How To Finish White Oak For Exterior Use

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When most people think of something that'south 600 years quondam, thoughts of obsolete technology made of cast iron come up to mind. This is non the case with everything though, and in the case of oak tree wood, you lot couldn't hope to find a more personable wood to work with. Oak copse tin range anywhere from 600 to over chiliad years sometime and take been effectually long before then, in even bigger and tougher forms. Oak is a strong and versatile forest that has many applications throughout the private and commercial marketplace, so let's take a look at what makes this wood so special and how you lot tin can get most finishing it to make your next workpiece stand out.

Tabular array of Contents

1 What Makes Oak Wood So Special?
two What Is the Difference Betwixt Blood-red Oak and White Oak?
- 2.1 Cherry-red Oak Wood
- 2.2 White Oak Wood
3 What Types of Finishes Are Bachelor for Reddish and White Oak Forest?
- iii.1 Brushed or Sprayed Lacquer Blanket
- 3.ii Danish Oil Treatment
- 3.three Beeswax Finish
4 What Is the Best Stop for Oak Wood?
5 How to Finish Oak
- 5.ane Set Your Board
- 5.two Prepare Your Stain
- 5.iii Employ Your Woods Stain
6 Frequently Asked Questions
- 6.1 Is Staining Cherry Oak Easy?
- half-dozen.2 Is White Oak Skillful Forest?
- 6.3 Why Is White Oak Then Expensive?

What Makes Oak Wood So Special?

Oak is one of the oldest forest on the face of the planet, and as we mentioned previously many examples of these species are more than capable of living well beyond 500 years old. This is extremely long-lived, in fact, its lifespan is but rivaled past bacteria and some very fortunate sea turtles.

Oakwood isn't just well known for its long lifespan, it is known mainly for how versatile of material its heartwood and sapwood can be used for various applications, a skillful example of this is how oak heartwood can be used to make furnishings with actually robust applications similar chests of drawers, hardwood floor, covering, and fifty-fifty exterior decks.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the sapwood of oak trees can exist used for more lightweight applications, while they can be used for things like small furnishings, arm and leg rests, and even small shelving. Oakwood is often coveted for beingness the strongest and most durable woods on the face of the planet and can fetch quite a bit of coin outside of the United States.

In fact, oak is such a well-rounded wood that is used almost exclusively by i of the most industrious woodworking cultures in America, the Amish. Their people accept used oak for generations to ensure that both housing and agricultural structures are made of the almost durable and simultaneously flexible natural material bachelor to them.

Although white oak is arguably the most common species of oak used in and around the United States, there are over threescore varieties of oak. Each has it ain color, grain pattern, and main applications.

Oakwood is too unique due to the way it changes in color over fourth dimension, where most other woods tend to but become irksome, oak wood ranges from beautiful reds to oranges and even variations of yellowish as it ages. The aging process is dependent on the amount of sunlight oak is exposed to, therefore different regions of the US experience well-nigh entirely unlike colour spectrums equally their workpieces historic period over time.

What Is the Difference Between Cerise Oak and White Oak?

Equally we mentioned previously the near mutual blazon of oak on the market is white oak, which many refer to simply equally "natural oak". The 2nd most common variation of the wood is red oak which is subtly different while simultaneously being entirely distinct from white oak. Allow's have a look at some of the key differences between red oak wood and white oak forest so it's a bit easier for you to decide which wood will adapt your adjacent project best.

Red Oak Wood

Red oak wood has always been a party pleaser in the woodworking industry, and although it is distinct from the more unremarkably used white oak it has a lot of the same qualities, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise as the two types of forest are typically used for the same purposes.

Scarlet oak is commonly found in the Northeast United States and is slightly lighter in advent compared to white oak. Cherry-red oak has a stunning brain pattern that is largely compatible in appearance, which is why this forest is often virtually sought later on in the flooring industry, due to the symmetry a flooring made from this species of the oak tree can provide.

Scarlet oak, as you might have guessed, has a cherry appearance, but this leans more than toward a pink or orange undertone when compared to the actual colour red, in fact, if cherry-red Oakwood has been grown in peculiarly moist soil the color might resemble a salmon tone. This forest is slightly softer than its lighter counterpart, but only by a margin of effectually lx on the Janka scale. Since this doesn't mean much one time the forest has been treated and sealed, the applications for both kinds of wood are virtually identical.

2 deal-breakers for most buyers when choosing between red oak and white oak is the fact that red oak is slightly cheaper than white oak. Withal, the trade-off is that cherry oak is susceptible to infestation by insects when untreated, where white oak is not. This being said, you should always consider what you'll be using the woods for when making your choice.

White Oak Forest

White oak could be considered the backbone of almost heavy-duty woodwork projects. This wood is primarily plant in the Eastern function regions of America and can be found in almost every trade imaginable, whether it be indoor or outdoor.

Why? Well, we mentioned previously that reddish oak is susceptible to things like rot and insect infestation, this is due to red oak having rings that are sparsely spaced which leaves room for things like moisture to gather which makes ideal conditions for rot to begin, which in turn create cavities for trivial bugs to brand their domicile.

