Welcome to part 2 of our series on wood types. This week I’ll be discussing oak & oak wood treatments. If you haven’t already read part 1, feel free to go check it out here: All about Pine Wood.
A Little History of Oak
Oak (or quercus as it is known in Latin) is a hardwood with some 400 known species. It has always been a popular wood in the UK, but in recent times it is even more widely used in construction and also as internal fixtures in clubs and gyms etc. For furniture construction, oak has become ever more the wood of choice, a trend expanding year on year since the year 2000 when China, India and Indonesia substantially increased their export markets. Pine has been the wood to suffer from oak’s popularity as it is more widely available in the Far East.
The flowers of many oak trees are known as catkins and they are produced by oaks when they reach their reproductive age, which is typically around 20 years. They are triggered by rising temperatures in spring. Ultimately it is the catkins of many oaks that turn into the acorns, so maybe that popular phrase… ‘mighty oaks from little acorns grow’ should be ‘mighty oaks from little catkins grow’, although it doesn’t quite have the same ring, does it?
Acorn of the mighty oak tree.
Treating Oak Wood
With regard to finishing and treating oak, there are numerous possibilities, but there are certain requirements that are asked for time and again… Often we are asked how external oak can be kept looking natural. Whilst the question is easy, the answer is not so straightforward. These are the necessary considerations:
- When water penetrates oak, it reacts with the high tannin content within oak, resulting in ‘blackening’.
- The sun’s UV rays will turn the oak to a silvery hue over time.
- Clear products are inevitably not completely clear, so they tend to ‘bring out’ the natural colours of the oak, normally making it a bit darker and warmer.
- The levels of rain, wind and sun will make a difference to how quickly the oak changes colour.
Oak turned grey/silver by UV rays & water damage.
Oak barrels traditionally used for whisky and beer.
If the requirement is to keep the oak looking as natural as possible, whilst preventing blackening or silvering as much as possible, then the following is the best system we know of:
- 1 coat of clear wood preservative
- Followed by 2 coats of Osmo UV Protection Oil 420 Extra
Osmo 420 Extra offers UV resistance and also contains biocide which is important for external timbers as it prevents the wood from becoming diseased with wet rot, dry rot and blue stone etc. The oil also repels water, thus preventing it from going black.
If the requirement is to protect the oak whilst keeping the silvery appearance, then the following is the best:
- 1 coat of clear wood preservative
- Followed by 3–5 coats of high-quality tung oil such as Morrells Tung Oil
Tung oil is one of the clearest oils on the market and doesn’t offer UV resistance.
If the exterior oak needs to be coloured, then the following system is recommended:
- 1 coat of clear wood preservative
- Followed by 1 coat of your chosen colour of Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain
- Followed by 1 coat of clear Osmo UV Protection Oil 420 Extra
If blackening on exterior oak needs removing, then scrubbing with a fungicidal wash such as Barrettine Mould and Mildew Cleaner is recommended. On the other hand, it may be the silvering that needs removing. If so, a scrub with Osmo Wood Reviver Gel (which contains oxalic acid, amongst other active ingredients) is recommended.
Unfinished oak.
Treated oak.
One of the most common enquiries we get is how to keep internal oak looking natural. This is not just a case of simply applying ‘clear products’ as they bring out the natural colours of the wood, thus making it a little darker and more golden. A very good indication of how your oak will look once it has been finished with a ‘clear’ coat is to dampen an area by applying some water with a clean cloth or sponge. The look achieved when the wood is damp/wet is very close to how it will look once a clear varnish or a clear oil has been applied.
Some customers like the way oak colours when clear coatings are applied to it, whilst others want it to be as close as possible to how it looks in its natural state. A more natural look can be achieved by using wood oils that have been specifically formulated to retain the natural appearance of interior oak. These products include:
- If an oiled finish is preferred, then apply two thin coats of Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Natural or Osmo Polyx Oil Raw.
- If a varnished finish is preferred, then 1 part Manns Classic Wood Dye can be mixed with 50 parts Manns Extra Tough Interior Varnish.
Clear wax polish is the one exception to the above… If a clear wax polish is applied to bare oak (or just about any other wood for that matter), then the colour is kept very natural indeed. It’s just a question of whether a wax polish is going to be durable enough. Internal doors, for example, are considered, by most people, to be ideal for finishing with wax, whereas a floor will look nice once waxed but regular maintenance is required, so most people don’t opt for wax for this reason.
