Wood Floor Oils

Unfortunately not. Wood oils work by penetrating in to the surface grain of the timber and hardening in the surface of the wood. Wood that has been varnished will prevent this from happening and will likely result in a sticky mess on top of the varnish. Varnished floors must be sanded back to bare wood before a wood oil can be applied.

Wood oils or more specifically 'hard wax oils' are more durable and water resistant than waxes. Waxes are softer, less durable and are easily stained and marked when in contact with water. It's worth mentioning that although new or freshly sanded pine can look pale in colour, when a clear oil or varnish is applied it tends to draw out the natural orange or yellow of the wood. A way to test this is to wipe over a section of bare wood board with a damp cloth to get an indication of how it will look once finished. To better retain the natural, untreated look of the pine, we recommend using either Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Natural or Osmo Polyx Oil Raw (3044) .

Floor oils are generally very easy to maintain and repair. You should be able to use the oil originally used to do a top up or maintenance coat (depending on the condition of the wood and following the manufacturers instructions at all times). The floor may require cleaning with a dedicated wood floor cleaner prior to re-oiling. It's interesting to note that only 1 coat of oil was applied when the floor was installed. As far as we are aware, most Hard Wax Oils require 2 thin coats for the best protection and finish.

If you no longer have the original oil used, an alternative hard wax oil can be used. Hard wax oils offer exceptional protection and durability, are scratch, scuff, dirt and liquid resistant. They are available in a range of sheen levels including matt, satin, semi-gloss and gloss finishes as well as in clear and coloured variations.

As we are not familiar with the Saico Premium Hard Wax Oil originally used, we strongly recommend doing a test areas with the selected, alternative hardwax oil before starting this project, to assess product suitability and final finish. Most of the hard wax oils we supply are available in sample or small tin sizes.

If the floor is badly worn, it may benefit from a light sanding to prep the surface. This is just a quick rub-down with a P120 grit sandpaper rather than using an industrial sander to strip the surface. Once sanded, use a vacuum cleaner to remove all traces of sanding dust before re-oiling the floor.

Apply 1 thin maintenance coat then allow to fully dry. If the floor is particularly dry and worn a second thin coat may be required. before applying the second coat, do a small test area in the corner of the room or behind a door to ensure that the floor is able to absorb the second coat. If the test area remains sticky or tacky after the published drying time then it doesn't require a second coat. If it dries completely and looks good then a second thin coat can be applied. Don't be tempted to apply more than 2 coats or to apply thickly as this will cause problems. Apply thinly at all times and wipe off any excess oil with a clean, uncoloured, lint-free cloth.

In terms of long term care and maintenance, simply repeat the above process as and when required. This will usually be once every 2 to 5 years depending on how much foot traffic the floor gets. The great thing is that if the finish wears only in specific patches, these patches can be treated in isolation without having to re-oil the whole floor and will blend in seamlessly with the surrounding floor.

If you require any further assistance with this project, you can send us some photos of the floor and contact us here .

The dark area where the rug has been is likely due to the floor being protected from sunlight resulting in less bleaching of the wood from the sun's rays. The lighter areas could also be due to the high foot traffic wearing away the original finish of the uncovered flooring area. It's possible that the covered area will always remain darker than the rest unless the whole floor is sanded. If a rug of the same size or bigger is being put back, then this won't be an issue.

Re-oiling the floor should restore the overall appearance and even out many of the colour differences. As the floor is made of Mahogany, our recommendation would be to use Osmo Wood Wax Finish Extra Thin (1101) . This oil is very thin and will be able to penetrate in to the wood grain whereas other types of wood oil may not be able to penetrate as well.

Apply the oil thinly working it in to the surface of the wood blocks. Where possible, try to avoid too much of the oil running down between the wood blocks as this may affect the glue or bitumen used to stick the parquet down.

The beauty of an oiled floor is that if the finish becomes worn or damaged, they are very easy to repair. It may be that if a good clean and refresh with the Kit is not doing the job, then lightly sanding the affected area to remove the stains and dirt may be required. This doesn't mean sanding the floor back to bare wood, just enough to remove the dirt and stains. Once done, simply re-oil the sanded area with a thin coat of the floor oil originally used which in this case was Fiddes Hard Wax Oil , taking care to remove any excess with a clean, lint free cloth and allow to dry. This should produce an invisible repair that blends in seamlessly with the surrounding floor

For the sanding, use a 120 to 150 grit sandpaper and sand gently. Take care to remove all traces of sanding dust with a vacuum cleaner or lint-free cloth prior to oiling.

Your application of 1 coat of 3044 (Osmo Polyx Oil Raw) and 1 of 3032 (Polyx Oil Clear Satin) is one way of helping to retain the natural untreated look of your reclaimed Oak floor. This could however still result in some darkening or yellowing of the floor.

All the Osmo Oils require just two thin coats. Applying additional coats can actually make the finish softer and more prone to scuffs, scratches and stains. This is because the oils are designed to penetrate into the wood and harden within the surface rather than forming a skin on the surface of the wood.

If you like the finish achieved on the test area, with the combination used then there's no reason why this won't work, as long as only two thin coats are applied.

For even less darkening than you have achieved with the 3044 and the 3032 combination, you could try a test area with just two coats of Osmo Polyx Oil Raw (3044) .