The 10 Best Wood Preserver Reviews For UK Homes (2022)
Last Updated on April 26, 2022
Are you tired of watching all your beautiful wooden structures fall prey to rot, fading, attacks from insects, and bad weather? A good wood preserver can act as a bodyguard against these bad guys, saving you from costly repairs or replacements. Let’s see which preserver is the best for your garden!
Our Top 3 Wood Preserver Picks
1. The Best Wood Preserver By Cuprinol
2. The Best Wood Preserver Against Moisture By Nourish And Protect
3. The Best Wood Preserver For Vulnerable Wood By Roxil
Product Testing & Comparing
A lot of our readers wanted to know which wood preservers are the most worthwhile purchase for their garden benches, fences and even decking. Our review team responded and gathered all the top brands, selected the most popular products and then put them through their paces. During testing, only the best products made it through to our final selection before we compared and ranked them in this top 10 list!
For your convenience, we also looked at the following important features of each wood preserver.
- Volume & Ease of Use
- Colour & Aesthetic
- Durability
Now enough of what we’re looking for – let’s see what’s best for you, shall we?
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Compare our top 3 picks below, or scroll past to see the detailed analysis of all 10 products.
Scroll left to view more products:
 Cuprinol Wood Preserver |  Nourish & Protect Preserver |  Roxil Wood Protection Liquid | |
| AWARDS |  |  |  |
| PRICE | £38.28 on Amazon View Product | £29.49 on Amazon View Product | £24.99 on Amazon View Product |
| OVERALL SCORE |  |  |  |
| RATING |  |  | |
| PROS | Simple to apply | Contains UV fade resistant pigments. | Perfect for vulnerable wood. |
| CONS | You might need a few coats to get the desired effect. | You need to wash your hands immediately after use. | It gives a non-smooth finish. |
| BOTTOM LINE | Ease and versatility of application with high durability are this preserver’s winning qualities. | Fade-resistant, long-lasting, and easy to apply, this preserver is great. | This water-repellant preserver is great for those in rainy environments. |
| RATING CATEGORIES | Cuprinol Wood Preserver | Nourish & Protect Preserver | Roxil Wood Protection Liquid |
| VOLUME & EASE OF USE (40%) |  | |  |
| COLOUR & AESTHETIC (30%) | | |  |
| DURABILITY (30%) | | | |
| PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS | Cuprinol Wood Preserver | Nourish & Protect Preserver | Roxil Wood Protection Liquid |
| VOLUME | 5 L. | 5 L. | 5 L. |
| APPEARANCE | CLEAR. | Dark brown. | Clear. |
| SUITABLE FOR | ANY INDOOR AND OUTDOOR WOOD, WEATHER-VULNERABLE WOOD. | Wooden structures in high-moisture areas. | Softwood, old timber, other vulnerable wooden structures. |
| VIEW PRODUCTS | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
The Best Wood Preservers Reviewed In 2022
1. Cuprinol Wood Preserver
The Best Wood Preserver
£38.28
at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Volume: 5 L.
- Appearance: Clear.
- Suitable for: Any indoor and outdoor wood, weather-vulnerable wood.
Ease and versatility of application with high durability are this preserver’s winning qualities.
This clear preserver won the top spot due to its wide variety of benefits. You can look forward to year-round protection and a preserver that safeguards both your wood inside the home and outdoors. Let’s have a look at the best features this product has to offer.
This clear preserver will not interfere with the natural look of the wood. Instead, it has deep penetration protection that soaks into the woodwork to protect it from within. After it dries, the wood develops a tough, durable, and weather-resistant exterior that can withstand spirit stains, decay, mould, algae and staining fungus.
The preserver is simple to apply and maintain. This means that when the exterior wood starts to wear out, you just re-apply a fresh topcoat without having to strip the woodwork back or remove the old finish with any tools or equipment.
Our reviewer loved this stuff. It’s super simple to apply, has a broad range of application, and looks incredible while keeping the wood it’s on healthy and sexy-looking. While it takes a couple of coats, that’s a small price to pay for (near) perfection.