If the oak needs to be made darker, then Osmo Polyx Oil Tints or Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Tints are ideal because they colour and protect the wood in the same application. It is always good to try and finish with a clear coat if possible because if the wood gets scratched, it is the clear coat that scratches before the coloured coat and therefore the scratch is not as noticeable.
Oiling Consideration
If oak is being oiled, it is a good idea to sand it with sandpaper that is no finer than 150 grit. The reason for this is that the pores of the wood are more open, thus allowing the oil to sink into the wood better. Better absorption equals greater protection.
Interesting Oak Stats
- Oak bark is rich in tannin and is used by tanners for tanning leather.
- Acorns can be used for making flour or they can be roasted for making acorn coffee.
- Tannin dissolves and escapes from the wood. Wine barrels are made from oak and it is the tannin that helps to give the wine its colour.
- Sessile oaks of Europe can reach heights of up to 40 metres.
- Oak trees regularly live to be 500 years old, although 1,000-year-old oaks are also known.
- A mature oak tree can produce up to 50,000 acorns!
Need help finishing a project made with oak?
For more help and advice on how best to finish oak, contact our team of resident experts who are always on hand to help with project advice and product recommendations.
We love to see before, during and after photos of any wood finishing project. If you would like to share your project pictures with us and our followers, you can either send us some photos or share on our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram pages.
469 comments
Reply to caroline:
Hi Caroline,
It partly depends on environmental conditions such as how warm and dry a house is and the amount of wear and tear the doors are subjected to. It’s normally noticable when a door needs re-oiling by the appearance of dry looking or slightly discoloured patches.
Preperation for re-oiling is straight forward. Simply clean the doors first with a slightly damp, lint free cloth such as a microfibre cloth and allow to dry before re-oiling. If the doors have picked up some minor marks, stains or scuffs, try cleaning with a dedicated wood cleaning product such as Fiddes Wood Surface Cleaner Spray (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/fiddes-wood-surface-cleaner) or Woodleys Wood Surface Cleaner (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/collections/wood-cleaner). If the door has areas that have become more heavily stained, marked or scuffed (including minor scratches), these can be ‘lightly’ sanded with a 120 grit sandpaper before re-applying a fresh coat of Danish Oil.
Hi, we bought an oak dining table from next but it has grease stains on it which I cannot remove. I tried to use washing up liquid but this did not remove the stain and has now lightened the area! Do you have any tips to remove grease stains, darken the lightened area and protect to avoid this in the future?
Reply to Michelle:
Hi Michelle,
Do you know what sort of finish the table top has? is it oiled or varnished? A way to find out is to put a couple of drops of Olive Oil or cooking oil on the corner, if after a couple of hours it has soaked into the wood and left a small stain its oiled, if however it remains on the surface as a bead of oil it has be varnished or sealed in some way.
If the table has been oiled, it’s probably best to take the table top back to bare wood with a quality wax and polish remover (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/collections/stripper). Once this has been done, you can re-oil the table top with a hard wax oil such as Osmo Polyx Oil or Fiddes Hard Wax Oil. Both of these products are easy to apply and maintain and provide excellent protection against liquid spillages, minor scratches and knocks.
The clear versions of these products will give the wood a slightly darker ‘damp like’ appearance and will draw out the natural grain and colour of the timber. Once the table top has been stripped, you can use a damp cloth and wipe it over a peice of the wood, this will give a good indication of what the wood will look like when oiled. If you prefer to keep the wood looking as it does with nothing on, consider Osmo Polyx Oil Raw 3044 or Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Natural.
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the tin and do a small test area before starting any project.
Hi Nick,
I am planning on using two, 3ft oak stumps as table legs for my dining room table. I have managed to get my hands in the oak but it is freshly cut. What would you recommend I do to take it from it freshly cut state, to being used in my kitchen as the table. Also would it be a good idea to take the bark off the tree prior to drying out or after.