White oak does not have this problem. Because it grows in environments that experience farthermost common cold, white oak has developed in such a way that its rings are spaced really close together, which means there is no run a risk of rot occurring.

This also makes white oak essentially watertight, which in turn makes it the go-to wood for things like flooring, roofing, outdoor decks, boat edifice, and offshoots of these applications. White oak, contrary to what the proper name suggests, isn't actually white at all, in fact, information technology presents more of an opaque, brownish, or grey color in one case it has been chopped up into boards.

This light oak wood is ideal for flooring because unlike red oak which has a deep existing tone, the colour of white oak will take less of an affect on the colors of stains or paints. White oak is also slightly stronger due to its tightly woven grain, which means that it resists harm much easier compared to ruby-red oak, but the trade-off is that information technology is slightly more expensive than ruby oak.

At the stop of the solar day, it does depend on whether you're the kind of person that would like to customize their effects (in which case y'all'll probably choose white oak) or whether y'all'd like a material that you tin only purchase, seal, and install (in which case you'll probably choose red oak).

What Types of Finishes Are Available for Reddish and White Oak Wood?

There are various oak finishes available for each blazon of Oakwood on the market today. There are intricate finishes but most of them are relatively simple, requiring footling to no preparation to go an absolutely stunning finish that could very well last the lifetime of your workpiece. Let's accept a await at some of them. Remember that oak is really piece of cake to work with, so fifty-fifty though it might seem like a monumental task, yous'll probable be washed before you know information technology.

Brushed or Sprayed Lacquer Coating

Although lacquer tin can exist practical with both a brush and a sprayer, the kind of oak terminate yous'll likely be going for here is the smooth glossy kind that reflects the sunlight coming through your living room windows (which requires the sprayer).

Lacquer (sprayer or otherwise) is a great finish considering information technology adheres to the surface of your workpiece with little to no grooming. Information technology produces a high-quality finish with just a elementary light sanding of the surface and let'due south face up it any finish that requires no priming and this level of artful entreatment is ever going to be a winner.

Lacquer does demand to be maintained a lot more than often than other finishes, merely as a merchandise-off, it does a really skillful job of protecting your workpiece from impacts and other exterior forces that might otherwise ruin all your hard work. Although it will protect your wood, if you lot have little kids around information technology volition pick upwardly scratches quite easily.

Danish Oil Treatment

If you're looking for an oak finish that looks natural and won't, have yous reapplying information technology every few months due to tiny scratches becoming visible on the surface of your workpiece, and so Danish oil might be correct up your alley. Danish oil seems to have gotten a bad rap for penetrating deep into the wood'due south surface to a worrying caste, simply this is not entirely true.

If applied correctly (or in moderation every bit near manufacturers usually country) Danish oil can produce an incredible end that allows you lot to accentuate the wood's natural tone while preserving the natural grain and providing a protective layer to both the surface and internal wood fibers of your workpiece.

The benefits of this finish aren't only visual either, its finish pretty much ensures that yous won't accept to dust it every single day, and it doesn't retain fingerprints or h2o stains the way Linseed oil or varnish practise when they are first practical. If y'all're a beginner and y'all think this end is a bit out of our league, call back again. Danish oil is not only easy to apply but information technology tin be effortlessly maintained past just sanding and re-treating areas of your workpiece that take been damaged.

Beeswax Cease

This type of finish is rivaled only by the infamous Tung oil finishes that seem to be rather popular in recent months. Beeswax is an all-natural woods treatment that provides an astonishing finish to virtually whatsoever hardwood, and every bit far as oak finishes go, beeswax is among the best on the market.

This terminate is readily available and easy to apply, just ready your workpiece with calorie-free sanding and apply asmall-scale amount to the surface. Once applied this treatment is simply rubbed into the forest to course a protective layer that not only makes your furnishings look cozy and inviting, merely volition provide a layer of protection confronting pocket-sized abrasions.

Beeswax is also actually skillful for the environment, it contains no volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and is actually easy to maintain, which ways that you won't take to go out your unabridged toolkit when maintenance time comes around. Different some of the other finishes nosotros accept looked at so far, this i does a great chore of breathing life into older furnishings which might have been neglected over time.

The trade-off for this forest handling is that it doesn't mix well with cleaning chemicals which ways that workpieces treated with Beeswax shouldn't see an awful lot of practical application.

What Is the Best Finish for Oak Forest?

Finishing oak tin can be a tough decision-making process, information technology is substantially a blank sail that allows yous to practise pretty much anything you lot'd similar. We know this, that'due south we've taken it upon ourselves to brand finishing your oak workpiece that much easier for you by providing some of the best finishes coin can purchase. Remember to e'er check whether the finish would be conducive to the type of oak you are using, whether information technology be scarlet oak or white.

