Iron bark posts - recommended finish

Hi,

As you may have guessed from my name, don't know what I am doing - husband and I intend to put a fence which has ironbark posts (and aluminium panels). How do we go about finishing the posts (and they sound like they are coming straight from the mill, do we need to leave them to dry out or not?). Recommended product was Sikkens HLS Undercoat (1 coat), and 2 coats of Sikkens Filter 7 Top Coat. The fence is north-facing, in Brisbane.

And how long can we expect the finish to last? While I originally intended to have a varnished-look, from reading on these forums, I get the impression that painting the posts may be much cheaper and easier in the long-run. I do like the clear-coat look though :roll:

Found one thread that suggested I should give up on any clear-coat on the wood, and get a good pressure-hose...

G'day Oblivious and welcome to the shed.:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

Unfortunately exterior clear coats take a lot of upkeep to maintain their good looks.

Paint is a better long term option.

Well we are pretty lazy! So I'm thinking painting is the only option - just seems like we're not taking advantage of the beautiful timber!:rolleyes:

Are you looking to retain the colour of the timber or preserving the timber?

Ironbark looks good left au natural, ends up a nice silvery grey colour but still has the grain showing. You could oil it rather than paint it as long as you don't mind the grey look.

I was hoping to do both - keep the timber in good nick as well as retain the colour! It's going to be a north-facing fence in Brisbane... was thinking it might need some help!