Special Oil for parquet

OPT FOR A NATURAL LOOK

HOW TO AVOID THE PITFALLS OF APPLYING AN OIL FINISH ON SITE

When you apply a finish to a floor, you have to choose between various methods. For instance, do you use floor polish, varnish, or oil? In this article we consider the use of oil and limit ourselves to finishing parquet with oil on site. After all, that is where you have to consider several factors which determine the success or failure of the end product.

Making the right choice

How exactly do you decide whether or not oil is the best choice? You obviously have to consider more than just personal taste, so that’s why the following tips can be helpful. You can certainly tell end users that oil penetrates deep down into the wood and saturates it. You can also explain that the more the wood is saturated with oil, the more it is protected against dirt and stains. Oil has many benefits, but, unfortunately, some drawbacks as well. We list the main ones below:

Benefits

- An oiled floor has a very matt look which is also the most natural. - Oil for wooden floors is available in a vast range of colours. - You can repair an oiled floor perfectly well in patches. - You can make the floor look as good as new if you clean it thoroughly every two to three years with an intensive cleaner and then apply a coat of maintenance oil.

Drawbacks

- An oiled floor needs a coat of maintenance oil every two to three years, applied preferably with a buffing machine (how a benefit can also be a drawback). - A poorly maintained oiled floor easily attracts damp and dirt. - An oiled floor is vulnerable to stains.

Preparation and practical tips

Now that the choice is made, you can proceed. As we’ve already explained, it goes without saying that parquet has to be sanded. In addition, however, there are a number of items which you have to look out for. An important point is that the air has to be warm enough, at least between 15 and 20°C. Don’t forget to check the relative air humidity as well. This has to be between 30 and 60%. In all this, remember, too, that you shouldn’t start to apply a finish until the floor is completely free of dust. Remember also to protect treated surfaces against immediate traffic. One more piece of advice which is sometimes neglected: You might think that you are completely familiar with the maker’s product, but it certainly won’t do any harm to read the instructions carefully, if only to familiarise yourself with any new developments.

When we switch to the product oil itself, you will notice that this is usually a finish system made on a base of vegetable oils and fats (e.g. linseed, soya, or coconut) to which pigments might have been added. A tip when oiling floors in coniferous wood: A pre-treatment with lye is sometimes applied, such as sodium hydroxide (< 5 %), for instance.

The application

If we consider the application, don’t forget that the oil, which is applied with a brush or roller, should be applied evenly and thickly in the direction of the wood fibre. You leave the oil to soak in for a brief period. Then, you rub it in by machine and repeat the treatment, if necessary without drying. Don’t forget to wipe away surplus oil and remember that the number of coats of oil depends on the suction of the wood and the composition of the oil. After a drying time of 1 to 24 hours, depending on the product (check the maker’s instructions!), you rub the surface using a machine. The treated surface, depending on the product, will be dry after about 4 to 24 hours at a temperature of 20°C. The setting time is about 3 to 10 days (depending on the product) and the treatment is repeated a few times. If any foam has formed, you should draw it together and remove it.

Maintaining an oiled floor

The work still isn’t finished once the oil is applied. It is essential to maintain the floor properly afterwards. With polished floors, it’s best not to clean them with an excessively wet cloth, and the same goes for oiled wooden floors. It’s particularly important to tell customers that they should not wait too long to clean their oiled floors. There are various special maintenance programmes and products recommended by the maker, which may include products based on soap and oils of vegetable origin. This soap is mixed with warm water and the floor can then be mopped. Be sure in all cases to tell customers that a brief time of soaking yields better results and that it is not advisable to mop solely with water. Indeed, in that latter case this would clean the floor only superficially.

From oil to varnish or vice versa?

In closing, let’s consider one more ‘special case’. What if a customer is completely fed up with his or her oiled floor or vice versa? How do you set about changing from oil to varnish or vice versa? In this case you have to realise that for a renovation it is not advisable to apply a varnish directly onto the oil. The reason for that lies in the fact that you don’t know which oil was used at the time and you shouldn’t take any risks. At present, there are options for applying varnish to oil directly, but with renovation you should honour the basic principle; usually, varnish doesn’t adhere very well to oil. In this case, if you want to switch from oil to varnish, it’s best to follow a step-by-step plan:

- Clean the wood and remove the layers of detergent with an intensive cleaner. - Sandpaper the wood thoroughly (first with grain 80, then with 100, and finish with 120) and dust it. - Varnish the floor.

