Oil finish is a kind of wood finish based on natural vegetable oil and wax. It is very different with other wood finishes.

In terms of raw material, traditional varnishes or paints are based on synthetic resins such as urenthane and acrylic, while oil finishes are based on vegetable oils such as linseed oil and sunflower oil, and sometimes waxes such as carnauba wax. Therefore oil finish is more healthy and safety to human being. Oil finish is also better to environment and consumes less resources, whether during manufacture or application.

In terms of using effect, traditional varnishes or paints form a plastic film above the wood and thus the wood lose its natural touch and luster. The coating film will easily crack, blister or peel. Besides, the coating film makes maintenance and renovation very difficult and time-consuming. In contrast, oil finish penetrates into wood without forming a film. Thus keep the natural feeling of wood to the greatest extent, meanwhile give sufficient protection to wood.

In terms of application method, oil finish is much easier. Only 1 or 2 coats needed without primer. No sanding needed between 2 coats. However, the traditional varnish has to be applied more than 5 coats including primer and Topcoats. Between each coats, sanding is necessary.

Traditional wax for floor is paraffin, a solid wax taken from petroleum, or sometimes is liquid mixture based on paraffin. Paraffin is difficult to be absorbed by wood. Biohouse Hard Wax Oil is based on vegetable oils such as linseed oil and sunflower oil, and plant waxes such as carnauba wax. These oils and waxes are taken from plant therefore are easily absorbed by wood, which is also plant.

In terms of using effect, the surface coated by wax-oil finish will dry totally but paraffin not. Paraffin waxed surface is sticky, especially in summer. For the daily maintenance, the former can be cleaned with wet mop but the latter cannot. The former needs only timely maintenance but the latter has to be frequently waxed again and again.

In terms of application method, wax-oil finish can be applied by brush or cloth, any common people can do. But Paraffin must be melted with high temperature when apply and must be applied by professionals.

If you care more about keeping natural grain and touch of wood, care more about keeping the warm feeling of wood, oil finish is the choice. Coated by oil finish, each different wood species can be still felt by its original touch. But coated by varnish or paint, no matter what type of wood, there is only one same touch of cold plastic.

If you want your floor durable for decades, oil finish is better. No matter how hard the varnish or paint is, it will get worn, sooner or later. If you want to renovate the worn coating, the only thing you can do is sanding off old varnish and then paint again. Each time of sanding, the floor will lose 2mm in thickness. However, if the floor is treated with oil finish, when renovation is necessary, just apply a new coat without sanding! This property is quite similar to traditional wax. Look at the waxed flooring at those historic building, you will know.

Due to big fluctuation of temperature and humidity outdoors, wood swelling and shrinkage will be stronger and therefore deformation or crack easily happens. Oil finish penetrates into wood and keep balance of the moisture content of the wood. The natural oil will also nourish the wood. Thus reduce deformation or crack.

Besides, traditional varnish is very prone to crack, blister or peel. Usually less than 1 year the varnish will be so bad that it must be sanded off for re-painting. Oil finish does not form film and sanding is unnecessary when renovation. Just apply a new coat.

Preservation against mildew or rot is one of the factors to be considered to decide whether timber can be used outdoors. Wood is also subject to deformation and crack caused by temperature and moisture fluctuation and greying or aging caused by UV in sunlight. Also resistance to water and soiling must be taken into consideration. All these cannot be solved by preservation. Therefore suitable outdoor wood finish must be considered.

This is subject to not only the UV resistance ability of the finish itself, including quality, darkness of color, opacity, etc. but also UV intensity in different areas and whether. For example, there is big difference in UV intensity between Shanghai and Hainan province. For the same place, there is much difference between winter and summer. Even there is big difference between decking and facade, due to different sunlight angle. Therefore, it is difficult to give exact time last. According to our experience, if use Biohouse Exterior Wood Stain with darker color, there won’t be obvious fading for 2 years in Shanghai area.