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Pros
- Simple to apply
- Suitable for both interior and exterior wood surfaces.
- The clear preserver enhances the look of natural grain.
- Makes wood exceptionally durable.
Cons
- You might need a few coats to get the desired effect.
2. Nourish & Protect Preserver
Best Wood Preserver For Moisture
£29.49
at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Volume: 5 L.
- Appearance: Dark brown.
- Suitable for: Wooden structures in high-moisture areas.
Fade-resistant, long-lasting, and easy to apply, this preserver is great.
Do you live in a particularly wet situation? Then you probably are sick and tired of losing beautiful wooden structures to rot, swelling, and mould. This wood preserver is one of the best you can hope for to leave your sheds, decking, and stairs resistant against the damages of moisture.
The sealant actively protects your wood on several fronts. It contains water repellent resins and a biocide film that protect against mould and algae growth. In addition, it helps reduce decay, swelling and twisting of wood.
The pigments are good for UV fade resistance and will prevent any possible UV damage. But at the end of the day, the preserver penetrates deeper into the woodwork to leave a translucent finish where the texture of the grain is visible. To apply, you can use a brush or a traditional pump sprayer.
While our reviewer loved this stuff, she noted that it can stain your hands if you’re not careful. The best way to avoid this is to use proper equipment (a mask, gloves, brush). Otherwise, it’s tough as nails, extremely good looking, and nontoxic to plants and pets – once it dries.
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Pros
- Contains UV fade resistant pigments.
- Deeply penetrates wood, bringing out the natural beauty.
- Water resistant.
- Easy to apply.
- Low odour.
- This wood oil is harmless to plants and pets when dry
Cons
- You need to wash your hands immediately after use.
3. Roxil Wood Protection Liquid
Best Wood Preserver For Vulnerable Wood
£24.99
at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Volume: 5 L.
- Appearance: Clear.
- Suitable for: Softwood, old timber, other vulnerable wooden structures.
This water-repellant preserver is great for those in rainy environments.
Some types of wood are more prone to damage than others. If you are specifically looking to protect yours, then this is a top of the range pick. The preservative contains water repellent resins in order to protect vulnerable absorbent woodwork like softwood (spruce, pine) and weathered timbers (red cedar tree, forest oak or dark oak wood).
This preserver is also a good choice if you want protection for your wood but you don’t want to change its appearance. The clear liquid will enhance the look of the wood, make it waterproof and prevent discolouration from the sun. In addition, algae and mould growth are completely eliminated.
Best of all, with a 2 coat application, you usually get a minimum of 10 years of protection on your wooden doorstep, joists or sheds.
Our reviewer loved this for its sheer durability. While it can go on somewhat rough (affecting its looks), there is no doubt in my mind that it will keep any wood you put it on safe for years to come. If you’re looking for an incredibly efficient wood protector and don’t care for aesthetics, this is the choice.
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Pros
- Perfect for vulnerable wood.
- Enhances the natural beauty of wood.
- Easy to apply.
- Gives years of protection.
- Water resistant.
- Fights mould, rot, and fungi.
Cons
- It gives a non-smooth finish.
4. Ronseal Protector
The Total Wood Preserver
£28.42
at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Volume: 5 L.
- Appearance: Clear.
- Suitable for: Treatment against parasites.
This amazing wood preserver kills woodworms and prevents decomposition and deterioration of wooden structures. It is suitable for use on both non-smooth and smooth timber. It can be used as a pre-treatment for untreated interior and exterior wood and it is suitable for over-painting.
While coloured wood preservers for the outdoors take care of colour and weather protection, this excellent clear wood preservative is key to indoor woodwork conservation. You can use a standard brush to apply the liquid but it’s also sprayable if you prefer that route.
This scored the same as our #3 choice, but for a different reason. While this is an aesthetically pleasing, easy to apply protector, it’s not entirely weatherproof. While it is great for preventing decomposition and killing woodworms, its lack of weatherproofing heavily impacts its durability score.
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Pros
- Kills woodworms.
- It prevents decomposition and deterioration of fences, sheds and other garden woodwork.
- Also prevents wood stain.