Good advice: If you want to be sure of the end result, apply a small quantity of product to a small test surface. Do you want to switch from varnish to oil? If so, sandpaper all the varnish away down to the bare wood, follow the steps outlined above, and then treat the floor with oil. Major sources: Article in Dutch :‘Hoe een houten vloerbedekking het beste afwerken en onderhouden?”, by Dr Chris Decaesstecker, www. allesvoorparket.nl (web site in Dutch only) and the blog on wooden floors (‘Houten vloeren’) by Colora.

What’s on the market ?

Bona

Many owners of parquet floors find an oiled wooden floor simply irresistible. Its warm texture, natural colours, and all the lines, gnarls and grains. To meet this demand, Bona has two types of finish oil in its assortment, namely Bona Craft Oil in both one and two components. Both versions are available in modern shades. The range of Bona Parquet Oil is durable and made from untreated vegetable ingredients. It also has an exceptionally low VOC content. The high oil content and the minimal solvent content ensure a high degree of saturation to yield healthy floors and long-term protection. Bona oils are odourless and can even be used on children’s toys. Bona Oil is better for the environment, better for the home and consumers, and better for floor fitters. Bona Craft Oil 2K can, if necessary, be finished with Bona Traffic for even better protection. The complete Bona assortment of oils and effect solutions, combined with Bona machines and easy-to-follow instructions, ensure an ideal end result.

Blanchon

Blanchon Original Wood Environment: the best choice to keep the natural unfinished look of the wood Original Wood™ Environment is perfect for bringing to life the character of all types of wood. It offers effective protection and naturel treatment for wood floors and stairs which makes it ideal for restoration and maintenance. That outstanding oil leaves the wood colour inchanged and brings a natural matt finish. Original Wood™ Environment is easy to apply on bare wood: simple roller application, no buffing machine required. It is odourless and quick-drying: only 1 hour between coats allowing a quick return to use of the premises finished. Original Wood™ Environment has been designed to meet high environmental standards and excellent performance.

Ciranova

Ciranova has a detailed range of different oils. The oiled floor gives a matte, natural finish that maintains the natural appearance of the wooden surface. The oils are providing natural protection to the wood and have excellent chemical and mechanical resistances, easy to maintain and to protect. The most popular oils are the Hardwaxoil TITAN, UN1CO and Hardwaxoil MAGIC. Hardwaxoil TITAN is especially developed for onsite application with a roller providing natural protection. Its also possible to finish our Hardwaxoils and UN1CO with the Hardwaxoil TITAN as a finishing coat for a perfect protection. UN1CO is a 2-component, 1-coat oil of the newest generation to colour and protect the wood with just one coat. The combination of oil with hardener ensures quick drying and excellent chemical durability. Hardwaxoil MAGIC gives the wood a good filling, a natural colour and very good chemical & wear resistance. The MAGIC is available in 16 trendy colours for onsite and industrial application. Please contact us if you need more information or if you want to have samples.

Chimiver

LIOS BIOIL

Natural oil treatment for wooden floors LIOS BIOIL Natural is a natural oil treated for wooden floors. LIOS BIOIL Natural is very durable, protects the wood, giving a smooth effect enhancing the natural look of the wood grain. LIOS BIOIL Colorato is available in 20 different colors, miscible together to make a wide range of new colors.

DevoNatural®

The DevoNatural® product range includes both a series of different oils and a series of varnishes. Devomat specialises in both areas and can offer clients the most suitable product for the relevant application. For years there has been a certain balance between the numbers of

lacquers and oils sold, and that balance is still more or less the same up to the present time. This is because both finish systems have specific advantages and drawbacks. And so, the extensive DevoNatural® assortment always has the right product. Amongst other things, Devomat offers DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil and DevoNatural® High Solid Oil. This is a matt setting single-coat oil with a high coverage capacity and based on natural oils. It is for all sorts of parquet, wooden floors, and other wood, both in and outdoors. DevoNatural® High Solid Oil can be used for both commercial and domestic floors with intensive use. The product is easy to apply and spreads well into open wood pores. DevoNatural® High Solid Oil can be applied to all types of wood. Recently, they have added two new colours to the range. DevoNatural® Extra Hardener is unique. This additive inserted into DevoNatural® High Solid Oil triggers the oxidative drying process to ensure better and faster drying. Parquet floors treated with DevoNatural® High Solid Oil + Extra Hardener can normally be walked on and used 12 hours later. This makes the combination highly suitable for finishing parquet floors on building projects, public buildings, catering businesses, reception rooms, industrial finish companies, etc.

