Our Top 7 Favourite Timbers

Our Top 7 Favourite Timbers

Knowing your timber can be challenging, so we've put together our favourites for you to take the confusion out of your next build or DIY project. 

Whether you are planning a new build, renovating or onto your next DIY project - the timber world, is large a very very large world and if your anything like me, it can be extremely overwhelming. 

ASH:  Ash is a white-to-pale brown-coloured wood with a straight, attractive grain, and the timber is hard and heavy with good strength properties. It's easy to work, commonly used in furniture production with its high resistance to abrasion and wear. Many people would like to retain the pale colour of this timber, so waxes are the better choice as they have less of a darkening effect on the timber. For a simple, matte sheen finish, the Restoring Polish is ideal in this instance. Can be followed by a couple of coats of Carnauba Polish if a harder, higher sheen is required.

CEDAR: Cedarwood is known for its strong and durable qualities and contains oils that act as preservatives to deter insect attack and decay. This wood is excellent for cladding, linings, joinery, windows, doors and roofing shingles. For interior cedar, our Liquid Beeswax is ideal. It is easy to brush on to timber and provides an excellent feed for open-grained (and therefore ‘thirsty’) timbers. Liquid Beeswax dries to a matte sheen. Another wax can be used over this if a higher sheen is required, such as our Carnauba Polish. For exterior, we would recommend our Alfresco Timber Oil, which offers more protection from the elements.

EUCALYPTUS: The most common species in Australia is eucalyptus, although within this species are a wide variety which is why we love it. It's versatile with its grain and light shades of different colours. Common ones include Tasmanian Oak (cream), blackbutt (pale brown), spotted gum (mid brown) and Jarrah (red).  

Liquid Beeswax or Orange Oil are lovely on eucalyptus, providing a deep feed and enhancing the beauty and depth of the grain detail. These oils will darken the timber as if it were wet. If you are keen to retain the colour of a pale timber (Tasmanian Oak for example), our Restoring Polish or Food Safe Wax are a better bet for the initial coat as they are perfect for retaining the pale colour.

PINE: Say hello to another Aussie fave, Pine, most commonly found as Radiata, Cypress or Hoop Pine and is used for house-framing. Containing anti-termite properties and resisting decay, you will find this throughout Australian homes, lining the floors. 

Pine loves Gilly’s Food Safe Oils, particularly the Liquid Beeswax if it’s very dry. All three will dry to a matte sheen. If you would like more of a sheen, you’ll need to add a wax over the top. Food Safe Wax can be buffed to a moderate sheen, or Carnauba Polish can be applied if you are after a higher sheen.

MAHOGANY: A beautiful shade of red to dark red, mainly found in antique furniture, coffee tables or chopping boards and ranges on the expensive side. It's not used as much today, however, as it is no longer sustainably made. 

Antique furniture is traditionally waxed or French polished, so we recommend our Cream Polish as a maintenance wax, which was designed for this purpose.

OAK: Oak wood is excellent for outdoor furniture because it resists water damage and is of natural beauty. 

Liquid Beeswax is a good all-round feed and finish for oak and dries to a matte sheen. If a higher sheen is required, follow with Cream Polish or Carnauba Polish. In the case of outdoor furniture though, we do recommend our Alfresco Timber Oil for added protection and beauty.

WALNUT: Walnut is a solid and stable wood that can take intricate carving. The colour can be beautiful. However, it's a wood that's hard to match as it can often come in variations of colour.  

Liquid Beeswax is a lovely feed and finish for walnut; it dries to a matte sheen. It is very easy to apply to intricately carved furniture. Alternatively, if the shade is particularly dark, Restoring Polish is a good option for retaining the original tone. If a higher sheen is required, follow with Cream Polish or Carnauba Polish..

What is your favourite?