You just bought yourself a pre-oiled floor. It is absolutely WONDERFUL! You will finally be able to rest from all these painful renovations because, to save a little money, you installed it yourself. The problem is that after a few months, the water does not pearl and even leaves stains on the surface. In addition, wood fades and turns whitish where more exposed to the sun. Yet you clean your floor regularly according to the advice you have been given and even put back oil frequently to keep the surface clean. What to do then?
Here’s what happened, I will teach you a secret almost unknown until now...we cannot always rely on what the sellers tell us!
Joking aside, this situation can be avoided. Enjoying our oiled floor without all these problems should just be a normal situation.
SINGLE OR MULTI-LAYER PRODUCT
Initially, 3 coats of oil should always be applied to saturate the pores of the wood and obtain a good result. Sometimes, a pre-oiled floor is impregnated with only a single coat. So beware of a pre-oiled floor at very low cost. From a manufacturer's point of view, the temptation is high because the application of several coats takes time because of the drying time of the oil. The industry has attempted to solve this problem by creating monolayer products. However, a single layer means less strength and greater difficulty in application. This will result in a more frequent oil application and therefore ultimately, little or no real benefits.
OIL COMPATIBILITY
On top of that, it is not always clear whether the product used to pre-oil the floor is compatible. It is therefore important to do a test locally to see if the oil adheres well to the floor. The next day, if the oil has dried up well and does not remove itself by scratching it with its nail, it means that the oil is compatible. One trick is to wash the floor with the manufacturer's recommended cleaning product and wood alcohol to remove impurities. This step could improve the compatibility and thus the adhesion between the oil and the floor.
HOW TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM
If the applied product is oil, but saturation is not sufficient, the other two coats must be applied to saturate the pores of the wooden floor. It will then take a minimum of two weeks before washing the floor again. This will prevent water from infiltrating, thus preventing the formation of stains. Fading of the wood due to the UV rays will also be greatly reduced if the wood is completely saturated with oil.
PRE-VARNISHED OR PRE-OILED FLOOR
Whether the floor is pre-varnished or pre-oiled, the goal is to avoid sanding and coating. The advantage of pre-varnished floors is that their finish is mostly made of aluminum oxide, which gives them excellent durability. However, when these are scratched, their repair requires a new sanding and a new varnishing. The advantage of high-quality pre-oiled floors, respectful of the fair conditions of application, is that they are easy to maintain and to repair. Unlike pre-varnished floors, in the event of scratches, you just need to lightly sand the surface and reapply a thin layer of oil and make these scratches disappear. It is also very easy to refresh the surface by applying a thin layer of oil, without sanding. If pre-oiled floors are easy to maintain, they are nevertheless a bit capricious and require the use of the recommended cleaning products, which are mostly neutral pH and non-degreasing. Any type of floor can be treated either with varnish or oil. However, it is not possible to vary the finishing products, for example by applying a varnish on top of an oiled floor or oil unto a varnished floor. The oil will prevent most varnishes from adhering to the floor and varnish will prevent the oil from entering the pores of the wood. That said the vast majority of oils should be compatible with one another.
CHOOSING A GOOD QUALITY FINISHING OIL FOR ITS FLOOR
To choose the right finishing oil for your floor, it is important to know the product components and its effects on your health. A cold-pressed oil is more expensive that a chemically extracted one but avoids the presence of extracts often toxic and carcinogenic. If the manufacturer allows you to know the full list of ingredients, it will be advantageous to choose a natural oil-based product with a solvent that is not harmful to your health. Turpentine, although of natural origin, is toxic and can be replaced by other, much safer substances. Some manufacturers add a mixture of resins and waxes that provides better resistance to water and many kinds of stain. In the end, if you opt for a pre-oiled wood floor, make sure it is well saturated with oil and that the oil product used is respectful of your health. You will then enjoy a healthy environment and will facilitate the maintenance of your floor while ensuring it is well protected and long lasting.