Lacquer Spray
Danish Oil
Beeswax

How to End Oak

Knowing which products are best can aid you choose a cease for your oak surfaces, but if you don't know how to finish oak, you're simply buying a production for it to sit on a shelf. This being said, we have taken it upon ourselves to provide you with the best way to go almost finishing your red or white oak wood in the best mode possible. The finishes we have covered thus far take been rub-on treatments that won't crave much preparation, and since nosotros've decided to stick with this theme, we'd similar to show you how to execute i of the most beautiful finishes for oak woods: forest stain! Here is a short tutorial showing you how to stain your cerise or white oak woods board. (These methods can be used to utilize all of the aforementioned treatments too!).

Ready Your Board

When blanket or treating any wood board the nigh of import footstep you tin can take is to prepare your board properly. Once you have chosen either your cerise or white oak, ensure that yous sand information technology adequately.

Red oak is softer so you could applyslightly more fibroid sandpaper when sanding information technology down, and when sanding white oak, you should utilize between 120 to 140 grit sandpaper when preparing the wood'south surface. Sanding paper will do but fine on smaller boards, but if y'all are preparing bigger boards, you should consider using a power sander to relieve yourself some time and some elbow grease.

Once your board has been sanded, give it a once over with a clean damp textile to ensure there are no stray woods particles left on the surface of the board before moving on to the adjacent footstep in the process.

Prepare Your Stain

Once your lath has been sanded downward, it's time for you to gear up your woods stain. If you are using the kind that comes inside those tin containers simply go a stick or similar object and give it a good mix. Why do this? Well, if the stain is left alone for a while the heavier particles might sink to the bottom of the container, stirring the stain ensures that these particles rejoin the residual of the mixture.

Applying stains that have not been mixed adequately may event in poor adhesion or a poor color once the stain has had a chance to cure completely. If you are using spray-on stain, ensure that you give the tin a good milkshake before applying your beginning coat of stain to ensure that information technology is the aforementioned as the aforementioned, just don't milk shake it up too much (manufacturers normally have instructions for this pace with/on the tin).

Once you lot are certain that you have prepared your wood stain adequately, bank check that your workpiece is make clean i more time before moving on to the next footstep in the procedure.

Apply Your Woods Stain

Applying woods stain is a lot like applying paint or any other coating, with the but exception being that wood stain seeps deep into the forest'south surface instead of drying and curing on top. If y'all are applying your wood stain with a brush, merely dip ¾ of the brush into the wood stain and start applying it to the surface of the lath.

If you are staining a smaller board start from 1 end and work your way to the other, ensuring that you apply your stain evenly throughout the procedure as an uneven application tin result in sure parts of the board existence saturated and producing blotchy areas on the surface of your workpiece. The idea is to employ light coats and allow the stain to cure so you have an thought of the potency of the stain.

If you are applying, y'all stain with a material simply add together some stain either direct to the surface of the workpiece or to your fabric and rub it into the surface of your workpiece. For smaller workpieces work your manner from one finish of the board to the other, and when faced with smaller or irregularly shaped workpieces start at the center and piece of work your way outward.

Remember, if the colour is likewise lite, you can always apply more stain, but it takes considerably more than effort to sand down your entire workpiece and start over again if you lot applied too much stain. If you are using a spray-on wood stain, commencement by spraying the surface past moving your wrist in ane fluid, uninterrupted motion across your workpiece until a complete glaze has been applied.

In either case, let the coat to cure for the manufacturer's recommended time period before re-sanding and applying the next glaze if you feel that the effect produced is likewise light. Once y'all are satisfied you do have the pick of calculation a sealer such as polyurethane, but this is ultimately up to your personal preference.

Now that yous know what makes oak wood and then special, what types of finishes are available for oak wood, what the products on the marketplace are for oak wood, and how to stain your Oakwood, it'southward time for you to get out there and put your newfound knowledge to the test. Remember that you lot should always consider which type of oak you lot're using, and which applications arrange their strengths and weaknesses best.

Oft Asked Questions

Is Staining Red Oak Easy?

Is staining ruby oak easy? Red oak is considered to exist the softer of the two primary oak wood types. Although this isn't past much, it is considered to be the easier to stain of the ii forest, equally information technology absorbs and retains the stain more effectively than its white oak counterpart.

Is White Oak Good Forest?

What makes a skilful wood? This depends largely on what you lot plan on using it for, but if we're looking at objectively good characteristics in the context of common applications of wood, then white oak is a really expert forest. White oak is versatile, resistant to rot, easy to work with, aesthetically pleasing, readily available, and pretty strong also.

Why Is White Oak So Expensive?

The versatility of white oak generates high demand across multiple industries, making it more expensive than most hardwoods. In addition, white oak copse are very boring-growing and costly to harvest and process, resulting in a much higher overhead costs.

I was born in 1984 and accept been into woodworking since 2005 and woodturning since 2011. Because of my dearest for wood and woodworking, I started woodhappen.com to teach other enthusiasts virtually how to finish and seal forest, the best woodworking tools, the unlike types of wood, and everything else related to forest! Come across my full profile