How to oil wood floors

It can be tricky to know exactly how to oil wood floors. No matter what state your flooring is in, there is always a solution with Owatrol.

Oleofloor Classic is a water-based oil finish with a ‘wet look’ finish. It offers superior chemical and water resistance and is suitable for use in a wide variety of areas:

Kitchens
Bathrooms
Staircases
Lounges and other similar rooms

Take a look at our demonstration video on the application of Oleofloor:

It can be used on all types of wooden flooring, both new and old, including parquet as well as veneer.

How to use Oleofloor Classic

Step 1 – Surface Preparation

As with all of our products, preparation of the surface is important to achieve a high-quality finish.

General Directions:

The flooring must be dry, clean, free of dirt, grease and any other surface contamination. This also includes any previous coatings. You can only apply Oleofloor to bare wood surfaces or surfaces that have been previously finished with Oleofloor. Any other finish must be completely removed from the wood. This is because Oleofloor works by saturating deep into the wood to protect it from within. This means that there is no film left on the surface and so it cannot crack peel or flake.

Sand the floor back to bare wood by using the appropriate system and sandpaper grades. This will vary depending on the condition of the wood as well as the species. Make sure to vacuum meticulously after sanding and be sure to clean any areas that will trap dust such as skirting boards, radiators, pipes, window sills etc.

Any cracks in the floor that are 2mm wide or below should be filled with a product such as Lianfloor and sanded once dried.

New wood surfaces:

Degrease the surface with a denatured alcohol such as acetone or a similar solvent based product. Then sand the surface as mentioned above.

Previously treated surfaces (oiled and in poor condition, polished, paint, stain, varnish etc):

Previously oiled or polished flooring should be stripped with a product such as DSP 800. If after stripping the surface is in good condition and so does not require sanding, neutralise with denatured alcohol, acetone, white mineral spirit or similar solvent based product.

If, however, sanding is required, proceed as instructed in above under general directions.

Step 2 – Application

Apply 1 or 2 coats of Oleofloor depending on the type of wood and amount of foot traffic.
Facing the light and starting opposite the door so as to work towards it, apply a first even and generous coat of Oleofloor.
Start at the edge, then do the entire surface, working in areas of 2 meters by 2 meters.
Allow the floor to dry for 4 hours depending on the ambient conditions.
Apply a 2nd coat if required.
Do not leave more than 12 hours between application of the 1st and 2nd coat.
Always maintain a wet edge to avoid overlaps.

This is a shortened guide. Be sure to read the product information sheets thoroughly before application of Oleofloor Classic to your flooring.

How to use Deks Olje D1

Deks Olje D1 is a highly saturating wood oil suitable for both interior and exterior wood. Similar to that of Oleofloor Classic, Deks Olje D1 works by saturating deep into the wood to protect it from within. This means that it will not peel, crack or flake and instead enriches and stabilises the wood to provide long-lasting protection.

Step 1 – Surface Preparation

As always, correct surface preparation is paramount to a high-quality finish.

General directions:

The floor must be clean, dry and free of dirt, grease, grime, mildew and any previous coating.

After the wood has been stripped and cleaned, allow the wood to dry for 2-3 drying days before applying Deks Olje D1. You should only apply D1 to bare wood surfaces – all other ﬁnishes must be completely and thoroughly removed. If necessary sand the surface after cleaning and/or stripping.

New wood:

Sand wood with 100 grit paper to open the pores, dust off and degrease the surface with methylated spirits.

New wood surfaces have a hard shiny surface called mill glaze that prevents penetration and bonding of any ﬁnish. Sanding or treating the wood with a product such as Aquanett removes this, ensuring maximum performance of the ﬁnish.

Previously coated surfaces (Paint, Stain, Varnish, Waterproofers)

All previous coatings must be completely removed with a product such as DSP 800 and stripped surfaces neutralised with denatured alcohol, acetone, white mineral spirit or similar solvent-based product, before applying Deks Olje D1.

Step 2 – Application

Apply Deks Olje D1 to an area that can be treated in about 15 minutes. As soon as the 1st coat has saturated into the wood (normally around 15-30 minutes), apply a 2nd coat. Then continue applying D1 in this ‘wet on wet’ manner until a uniform, overall saturation of the wood is achieved. The number of applications needed depends on the type of wood.

DO NOT allow Deks Olje D1 to become dry/touch dry between applications. Leave the ﬁnal coat for 30 minutes, then wipe over the surface to remove any excess and puddled material with a rag soaked in Deks Olje D1 and rung out so that it is damp to the touch. If necessary, you can occasionally ring out the cloth but be sure to keep it damp. It is important that as much D1 as possible is applied on the ﬁrst day.

Deks Olje D1 must be kept ‘active’. This is achieved by the ‘wet on wet’ applications. Remember, Deks Olje D1 is a saturating wood oil, not a surface finish.

This is a shortened guide. Be sure to read the product information sheets thoroughly before application of Deks Olje D1 to your flooring.

So there you have it – now you know how to oil your wood floors!

We hope you found this post helpful. If you have any further tips or advice, please feel free to leave them below. We love hearing from you!

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