Wood Finishes Direct Blog

This video will show you the best way apply A Hard Wax Oil Specifically – Fiddes HardWax Oil. However, this advice is also suitable for other Hard Wax Oils, such as Osmo Polyx Oil And Osmo Polyx Oil Tints. Hard Wax Oils F.A.Q. Q.Is the hard wax oil durable enough for a table top? A…. Read More

Are you looking for an exterior decking oil that will not just protect your deck from Water, Mould and General Wear and Tear but also from harmful U.V. Rays? Then This helpful video is perfect for you! Manns UV Decking Oil Video Transcript. Hi, I’m Ben O’Reilly From Wood-Finishes-Direct and welcome to the product test… Read More

Have you Ever Wondered How to Renovate Grey Decking? What Causes Damage to Decking? What to use to protect and preserve Decking? What products to use to colour, protect and restore decking? This handy video shows the 3 main causes of damage to decking, and how best to combat them, pointing you in the right… Read More

What should you treat your hardwood floor with? How do you apply a Varnish or a Hard Wax Oil? Which is better – a Varnish or Oil Floor Finish? Need answers? Then this video is for you! Know what you want? View our range of wood finishing products for flooring. Floor Finishes Video Transcript Hi… Read More

In terms of all things wooden, Bamboo isn’t usually the first wood type that comes to mind. Ask a thousand people to name 5 woods and you can almost guarantee that Bamboo will rarely feature, being pushed out of the running by the likes of Oak, Pine, Mahogony, Beech and Cedar. So why is this?… Read More

Kitchen worktops come in a huge variety of materials and styles, from man made laminate and composite materials to natural materials such as stone, granite, quartz and wood. All of which give a very specific look and feel and while some worktops can be relatively cheap, others can run into the many thousands. One of… Read More

Judging by the response we received from last week’s blog post about hand crafted Valentines gifts, a fair number of you were inspired to give it a go and for those that haven’t started yet, and in case you needed a gentle reminder, Valentines Day is this Sunday. Time is running short so if you… Read More

Valentine day is celebrated all around the world on February the 14th, but the true origins of this day and how it came in to being is largely unknown by most. Some historians believe that Valentine day originated from the very ancient, possibly pre-Roman festival of Lupercalia, observed on February 13th through 15th, to avert… Read More

A question we’re asked frequently here at Wood Finishes Direct is simply ‘which wood finish is best?’ Like most things involving wood, there’s no simple answer to this but fear not, help is at hand. Wood finishing can be complex. Trees are naturally growing organisms, with their own unique DNA and as with most living… Read More

For gardeners, the New Year means the start of the new growing cycle. From Cauliflower to Leeks, Onions to Peas, January and February are the months for sowing seeds. At this time of year, this is done undercover, usually indoors to protect from frost in preparation for planting out in Spring. The popularity of raised… Read More

With memories of Christmas and the New Year fading fast, it’s time to start looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that 2016 has in store for us all. 2015 was a great year for Wood Finishes Direct, the company grew significantly in terms of profile, the number of staff we have, the products and… Read More

Not long now until the fat man with a red suit and a big sack comes down the chimney, but only if you’ve been good, and where does he leave the presents? Under the Christmas tree of course. And what would the festive Season be without a beautiful decorated tree in your house? It’s an… Read More

Here at Wood Finishes Direct we love nothing more than to see what our customers are doing with the 1000’s of wood finishing products that are bought from us every week. And this summer, you wonderful people have inundated us with your amazing photos of your decks, sheds, log cabins and a plethora of other… Read More

In 2015, Osmo celebrated 25 years in the UK by releasing a special anniversary edition, 3 litre tin of Osmo Polyx Oil 3032, Clear Satin, for the same price as the standard 2.5 litre size. As you can imagine, these flew off our shelves like Christmas Cake at an Elf convention. Because of the amazing… Read More

Here at Wood Finishes Direct, one of the most common questions we get asked is ‘How much paint, varnish, oil or stain do I need?’ Although there are logical calculations that can be used, knowing how to work out area for wood finishing products isn’t always as straight forward as simply measuring the physical dimensions… Read More

