Initial care for decking

To ensure that your decking will last a long time, it is important to plan the initial care very carefully.

With timber decking, you can decide whether the surface should develop a natural patina through weathering and only apply a clear coating, or whether the original colour should be preserved with the help of pigmented and colour-matched oils.


If you have chosen a pigmented stain, the following should be observed:

  • Allow wood species with an especially high content of wood extractives to weather off before the initial treatment.
  • Before the natural greying process begins, two coats should be applied in dry weather. For this treatment, Osmo Wood Oil for the respective wood species can be used.
  • For a different colour, consult your local Osmo dealer. Ensure that the oil is always applied thinly, evenly and with the wood grain. Well-suited for this kind of work is Osmo Decking Brush in combination with Osmo System Telescopic Handle – for quick and back-friendly work while standing.

As top coat on a colour treated decking, clear oils from Osmo (Wood Oil Teak, Anti-Slip Decking Oil) enable a less intense pigmentation. Anti-Slip Decking Oil has a non-slip effect and prevents green growth on the surface.

As a single product application, both Teak-Oil and Anti-Slip Decking Oil are not suitable because without a pigmented base coat, they cannot withstand the high traffic and wear on decking and harmful UV radiation.

Initial care for decking