Osmo

Osmo Wood Wax Finish Clear Extra Thin: the optimal coat for resinous and oily woods

Osmo Wood Wax Finish Clear Extra Thin deeply penetrates wood, preserves its natural characteristics and intensifies the wood colour. Therefore it is especially well suited to the clear coating of hardwoods rich in extractives, such as Meranti, Wengé, Merbau etc. The surface is resistant to dirt, stains and wear as well as extremely water repellent, so it can be used to treat wood in wet rooms like kitchens and bathrooms. Additionally Osmo Wood Wax Finish Clear Extra Thin can be used for spot repairs. This natural coating achieves a harmonious appearance and can be applied with a brush, roller or pad. One litre covers approximately 24 sq m with one coat.

STAUF

Environmentally-friendly oil in 34 colours STAUF sets accents AKZENT is the name of STAUF’s line of wood treatment products. The range includes not only primers, oils and varnishes, but also offers a joint putty as well as products for cleaning and caring for wood surfaces. The »AKZENT OIL IN ONE COLOR« now boasts a coloured impregnating oil based on natural oils. This pigmented product dispenses with the use of lead or cobalt drying agents and is ideal for applying to parquet, cork and wood floorings. Depending on the particular use, the drying time is 10-24 hours after application. »OIL IN ONE COLOR« is currently available in 34 shades plus a colourless version – and since they can all be mixed together, this offers even more possibilities when applying it in situ or in the parquet layer’s shop. The oils not only lend an attractive appearance, giving floors a well-groomed matt finish, but they also afford reliable protection. This results in products that meet the highest requirements when it comes to a healthy living environment, occupational safety and durability. www.AKZENT-woodcare.com

Tover

Thanks to our solvent-free oil, which can be applied in a single coat and is available in more than 30 standard colours, we at Tover are perfectly able to meet the increasing demand for natural products for wood floor finishing that can respect both the environment and the users’ health. The L’Olio 100% is made from vegetable oils and hard waxes whose main feature is to be very resistant to wear and stains, complying with the EN71-3 standards and very easy to maintain and renew. In addition, L’Olio 100% exists in a very wide range of colours with several shades of white, grey and many wood shades in order to obtain unique customized effects. Tover, the solution maker.

HOW, WHERE, WHAT, WITH WHAT MEANS, AND WHY?

SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES SHOW THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSIDERING THE CONDITIONS

When do you fit a damp screen and why? All parquet floor fitters know that the successful fitting of both wooden and related floors stands or falls with the right preparation of the substrate, even more so if you fit a vapour-tight floor covering onto it. What if the substrate isn’t dry enough? If so, you can forget about your professional pride from just after the delivery when planks start to curl up.

Other conditions

In recent years, the problem only seems to have intensified and that’s not surprising. There’s less and less time between the building shell and the finished building and the result is that all too often the delivered floor isn’t dry enough to finish. In many cases it’s necessary to fit a damp screen because various conditions can lead to damp problems. We think, for instance, of a subfloor which has dried in unsuitable ambient conditions and too little account has been taken of its thickness; or rising damp in a non-self-supporting floor (built on steel) or a floor with no ventilation. Those are just two examples, which illustrate how necessary it is to apply a damp screen before the levelling agent.

Vapour density of a floor covering

How do you determine what is best for the product which you consider ideal? Obviously, you have to start at the beginning by establishing accurately the moisture percentage of the subfloor in question. As you can read elsewhere in this magazine, it’s best to use a carbide meter for this (or CM moisture meter) and to discard various other indicative readings since you have to know exactly how much moisture you are dealing with. The result will determine the operation required up to and including even a decision not to fit a damp screen. This would be the case, for instance, with an anhydrite floor with an excessive residual moisture value. You don’t fit a damp screen in that case simply because the damp would build up under the damp screen, the gypsum would soften, and eventually the floor covering would come loose.

What you certainly must consider is how vapour-tight your end floor covering will be. With linoleum, for instance, you know it won’t be fully vapour-tight, so fewer layers of a damp screen will suffice (usually two). If, on the other hand, you have PVC strips, carpet with a PVC rug, rubber floor covering, and such like, you will certainly need three layers because these floors are vapour-tight. The moral of the story: Consider all the factors of the fitting carefully and only then choose your weapons.