When we hear about ancient woodlands and forests disappearing here in the UK, thoughts immediately conjure up images of urban sprawl and swathes of forests being cut down for new Motorway and rail routes. No one likes to see beautiful forests and woodlands that have stood for centuries or even thousands of years, slowly vanish… Read More

Following on from part 1 of the Wood Finishes Direct story and how we got to where we are today, here is the hopefully highly anticipated part 2 of our story that brings us up to present day. After more than 8 years of growth in our farm barn, the time came where we had… Read More

One of the questions we sometimes get asked, especially from enthusiastic people who are passionate about wood and react like they’ve just found a sweet shop that sells their favourite childhood sweets is, ‘Where did we come from?’ and ‘How long have we been around for?’ The second question is easy as we are currently… Read More

Black is beautiful! This week we’re diving into all things black and making two excellent recommendations to help you achieve absolutely glorious black exterior wood. The beauty of black Black is a magical colour. It’s always in fashion. Nothing clashes with it and every colour gleams against it, the contrast giving every shade extra depth… Read More

So what is pyrography art? The word comes from the Greek “pur” (fire) and “graphos” (writing), meaning writing with fire. In modern practise, this is more drawing than writing, with some artists creating truly fantastic pieces of art. The exact origins of pyrography are unknown, as wood (being organic) doesn’t survive well over thousands of… Read More

We like to keep an eye on trends, and that includes eco-friendly paints. It’s been really interesting watching the trend for traditional and unusual paint finishes like chalk paints gain traction over the past few years, with their dead flat matt finishes and subtle traditional, heritage and ‘French’ colours. In response we decided to research… Read More

Of all the types of flooring available, wood is still the most popular. And oak floorboards are gorgeous as well as fashionable. But pine wood flooring is another strong contender in the beauty stakes, a softwood that’s been used to make floorboards for centuries and a feature of many old homes across Britain. We’ve taken… Read More

According to a report in The Independent, and another in Science Daily, our planet has around 46% fewer trees than it did before the human race started its destructive shenanigans. At the same time we currently have around 3 trillion trees on earth, more than seven times the number scientists had previously estimated. And we’re… Read More

It’s the truth: the better you look after your wood, whether it’s decorative or structural, the better it looks and the longer it lasts. Today we’re going to focus on Barretine’s Premier Wood Preservative and Universal Wood Preservative, both top class spirit-based finishes designed to keep wood looking really good. We love Barrettine Wood Preservatives… Read More

We live in a green and pleasant land, and its many forests and woodlands play a large part in making our quirky little nation so beautiful. This week we’re taking a look at the UK’s trees, how they compare to the past, the dangers today’s woodlands face, projects to restore them and organisations that protect… Read More

Railway sleepers are an enormously popular garden building material. They look absolutely beautiful, they’re rugged, they last more or less forever when properly maintained and they play a part in all sorts of creations from garden steps to raised beds to basic garden furniture. Simply pile a load of them up and you’ve got some… Read More

Do you choose hardwood garden furniture and decking or go for softwood? It’s a common question. We thought it’d be useful to take a look at the pros and cons of each from a wood finish expert’s perspective. Key differences between softwoods & hardwoods How do hard and softwood differ? It’s actually nothing to do… Read More

We’ve covered decking finish problems in some detail already. But some issues are more common – and cause more grief – than others. This week we’re going to look at the common problem of stickiness, where for some reason the decking oil you’re applying just isn’t doing what it says on the tin. We’ll also… Read More

There’s nothing quite like a well-maintained, smooth, beautiful-looking garden decking for making your entire outdoor space look extra special. It forms an attractive, smart, natural backdrop for your planting, providing a practical space to relax, cook and party. And we think Manns Premier UV Decking Oil is a splendid product – in our experience it… Read More

Some people think silvered wood is gorgeous, all worn and vintage-looking, mellow and warm. Others hate the look, since it makes decking, garden furniture, fences and sheds look old and uncared for. It’s horses for courses. So what causes it, does it damage wood and what should you do about it? How UV exposure affects… Read More