Product of the month: Resene wood stains

11 Jul 2023

Take a leaf out of Mother Nature’s playbook… whether it’s exterior cladding on a modern architectural home or native timber flooring in a warm cosy interior, wood has been used in and on our homes and buildings since the earliest times.

Nature-inspired designs stem from our renewed appreciation of the outdoors and the environment. With plenty of options to choose from you can rejuvenate timber finishes, maximise their natural beauty and keep them looking good.  Whether you need to rejuvenate old timber or maximise the natural beauty and protection of new timber, there’s a Resene woodcare product to suit your needs.

No piece of timber is the same. Each plank has a different grain and unique knots, which tell the story of the tree from which it was harvested. The Resene woodcare range of wood stains, including Resene Woodsman for outdoor timber and Resene Colorwood for interiors, protects timber while also retaining and enhancing the natural beauty of wood. Non film-forming wood stains soak into the timber rather than coating the surface like paint, highlighting the beautiful grains of wood and retaining the fibrous texture.

But even nature needs a helping hand. Wood is prone to UV damage, particularly in Australia and New Zealand; our clear skies and temperate weather cycles means it needs extra care. Protecting timber with wood stains from the Resene Woodsman and Resene Colorwood range helps timber to keep looking its best and allows for it to be rejuvenated and refreshed later.

Resene Woodsman

Resene Woodsman wood stains are designed for exterior timber. Resene Woodsman not only colours timber but weatherproofs it, protects it from UV damage and kills fungi and mould, prolonging the lifespan of the wood. Stains are semi-transparent and penetrating, meaning the colour is absorbed into the timber to allow the wood's natural grain to show through.

As timber comes in various colours, densities, textures and weathers in different ways, the colour of your stain will vary depending on your type of timber. Stain applied to light woods such as Siberian larch will appear much stronger and brighter in colour than the same stain applied to darker wood such as cedar. Use an offcut of the cladding to test the colour of the stain using Resene testpots before you start the job. Some woods may need multiple coats of stain to reach the desired colour.

Waterborne or solventborne?

Resene Waterborne Woodsman penetrating oil stain is absorbed into the timber, colouring the wood and allowing the grain and natural beauty of the wood to show through. Resene Waterborne Woodsman is available in a wide range of colours, including black, bright and limed colours and in Resene CoolColour variants, to allow greater design freedom and creativity. This Environmental Choice approved product contains fungicides to help prevent damage from mould and also helps protect against UV light.

It’s suitable for use on a wide range of exterior timber surfaces, including weatherboards, dressed and rough sawn timber, fences, beams and plywood. It is also tolerant of poorly prepared and weathered timber, making it an excellent choice for older cedar.

Resene Woodsman solventborne traditional penetrating oil stain gives a natural look to timber. It absorbs well into exterior timber surfaces such as weatherboards, decking and furniture. It is very suitable for rough sawn timber on weatherboards and fences and on decking as an alternative to Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain or Resene Furniture and Decking Oil. Resene Woodsman is often used on more weathered surfaces as the solventborne stain can penetrate better.

Clear beware

Clear finishes on exterior timber do not provide adequate protection against harsh UV light. If you’re looking to achieve a natural look finish, choose a Resene wood stain colour close to the original timber colour.  This will provide added protection to the timber while keeping it looking natural.

See Resene ColorShops nationwide for a copy of the Resene Exterior Timber Stains colour chart, or order a copy online.

Cedar stained with Resene Woodsman Natural becomes a statement feature contrasted against the Resene Woodsman Pitch Black cladding in this multi-unit housing project by Jonathan Walker Architects (JWA). Image by Simon Devitt.

This home won a Resene Total Colour Residential Exterior Colour Maestro Award. The exterior cladding is Siberian larch finished with Resene Woodsman Whitewash. The trims are painted in Resene Double Sea Fog. The design, by Auckland's SGA Architects, is inspired by a traditional lean-to. Image by Simon Devitt.

Resene Woodsman Whero is striking on the cladding of this project by Sargisson Pirie & Williams Architects. Resene Woodsman Whero contrasts brilliantly with the greenery and is a contemporary alternative to the heritage paint hue, Resene Pioneer Red.

Resene Colorwood

On exteriors, timber cladding helps your home blend into the natural environment but when used indoors, wooden wall cladding, joinery and flooring helps bring nature inside. But even indoors, nature needs a little protection. Even though interior timber does not face the full force of the sun’s rays and is not being pounded by rain, hail or snow, it needs protecting from contact, indirect UV light, moisture, dust and everyday wear and tear. The Resene Colorwood wood stain range and the Resene range of clear coats will help protect your interior timber.

Resene Colorwood waterborne penetrating wood stain is formulated for interior timber and can be used to enhance timber and composite boards, including Strandboard, plywood, MDF and most flooring. It’s available in a range of natural shades as well as vibrant colours, is low odour and can be easily applied with a brush with the excess wiped off with a cloth.  You can also choose from the Resene Woodsman range of colours if you want to continue your exterior colour inside. What’s more, all colours can be intermixed, allowing you to create your own colours.

Resene Colorwood is usually overcoated with Resene Aquaclear, Resene Qristal Clear polyurethane or Resene Qristal ClearFloor. Rough sawn interior timber, such as beams, may be stained with Resene Colorwood without clear finishing or polyurethaning.

The finished colour is influenced by the timber colour itself, the denseness of the timber and the length of time the stain is left before the excess is wiped off. Always test Resene Colorwood on a small off-cut of timber to ensure the desired colour is being achieved. Strong colours may be difficult to achieve on hardwood and heart timbers due to lack of penetration. If the selected colour is too strong, reduce with Resene Colorwood Reducing Base.

Overcoating is also recommended to ensure the timber is protected and to maximise the longevity of the finish. Resene Colorwood is easily overcoated with Resene Aquaclear, Resene Qristal Polyurethanes or Resene Polythane.

SIPs specialist Tonia Williams used Resene Colorwood Jarrah on top of the textured oriented strand board (OSB) wall before overcoating with Resene Aquaclear tinted with Resene Colorwood Enhance Jarrah. Image by Helen Bankers.

While the outside of the Red House by Crosson Architects is in dazzling Resene Red Berry, indoors the palette is more neutral with interior plywood walls finished in clear Resene Aquaclear and timber flooring finished in Resene Qristal Clear HD Poly-Satin. Image by Simon Devitt. 

Beachwashed beauty

Nothing says relaxation quite like the beach. Bring a touch of seaside rest and relaxation to your home’s interior with the Resene Colorwood We Speak Beach range. This range of colourwashes comes in six relaxing hues ideal for flooring, walls or furniture in a range of colours borrowed from the beach.

Like popular Resene Colorwood Whitewash, Resene Light Greywash and Resene Mid Greywash, the We Speak Beach range are colourwashes which sit more on the surface of the wood than a stain, but still allow the natural grain of the timber to show through. These weathered hues will take you from sea to shore with the soft blues and greens of Resene Rising Tide and Resene Shore Thing, sandy hues like Resene Breathe Easy and Resene Becalm to the colours of the rocky shore with Resene Shade and Resene Bask. Use these wash hues individually or combine them into a coastal palette. Ideal for baches and cribs or to bring coastal style to any home.

To achieve the minimalist look without the starkness of a pure white, try Resene Colorwood Whitewash paired with natural timber furniture. Flooring in Resene Soapstone. 

For more information:

See the habitat plus wood stains book as a quick guide to using the Resene Woodcare range both inside and outside, featuring application tips and colour inspiration and much more. View free online or pick up a copy at your local Resene ColorShop or reseller.

Published: 11 Jul 2023