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I have doors, patio furniture and windows which all need constant attention in terms of varnish and wood sealers.
I have recently found a good contact for raw linseed oil, and would like to use something like this to preserve my wood.
What is the better choice between raw and boiled linseed and should I rather use the polywax sealers that you get in stores?
Essentially I would like to retain the lustre of the wood.
I've used linseed oil on deck furniture. It gave a beautiful finish (brought out all the natural colors), and looked great for the whole summer. But by the next year it needed doing again, which I'll be doing soon. It's cheap deck furniture, so I don't mind if it degrades a little while I pretend it doesn't yet need to be retreated. Personally, I wouldn't do that with window/door trim.
IIRC, I mixed it with turpentine, which I believe helps it soak into the wood.
Elsewhere on my house I'm testing a toner product called Penofin, on some redwood. That's holding up great so far, and I'm expecting to only have to re-apply it every few years. (it contains micro metalic elements, which reflect/block some of the harmful UV light) There are plenty of Penofin competitors / alternatives too. Personally, I'd use something like that on doors/windows, or paint them.
I have always used boiled linseed oil on the handle of my garden equipment. Wooden shovels, rakes, pickaxes, and such. That's what I thought it was for. It lasts a long time and doesn't get slick or gummy. I just get a rag wet with it and wipe it on. It should look great on some outside furniture.
About 35 years ago, I build an Adirondack Chair using pressure treated wood. To preserve the wood I used an old farmers recipe using Linseed oil, which follows...
Apply oil, after time to soak in, wipe excess off... | Once a day for a week | Once a week for a month | Once a month for a year... | After that, as needed
My chair as I said, is about 35 years old and it has been outside since I finished the project.
Two notes:
We built our log cabin about 10 years from recycled logs. We wanted to protect our logs from rot, boring beetles, and carpenter ants. Originally we made a trough and soaked our logs in boiled linseed oil and kerosene, like they did in the days of yore. It is much less expensive than polyurethane and paint thinner. Linseed oil is thick so it must be thinned out to enter the pores. We are extremely satisfied with the results, especially since log homes are high maintenance. If you are considering building a log cabin from scratch. Talk yourself out of it and stick build it! Ha ha, and good luck
I see this has an accepted answer but it depends on the type of wood redwood can last 20,30,40 years outside with no treatment at all. We used to install redwood decks around pools when I was a kid. After my Dad died and I was in the service mom had the pool filled in. After over 25 years mom wanted the side yard back and the deck removed. Prior to my dad's passing he had started a master suite on the house, mom asked me to demo the foundation and I talked her into letting me use the deck materials to make a deck on the " new" foundation in case some day the house could be expanded, that was over 20 years ago and the deck is still there I think it was sealed a few times prior to dads departure but not since and the only maintenance has been to the support beams and replacing some (many nails with screws). So it depends on the type of wood. Linseed oil will need a solvent or it will be two thick and turn the wood dark plus annual reapplication, varathane will yellow over time and needs to be stripped and reapplied we used to use clear Thompson's water seal but that had to be reapplied every 2 years in northern California but it had uv inhibitors that slowed the redwood from turning gray, again with most popular natural deck materials the wood will change color but the amount of change can be slowed, and the type of wood can make a difference, I love using linseed on inside projects with some solvent it makes a nice finish (note raw oil needs to be refrigerated or it will go bad, it is also a super natural oil for seasoning cast iron cook ware no solvent needed there). But the basics are to add a solvent to help it dry I think we used touline? Or turpentine as dad said why pay 4x for boiled that was just old flax oil with some solvent flow.
We used linseed oil on an outside door. Big mistake as it promoted mould as the doors got the sprinkler spray. Better to use one of the commercial outdoor furniture oil as it is non-organic.
Boiled linseed oil does not contain and UV preventatives. The darker "oiled" color attracts and holds sunlight/heat. If you seal a piece with a higher moisture content (if you do not let it dry a day or two after last rain) you can promote decay of the teak cellular structure, like boiling it alive from inside. Its probably OK for a once a year treatment, but multiple coats may make it dark and also, it attracts bugs that feed on the oil. An older man in a boatyard shared this with me which I use with success: I use a 50/50 boiled LSO/Listerene on teak deck furniture (original medicinal flavour). The alcohol in the Listerene helps penetration, and not only does it make the oil less bug tastey, it has the added advantage of repelling mosquito's. I also make a tincture of Listerine, lemon tree leaves, lavender, a Listerine cap full of lemon juice and a small sliver cut from an Irish Spring soapbar. After sitting for a week with the botanicals in a jar, I place the small soap piece in, add 40% tap water and strain it into a spray bottle, that I use to remove tree sap, and Honey dew from my deck and patio furniture. The Irish spring keeps Spiders at bay and the other ingredients do a quick job of cleaning the sticky mess on my deck chairs and table with a spray on, wipe off ease, and... You guessed it. No mosquito's on the deck anymore. Without the soap you can spray on your person instead of OFF.
Boiled linseed oil as original treatment. At the boatyard I saw people laboring constantly to remove and repaint with numerous and sundry paints, etc. I simply spray mine with baby oil every now and then. It sheds water and does not peel and look awful like the commercial coatings. I couldnt figure out why everyone doesnt do this. If you want a 'color' or stain, mix shoe polish of your desired color in with the baby oil. Strain after mixing if you are using a sprayer as there are almost always tiny bits of the shoe polish which are hard to get to dissolve. Problem Solved! PS: I also used this mixture on leather projects! Keeps the leather soft and pliable and prevents rot/mold....beautiful. You can include boots and shoes in that use also.
We use it on actual tow behind trailer decks, it needs done once a year but prolongs the life of the treated wood that's on there.
