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Radial Timber Sealer
Timber Finishes

Radial Timber Sealer

A clear, unpigmented sealer for hardwood you want to grey off naturally. Controls moisture as it silvers, so it weathers evenly instead of checking and splitting.

  • Clear, no pigment
  • Lets timber grey naturally
  • One-off application
  • Reduces checking & splitting

Where to get it

Find a stockist
Australian Made certified Australian made in Cheltenham, Victoria — since 1988

Need advice?
03 9532 0679

Start here

Which one do I need?

Match the timber's tone for a natural look, or pick a colour. Same penetrating oil underneath; only the pigment changes.

Mid to dark, natural Merbau · Spotted Gum · Jarrah · Ironbark · Redgum · Western Red Cedar Aussie Clear → Blond to mid, natural Blackbutt · Silvertop Ash · Yellow Stringybark · White Cypress Aussie Clear Light → Treated pine, natural Radiata & Slash Pine — softwoods need a different oil Exterior Pine Clear → Walnut brown Any exterior timber — one designer tone across blond, dark, pine and cedar Walnut Timber Finish → Charcoal, near-black Any exterior timber — cladding, screens, fences Charcoal Black Stain → Weathered silver-grey Any exterior timber — the aged look on day one Rustic Grey Stain →
Let it grey naturally Hardwood you want to silver — clear, unpigmented sealer Radial Timber Sealer — this page

Directions for use

Preparing the timber, then applying

Before you brush

  1. CLEAN Clean and dry A clean, dry surface free of dirt, grease and wax.
  2. GREY Already grey? Clean it Greyed timber should first be cleaned with Grey Deck Cleaner, then allowed to dry.
  3. NEW New timber is the ideal case It is designed as a one-off initial application on new or green hardwood — apply it as the timber goes up.

Applying the sealer

  1. COAT One generous coat Brush, roller, spray, dip, wipe — or a lambswool applicator on decks and floors. Coat all end grain well to minimise water absorption.
  2. DRY Allow 24 hours A minimum of 24 hours before foot traffic on decks.
  3. AGAIN Still looks dry? Once more If the timber still looks dry after the first coat, another application may be needed.
Changing your mind laterIt takes a pigmented overcoat — Aussie Clear or Walnut Timber Finish — but the greyed surface needs Grey Deck Cleaner first.

Where it goes

Hardwood that's meant to silver

External cladding, window frames, fences, trellis, decking and pergolas in hardwood — and especially radial-sawn board-and-batten cladding, natural-edge weatherboards and green timber that needs to season in place.

Radial board-and-batten The product was developed for radial-sawn timber and its wide, live boards.
Natural-edge weatherboards Waney-edge cladding that is left to weather.
Green timber seasoning Sealed as it goes up, so it dries slowly in place rather than checking.
Cladding & screens Any hardwood facade meant to grey evenly.
Fences & pergolas Structural timber that will silver rather than be re-oiled.
Decking A lambswool applicator makes it quick on floors and decks.

Seals the timber, not the colour

Why it works

Every other finish in the range holds a colour. Radial Timber Sealer does the opposite job: it repels and controls moisture while the timber weathers to its natural silver-grey — so you get the look without the damage that usually comes with it.

Controls the drying

A blend of organic and inorganic resins slows rapid moisture loss — the cause of surface checking in new and green timber.

Stops the black spotting

An inbuilt mouldicide keeps greying timber silver rather than black.

Still looks and feels like timber

Non-film-forming and unpigmented. The timber greys off from UV as it would untreated, just evenly.

Specifications

Specifications
Timber
Hardwood — new, green or existing
Finish
Clear, unpigmented, non-film-forming; timber greys naturally
Coverage
Seasoned timber 11–12 m²/L dressed, 8–9 m²/L sawn · green timber 9–11 dressed, 7–8 sawn
Dry time
24 hours before foot traffic
Recoat
Designed as a one-off application; water repellent for over 12 months on fully exposed timber
Clean-up
Mineral turpentine
Pack sizes
4 L, 10 L and 20 L
Made in
Australia

Common questions
Will the timber still go grey?
Yes — that is the point. It greys off naturally from UV over roughly 18 months, but evenly, and without the checking, splitting and black mould spotting that unprotected timber gets on the way.
How often do I reapply?
It is designed as a one-time application on new timber. It stays water repellent for over 12 months on fully exposed timber and loses repellency slowly after that. Re-seal if you want to keep the water repellency going.
Can I change to a coloured finish later?
Yes. Clean the greyed surface with Grey Deck Cleaner, let it dry, and it will take Aussie Clear or Walnut Timber Finish.
What is radial-sawn timber?
Timber cut like the spokes of a wheel rather than across the log, so every board has the same stable grain orientation. It is sold as wide board-and-batten cladding and natural-edge weatherboards — the timber this sealer was developed for.
Before you start

Worth reading first

The science Why timber goes grey Read more → How-to Choosing an exterior timber finish Read more → The science Australian timber species and how they weather Read more →
Related

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Rustic Grey Stain

Rustic Grey Stain

The grey look on day one — a pigmented stain instead of waiting for the weather.

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Aussie Clear

Aussie Clear

Hold the timber's colour instead of letting it grey.

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Grey Deck Cleaner

Grey Deck Cleaner

The prep step before this, or before switching to a coloured finish later.

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Australian made in Cheltenham, Victoria since 1988 — founded by two CSIRO timber scientists. The whole story →