – normally every 2-3 years.
If you want to maintain a natural grey, weathered look, Dryden WoodOil or Oilstain can both be applied as a clear coating.
To add colour to your timber, add one of 37 shades of Dryden Colourtone+ to Dryden OilStain or WoodOil. This adds rich colours as well as added resistance to harsh UV rays.
Our Cedar Maintenance Guide has detailed instructions on how to keep cedar cladding looking its best.
Maintaining timber decking is simple and straightforward with Dryden, whether it’s made from Radiata pine or Kwila. First, prepare with Dryden LiquidTimberClean to clean any dirt or debris off the deck. Dry and apply two coats of Dryden OilStain Exterior or Oilstain and Colourtone+. Check every six months and recoat if maintenance is needed. Refer to the Kwila and Pine maintenance guides for detailed instructions.
Look out for signs of common issues like rotting, mould growth and warping. If any problems are detected, follow our Kwila and pine restoration guides for instructions on how to fix them.
TIMBER MAINTENANCE GUIDES
PINE MAINTENANCE
KWILA DECK MAINTENANCE
OTHER GUIDES