- It is suitable for level overpainting ensuring the perfect experience even as a top coat.
Cons
- It’s not completely weatherproof.
5. Ronseal Protector
The Top Wood Preserver For Pests
£32.65
at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Volume: 5 L.
- Appearance: Clear.
- Suitable for: Safeguarding against decay and woodworm.
This clear wood preserver prevents decomposition, deterioration and wood discolouring fungus in timber. It is ideal for use on woodwork – not to waterproof it – but to preserve it. Also, if your woodwork is prone to attacks from woodworm all the time, this preserver offers the best protection against infestation threats on rough sawn or flat planed wood.
This is another preserver that you can easily play with a brush or spraying device. You can apply it to sheds, steps, decking, garden furniture and any other wooden structure that you would like to preserve for the long run.
Our reviewer really liked this, but was a bit bummed by the need for a full day to dry between coats. This drastically lengthens the duration of any project you may be undertaking, so the ease of use score for this one suffered pretty heavily. Nonetheless, it’s durable, good looking, and easy to apply with the exception of the waiting period.
Pros
- Prevents rot, decomposition, degradation and discolouring.
- Protects against woodworm attack and infestation.
- Preserves the exterior of sheds, fences and other woodwork.
- Easy to use.
Cons
- Needs a 1-day interval between coats.
6. Everbuild Triple Action Wood Treatment
Top Preserver For Wet And Dry Rot
£25.32
at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Volume: 5 L.
- Appearance: Clear.
- Suitable for: Rot, insects, worms, preservation.
Do you have a particular hatred of rot? You don’t have to lose expensive wooden structures to this plague anymore. A simple coat or two from this preserver can protect your property from wet and dry rot.
The solvent-based formula is also odourless and contains micro-fine active technology (with fungicides, algaecides and permethrin) to actively kill and protect against this type of decay, mucus and wood-boring insects.
It applies effortlessly and the drying time is short. It is also non-flammable and penetrates the wood deeply for long-lasting protection and preservation.
Our reviewer was torn on this one. On one hand, it dries very quickly and is quite durable. However, it’s watery composition makes it harder to apply without a mess and also requires a couple of extra coats to get the best effect and look.
Pros
- Low odour.
- Spreads evenly.
- Ingredients include algaecides and fungicides.
- Fast drying time.
- Protects against dry and wet rot.
Cons
- The preserver is watery so it’s prone to make a mess during application.
7. Everbuild Wood Preserver
Best Plant-Friendly Wood Preserver
£24.16
at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Volume: 5 L.
- Appearance: Clear.
- Suitable for: Dry and damp timber.
Do you need to preserve wood nearby plants? Perhaps you need to protect your wooden greenhouse or plant stands. The good news is that this solvent-based wood preserver is safe around plants when dry.
You can also expect it to banish fungi and algae and other harmful microorganisms. Indeed, the low-odour liquid penetrates deeply into the woodwork and spreads evenly when you apply it. The result is long-lasting protection that also makes your wooden item cladding fade-resistant.
Once again, we have a tie in the scoring. This is due to the fact that this particular wood protector isn’t water-resistant, let alone waterproof. This affects its durability and rather defeats the purpose of a wood protector. Otherwise, though, it protects from a wide range of non-weather-related issues and is simple to apply.
Pros
- Protects treated wood from damage caused by rot, deterioration and mucus.
- Safe with plants.
- It dries fast.
- Easy to apply.
- Fade-free.
Cons
- Does not provide water resistance.
8. Ronseal Wet Rot Wood Hardener
Best Wet Rot Wood Treatment
£14.99
at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Volume: 500 ml.
- Appearance: Red.
- Suitable for: Strengthening rotting wood.
Are you living in an area where the wood on your fencing often becomes weak? The Ronseal Wood Hardener is a great solution. It works by penetrating deeply into the wood to bind and harden the already decaying wood to make wood filling easy on the solid base.
This wood preservative is simple to use and apply. You can extend the life of your rot-affected fences and sheds with this preserver for quite some time. This is a great solution if you do not want to replace the entire affected structure.
