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Can you paint over water-based decking oil?

sjr
Just Starting Out

Can you paint over water-based decking oil?

Have new treated pine deck. Prepped with Cabot's pre oil prep. One coat of Cabot's aqua deck applied. Now decided want to paint and not oil. How can I do this?

MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: waterbased decking oil

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @sjr. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about preparing a deck for paint.

Switching from recently applied oil to paint on a new treated pine deck is challenging because the oil now occupies the timber pores. This prevents paint from properly absorbing and adhering, leading to potential peeling and flaking. Additionally, the oil is likely to bleed through and stain the paint, compromising the finished look. Painting directly over the oil isn't a viable option.

 

To address this, you can either let the oil naturally age and weather away, which can take several months to a year, or use Cabot's 2L New Timber Prep to strip the oil. The latter requires multiple applications to remove the oil thoroughly, and even then, there's no guarantee that residual oil won't affect the paint. After using the timber prep, ensure the deck is dry, sanded, and primed with a suitable exterior wood primer before applying your chosen paint. This preparation is essential for achieving the best possible results when painting over a previously oiled deck.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

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Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Can you paint over water-based decking oil?

Hi @sjr,

 

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. 

 

Could I please add to Mitch's reply and suggest you share some photos of your deck in its current state so we can assess its condition? Was there a reason you now want to paint the timber? We would be more than happy to assist further to ensure your new deck looks fantastic. 

 

Many thanks,

 

Jason

 

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