Kind regards
robbo10180@yahoo.co.uk
Reply to Lionel:
Hi Lionel,
The good thing with oak is that it can be worked green, this makes it much easier to work with and is how Oak framed buildings where made. In short, you can use them as they are but be aware they will shrink or expand at different rates so you may need to trim the base to re-level the table in the future. Oak is also prone to splitting as it drys but this shouldn’t affect the integrity of the logs, its just a natural process and gives a lovely aged look. I would remove the bark and test the moisture content, a content of around 16% is good for this type of work. Oak logs take a long time to season naturally, usually year’s rather than weeks or months depending on size. Kiln drying speeds this up but can increase splitting and still take months.
An approach might be to make the table, pack it to stop wobbling as needed, then trim as required in about three years. The legs should have lovely rustic look just like an old oak framed building.
Applying an interior wood oil such as Osmo Polyx Oil or Fiddes Hard Wax Oil or a quality beeswax polish such as Manns Classic Beeswax Polish (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/manns-classic-beeswax-polish) will help to feed the timber and will help to reduce cracking and splitting.
Hope this helps.
Hello Nick,
So happy to find your website!
I’m considering buying a dining table off Craig’s List; originally purchased from Crate & Barrel, the Big Sur, it has a White Oak top and heart wood legs, very natural looking wood. The original owner has applied bees wax to the entire table considerably darkening the wood and changing the look of the table completely.
Can this table be restored to its original looking wood, both the white oak top and the heart wood legs. It can be viewed on Crate & Barrel website. Thank you for any help you can offer.
Reply to Jan Matejcik:
Hi Jan,
You should be able to easily remove the Beeswax Polish by using Woodleys Wax and Polish Remover (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/collections/stripper) and having lots of dry, clean, rags handy to mop up the dissolved wax.
To test that all of the old Beeswax Polish has been removed, wipe over the surface of the wood with a damp (not wet) cloth, areas of the wood where the polish has been fully removed will darken as the moisture soaks into the wood, areas that still have polish present will not. Re-treat these areas again with the Wax and Polish remover and repeat the process until all traces of the polish have been removed. The dampened wood will return back to its natural colour as it dries.
Once the old polish has been fully removed and the table is back to bare wood, consider either Osmo Polyx Oil Raw 3044 (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-polyx-oil-raw-3044) or Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Natural (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/fiddes-hard-wax-oil-oak-lightening). Both of these products will provide excellent protection against liquid spillages, minor scuffs, knocks, scratches and day to day dust and dirt while retaining the natural colour of the wood.
Always do a small test area before starting any project and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the tin or container.
Hi Nick, we live in a 1930s house with a solid oak front door which has become unevenly stained and faded and could do with a facelift. The ideal thing would be to remove the door to renovate it but from a security point of view this is not practical! Can it be cleaned and treated in situ? Have you any advice please?
Reply to Viv and Roy:
Hi Viv and Roy,
Although it’s easier to treat all areas of the door when it has been removed, it can be done in situ. To renovate thoroughly, the door should be sanded back to clean, bare wood. If the door still looks patchy and uneven in colour when sanded, try Osmo Wood Reviver Gel 6609 (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-wood-reviver), this will help to restore the colour of the timber and even out any patchy areas with the surrounding wood.
Once the door has been stripped (and treated with Osmo Wood Reviver Gel if required), treat with 2 coats of a good quality clear wood preserver such as Barrettine Premier Wood Preserver (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/barrettine-premier-wood-preservative) or Ronseal Total Wood Preservative (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/ronseal-total-wood-preservative). You should allow at least 24 to 48 hours drying time between coats and then again before applying the final finish. The wood preservative will help to protect the wood from mould, dry rot and fungi while the top coat provides protection against the elements such as wind, rain and sun.
If you’re looking for a clear product that is easy to apply and maintain, consider Osmo UV Protection Oil Extra 420 (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-uv-protection-oil). Apply 2 thin coats on top of the preservative when fully dry, working the oil in to the grain of the wood for the best results.
Always follow the manufacturers instructions on the tin and do a small test area before starting any project.
Hi Nick,
We have the tavistock oak range of furniture, and have had our fish tank on the coffee table for a little while, I know bad move! Having so,d the fish tank we have been left with black water ad bar to the surface, although the black has seeped further into the wood and leaves an obvious fish tank outline. I have sanded it back and was going to bleach the black out. Was wondering what finish to use to keep it the same as the rest of the table. Any help would be great!
Thanks
Colleen