Our reviewer quite liked this, despite its relatively low ranking in our list. It’s durable, easy to apply, and suitable for a broad range of applications, including toughening up rotting wood. Its odour is incredibly strong, though, making its initial use a bit dizzying (quite literally) – so be sure to use it in a well-ventilated area.
Pros
- It toughens rot-affected wood.
- Suitable for fences, sheds and other garden woodwork.
- Easy to apply.
Cons
- The odour can be a little strong at first.
9. Cuprinol Protector
The Best Red Treatment
£16.61
at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Volume: 1 L.
- Appearance: Red cedar.
- Suitable for: General preserver.
If you love the look of red cedar and need to preserve your shed or fence, then this could be the best choice for you. This preserver weatherproofs any wood outdoors and its other benefits last for as long as 5 years. Let’s look at what you can expect.
The UV filters within this preserver ensure that your wood never loses its colour. The waxes and resins absorb deeply into the wood to protect it from rain and moisture, banishing problems like swelling, cracking and rot. It can be used on all types of planed or rough wood.
This was a hard one to rank. On one hand, it contains some allergens and has a rather low volume in comparison to its competition. However, its red cedar look is so, so sexy, and it’s incredibly durable and easy to apply. If you’re planning a small project and will be using proper safety equipment (gloves, goggles, etc.) you’ll love this preserver.
Pros
- Creates a red cedar look.
- Easy to apply.
- Suitable for all planed or rough wood.
- Weather resistant.
- UV filters.
Cons
- Contains chemicals that might cause an allergic reaction in some.
10. Everbuild Wood Preserver
The Best 1-Litre Wood Preserver
£9.73
at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Volume: 1 L.
- Appearance: Clear.
- Suitable for: Wood rot and decay.
Here’s another great choice if you still haven’t made up your mind. Just like the best wood preservers, this product is formulated to prevent wood rot and decay and also kills fungus and algae. It is suitable for things like fences, sheds, and garden furniture.
This preserver is generally on the safer side. It’s a low solvent, has a low odour and low VOCs. It’s also easy to apply and deeply penetrates the wood to give the item a uniform, fade-resistant finish. You can expect decent protection for your wooden structures for years to come.
While this is a rather watery product, it does look quite good and provides extremely efficient protection. Its watery composition requires several coats and will likely make a mess, but if you don’t mind cleaning up (and the low 1 litre volume) you’ll be quite happy with this preserver.
Pros
- It dries fast.
- Suitable for sheds, fences and other woodwork.
- Easy to use.
- Provides protection against decomposition and deterioration.
- Harmless to plants and pets.
Cons
- It’s watery, so it can cause a mess during application.
Your Guide To Wood Preserver
Wood, especially when placed in the outdoors, is susceptible to weather and insect damage. A good wood preserver will give you years of protection and also bring out the natural beauty of the wood. Our guide offers the essential tips you need to know before making your final purchase.
What You Need To Know
Different Types
Before buying a wood preservative you need to know that there are preservatives to use on different surfaces. A wax or oil based wood preservative is used mostly on exterior wood. Water-based wood preservatives are made for use on ground woodwork.
Waterproof
Some wood preservatives provide a waterproof finish and others don’t. A sealer with waterproof properties prevents the wood from rotting and decaying.
Clear Or Coloured
A clear wood preserver used as a basecoat penetrates deep in the wood to highlight the wood grains and protect against UV rays that cause the wood to discolour.
Wood preservatives colours don’t have the same protection as clear preservatives. This, of course, is because they lack properties to repel water and resist fungus growth. They just enhance the natural beauty of the light brown timber during summer. You can either get them in shades of green, light brown and red.
FAQs
Q: What is pressure treating in wood?
A: It is a process used in preserving wood using chemicals that enables it to eradicate wood-boring insects, microorganisms and fungal deterioration. This process works on softwood.
Q: Can I smoothen the areas before applying wood preservatives?
A: Yes, but is it not really necessary. In case you want a polished finish, lay down the woodwork and use a sander to get smoother results.
Q: Which treatment is good to use on bird wood burning patterns?
A: Decking wood oil or wax treatments are great for protecting wood-burning arts.
