can I use wood oil or wood preservative on an outdoor bench?

[kathykate]

I have a big old garden bench - I got it for a song in the eighties when they were ripping all the lovely old benches out of Catford Station and replacing them with those red holey ugly seats.

It's been great, but a tad neglected over the years. Lately I have been deliberately letting the paint peel off because it was so thick. It's now almost back to bare wood, the wood is hard and silver colour with age. I had a brainwave the other day, instead of painting it again, couldn't I just use wood preservative, or wood oil? I'd much rather do this as it's easy to slap on a coat of this every year, not so easy to paint it every year... Got the idea as I was oiling the wood on my canvas outdoor chairs.

My question is this: what would be best - preservative or oil? Or could I do a layer of both? Also, as it gets sat on, it would need to be non staining. Can you get non staining preservative? Used that green stuff recently and that was most definitely of the staining kind!

All fired up and want to do it now!!

[robbiebobs]

hello kathykate did mine last year with cuprinol wood stain then put several coats clear wood varnish on if that helps any

[robbiebobs]

hello kathykate. did mine last year with Cuprinol wood stain then several coats clear varnish. hope that helps.

[Grandpappy]

Establish what kind of wood it actually is first and then ask an expert; those old seats can last a lifetime,so take care of it and don't rush!