exterior oil finish

[jeeves]

I Need Some Advice On A Good Ext. Stain Product. It Will Be Applied To A Mahogany Arbor. It Is A High End Arbor So I Like To Give The Customer A Nice Oil Finish Thanks Dwight

 

[DaveO]

I have had very good results with Penofin products.
http://www.penofin.com/index.shtml
Dave

 

[dancam]

I'll second Dave's suggestion on Penofin products. I've used their interior golden Oak penetrating oil finish on all the interior timbers of my timberframe and their Marine Oil (w/UV protection) on my exterior timbers.

Dan C.

 

[scsmith42]

The Texas Forrest Service Forest Products Labratory (a division of Texas A&M University) did some tests on exterior finishes for log cabins a while back.

Here is an excerpt from their report:

"Weathering tests conducted by the Texas Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory show that most wood stains, water repellents and preservatives last only 7 to 18 months before mildew or weathering begins. Most log homeowners report that they are refinishing annually to maintain the original wood color.

One product tested In Texas and Missouri has proved effective in controlling both weathering and mildew. It is TWP (Total Wood Preservative). TWP contains both a fungicide and a mildewcide, as well as a pigment, resin, ultraviolet light absorber and water repellent. The TWP finish lasts about 5 years and may be the best way of maintaining an attractive natural wood look."

The report went on to state that Sikkens products last about 1/2 as long as TWP.

I buy mine from this dealer:

http://www.woodsealants.com/index.html

They'll even send you some samples to try out. I'm converting over to TWP for all of my external finishes here on the farm.

Scott