How Often Should You Oil Your Hardwood Floors? The frequency varies depending on the level of foot traffic, dirt, and animals within that area of the home. A good rule of thumb is to re-oil your floors every 3 to 5 years.
Biannual or Annual Cleaning of Your Oiled Wood Floor
Vacuum to remove dirt and dust. Shake the container of wood conditioner well. Spray a section of the floor and spread evenly in the direction of the wood grain with a damp mop. Allow the wood to dry without rinsing.
You may have to apply 3 to 7 coats of oil one on top of the other until it stays glossy. After all coats are applied and you waited 20 to 40 minutes you are now ready to wipe down the surface.
How many coats will be applied? The standard for a hardwood floor is at least three coats. This consists of one seal coat (which may be the stain) and two coats of finish. Additional costs of finish may be applied depending on the need.
If additional coats of oil are applied or if it is applied too thickly, the surplus oil will remain on the surface of the wood. This could result in a number of problems including a sticky, tacky finish; a finish that could take days or longer to fully dry; or a finish that is easily scratched, scuffed and marked.
As a rule, you need to apply at least two coats of oil on bare wood with a brush and then a coat with the easy pad. If you are only applying with an easy pad, 4-5 coats would be recommended.
For ease of application dilute the first one or two coats with up to 50% white spirit. Allow the oil to penetrate for 20 to 30 minutes then wipe off the excess oil using a clean lint-free cloth. Allow to dry for 24 hours between coats.
Thus, it's best to wait until all coats have been applied and dried before walking through the room. After that final coat, your floors should be off-limits for 24 hours. This is the only way to avoid any damage. Also, if you can swing it, hold off 3-7 days before moving furniture back into the room.
Prepping the Floor Before Oiling
For best results, sand the floor with fine sandpaper to loosen the grain in the wood and help the oil penetrate deeper into its pores. Floors with a different finish, such as a coat of varnish, will also need to be sanded back to bare wood.
Don't Use Abrasive Products or Materials
Abrasive cleaning products or materials will damage the finish of your oiled wooden floor. They might also damage the wood underneath causing issues with the durability and the aesthetics of your floor.
Refreshing the finish
When there are noticeable signs of wear, we recommend that you try Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner, thinly applied with a pad or cloth. With light buffing, it cleans and refreshes all in one due to its natural oils and hard waxes.
When excess oil is left on the surface the oxygen in the air cures the surface leaving it sticky and easily marked. This is a common problem that strongly indicates that some excess oil was still present on the surface of the wood flooring after oiling.
WOCA Hardwax Oil – Often used by professionals, this high-quality hardwearing oil is more expensive, but it provides a more effective result. Bona Hardwax oil – One of the most popular waxes available. Bona dries quickly, is easy to apply, and provides excellent coverage.
Linseed oil is one of the best oils to use for wood finishes because it penetrates deep into the grain of the wood, giving it a rich color and protecting it against moisture. If you want to clean your wood furniture with linseed oil, make sure to dilute it first with water.
Oil base poly is a thicker product, and will build up a thicker layer of protection for your hardwood floors. It is a great choice for longevity and high traffic areas. We generally recommend and apply 3 coats of oil based polyurethane. Water based finishes will lay out thinner, but are slightly harder than oil based.
Clean the surface using Blanchon Natural Soap. Mix 100ml in 5ltrs of warm water for normal cleaning and apply with a damp cloth or well wrung out mop. Do not allow large amounts of water to be left on the floorboards. (For heavily soiled floors increase natural soap strength of 250ml in the same amount of water).
Cooking oil, greasy or oily food can damage floors and other wooden surfaces. Oily body lotions and other beauty products can cause problems too as any of these substances can spill and cause damage to the wood in your home.
Appearance : An oiled hardwood floor looks warm, the natural characteristics and beauty of the wood can be appreciated as the floor is not sealed by a surface coating of varnish or lacquer.
The oil is generally a mixture of linseed oil, varnish, mineral spirits and sometimes tung oil. We recommend using tung oil for walnut. This type of oil will darken the grain, enhancing and protecting the wood.
Standard linseed oil takes ages to dry, at least two or three days per coat, and you need multiple coats when applying it to new wood, normally three to five coats but in some cases, as many as fifteen to twenty coats can be applied.
For the ultimate in smooth feel with an oil or oil/varnish-blend finish, sand the finish between coats while it is still wet—that is, before wiping off the excess. You can use any grit sandpaper, but the finer grit you use, the smoother the result.
Typically, three coats at 12 to 24 hour intervals are sufficient. When the last coat is completely dry, a light hand polishing can be done: This will enhance the satin finish and smooth the texture. Once it's done, plan for maintenance once a year or as needed (twice a year on floors).
Polyurethanes
Solvent-borne polyurethanes are one of the most commonly used timber floor finishes, and offer the highest durability of all coatings.
Cooking oil can leave a nasty stain, especially if it is hot when it makes contact with the wood. It is crucial to attend to the spill as soon as it happens, as this will make it quicker and easier to completely remove the stain from the wood floor.