Linseed oil on a fence

[Gib Bogle]

I've just made a picket fence, with H3 treated timber (this is treated for above ground use). I've trying to decide what to apply to it to provide some additional protection, and also some cosmetic benefits. Our thinking is not to paint (I know, best protection but more work and presumably cost, also we prefer the natural wood look). A friend recommends boiled linseed oil. From I've seen this would probably be the cheapest option, but how good is it? I read an article that refers to these disadvantages:

*Sometimes linseed oil can take forever to dry... or stays sticky or doesn't dry at all (not really a problem on a fence) *No UV (ultraviolet) light resistance... UV causes more damage to exposed wood than any other factor, destroying wood fibers and setting it up for attack by mildew, fungus, and insects. *Linseed oil is mildew food...Linseed oil is not completely denatured, so it can encourage rather than discourage mildew growth.

Comments? Any other suggestions?

[Matty F]

I don't know about linseed oil outside. I think you would have to keep applying it every year. My picket fence is really easy to paint because each section is hung on large screws and can easily be lifted off for painting. I rest them on old sheets of corrugated iron and spray paint the fence, which is

20 times quicker than hand painting.

[Gib Bogle]

I don't like the idea of annual applications.

My fence is all nailed together, no sections. Hand-made!

I guess the spray-painting idea is still possible, with a sheet of corrugated iron for example, by leaning it up against the other side of the fence to catch the excess spray.

[Andy Dingley]

Only thing linseed is the right oil for is a cricket bat.

I'd suggest a decent exterior varnish. A spar varnish (more elastic) if the fence posts are long and thin.

If you want to stick with oil, then a danish oil. These are a 2/3rd oil / 1/3rd varnish mix, although materials and proportions vary with brands. Oils just don't last forever outdoors, but this is about as good as it gets.

Organoil is, AFAIR, Australian and so ought to be available locally. They've a range of pretty good outdoor oil and varnish finishes.

[spamlet]

For a lot of things linseed oil = food. Not ideal for outdoors. The 'boiled' is supposed to set more quickly, but a walking stick I painted with the Screwfix variety last year, has been in the airing cupboard ever since and is still tacky...

Painted picket fence with expensive 'breathable' white coating one year; mostly fallen off the next. Redid with ordinary outdoor gloss - fine but do wear sunglasses while applying. Green algae and snail trails blast off with modern pressure washer, but not on jet, or paint all gone and fence too. (Slats stainless screwed on, cos kids round here like pulling them off, and saves on rust in paint.)

S

[The Medway Handyman]

IMO painting a fence is making a rod for your own back. Paint forms a coating on the surface which will bubble/flake/blister eventually. Better off with one of the specialised fench treatments.

[Matty F]

I have a tin of Wattyl Deck and Furniture Oil which should be suitable for a fence, and can be touched up easily if necessary. Otherwise if the fence is H3 Radiata Pine it needs no treatment and will turn a silver colour.

[Gib Bogle]

French? Ah, fence. I think the same way. I guess what you're saying is don't go half way with linseed oil, but use something more targetted to the application.

[Gib Bogle]

[Gib Bogle]

Thanks for that suggestion. I agree about the "no treatment" policy (it's all H2 pine), but her indoors has other ideas - she thinks that attractive silver colour looks old and tired and uncared-for.

[stuart noble]

Better than tired and uncared for and covered in streaks of ginger coloured stain, which is how our local park benches look after last year's makeover.

[stephen.hull]

Linseed oil needs to breath after application, you need light and oxygen for it to dry properly. If you put your walking stick in a naturally lit and well ventilated area it will dry.

When used in paint, raw linseed oil retards the drying process whereas boiled linseed oil accelerates the process, boiled is/was normally used in synthetic paints.

We used to use raw linseed to slow down the drying process on some coach work that required a slower drying window, (usually on very large areas) adding more boiled oil would unnecessarily speed up the drying process but they both still need light and ventilation to encourage the absorption of oxygen which helps it to dry.

Stephen.

[spamlet]

Thanks for the tips, I'll hang my sticks back outside. Who knows, I might get a second coat on some time and even finish the sticks! I remember boiling my own linseed oil years ago, and probably made a better job of it than Screwfix - who don't seem to sell it any more...

Cheers, S

S

[stephen.hull]

You have to be careful you don't overcook the oil though.

You would be better off going to your local household paint supplier who would specialise in paints and sundry items etc.

Boiled and raw Linseed oil are still extensively available.

Stephen.

[Andy Dingley]

There are several different forms of "boiled" linseed. As far as true oils made by prolonged boiling go, they're effectively unavailable. The stuff sold today as "boiled" is an unboiled warm mixture with a pre-made drier compound, almost always cobalt-based. The classic boiled oils used lead, manganese or a mixture of the two cooked into the oil with prolonged heated. Owing to the lead content, these are now unavailable - even though their final lead content was only ever a fraction of a percent, rather than the 30% seen in paint with lead pigments.

I make my own lead boiled oils, as do a handful of sources for reenactment purposes (mostly oilcloth, some for firearms stocking). Selling it is possible, but has paperwork issues. The stuff is very different to modern "boiled linseed" oils, particularly for its fexibility and water resistance.

[spamlet]

Yuk!

I don't remember seeing any warnings about poisonous constituents before! They don't put anything in the 'raw' as well do they?

S