Practical examples

Since examples are still the best illustration of how things work, let’s consider how this works in practice. In particular, let’s consider the preparation of a cement-based substrate or old tile floors ravaged by capillary rising damp, where we’re later going to apply a levelling agent, parquet adhesive, or tile adhesive. In this case we came out with Eponal 336 from Bostik, which is also used to reinforce the substrate (covering floor). This 2-component and solventless epoxy damp screen seems to have the necessary assets and has proved itself suitable for the following substrates: with a new building or renovation – concrete (rough or power floated) and cement covering floors; for renovation – old cement substrates, old tile floors, and metal substrates. It has not proved suitable for mastic asphalt floors and substrates with bituminous properties.

Example of approach

How this resource approaches its own step-by-step plan can be compared to that of similar products of other producers. And so, first of all, in this case it will be necessary to mix. Once the hardener has run into the resin, you mix the two components slowly using an electric mixer. Do this for two to three minutes to create a uniform and evenly coloured mass. When you apply an adhesion primer to an old epoxy coat of paint, you first have to remove any grease and any coats of paint which are loose. You can then apply the primer with a roller.

To create the damp screen, you apply this product to the substrate evenly and within the spreading time using a notched trowel (B2 for a damp screen) or roller (for a primer). Around the skirting boards you use a brush up to a height of 20mm. After about 80 minutes, you sprinkle quartz sand evenly onto the surface to get a rough substrate for levelling later on. Remember that a drying time from 18 to a maximum of 24 hours is necessary after the first application. After that, the layer is applied across the direction of the first layer and you should apply sufficient product to obtain a completely sealed and glossy surface. After that, you once again sprinkle sand evenly onto the surface. After the application, you wait at least 18 to 24 hours before removing surplus quartz sand. We also note here that you could use a special adhesion primer as an alternative to quartz sand, but only under a flexible floor covering and not for applications in combination with parquet.

A different moisture percentage, a different product

For another example of how you can respond to different moisture percentages with various means we consulted Forbo (Eurocol), which has launched various versions of its Euroblock on the market. The moisture percentage is a maximum of 4%: 026 Euroblock Multi. What if this percentage is between four and six? In that case, they recommend 021 Euroblock Reno, which has also proved suitable for stabilising an old cement covering floor with flaking sand. This powerful primer impregnates up to 1cm deep into the sand-cement to yield a strong top layer for the covering floor. This often prevents the costly removal and fresh application of a sand-cement covering floor.

What about a non-absorbent substrate, such as a tile floor or monolithic finished concrete floor? In that case, the maker recommends

replacing the diluted layer of 026 Euroblock Multi with an undiluted layer of 044 Europrimer Multi, which is applied with the foam roller. With a monolith floor you check to see whether or not a curing compound containing paraffin has been applied. That could result in the adhesion breaking down. The next day, the damp screen has knit together and you can apply the levelling agent.

Main sources: Forbo (Eurocol) and Bostik

What’s on the market ?

Bona

The need for the prior use of primers is determined by the condition of the subfloor and the selected work method. Therefore, Bona has various primers. Bona D501 - 1-component primer for the preparation of substrates not in good condition (e.g. sandy cement covering floors) prior to the use of Bona silane adhesives. Suitable for absorbent and non-absorbent substrates (not magnesium industrial floors), chipboard, panels, and similar substrates. Bona D515 Multiprime (NEW!) – A solventless and low emission primer concentrate for multifunctional use. The primer can be used to prepare absorbent and non-absorbent substrates and on old, hard, and waterproof adhesive residue prior to the use of Bona levelling agents or Bona dispersion adhesives. Bona R540 – a versatile primer/damp screen for both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. Also suitable for reinforcing the main floor. Can be used as a damp screen layer on concrete or cement-bound subfloors. Bona R590 – a 1-component silane primer for priming and/or blocking residual moisture in cement covering floors and concrete floors before the installation of a wooden floor. Can also be used to reinforce weak substrates. Compatible with all Bona silane parquet adhesives and Bona levelling products.

Chimiver

PRYMER SF 1105

Two-component water-based epoxy primer for subfloors preparation PRYMER SF 1105 is a two-component water-based epoxy primer developed for dusty subfloor, with a multi-layer application, it works as a moisture barrier. It is resistant to the inverse hydrostatic pressure according to the law UNI 8298 part 8. PRYMER SF 1105 is suitable for consolidation of subfloors on radiant heating. It is also recommend as a promoter of adhesion for anhydrite subfloors.

EMFI

An adhesive primer maximises the connection between the bearer and the adhesive and a damp screen prevents rising damp via the bearer. The lifespan of these products has to be at least as long as the lifespan of the parquet to be fitted. In general, an adhesive primer is used to reinforce the upper side of the bearer and a damp screen is used if a floor has to be fitted onto an upper surface with no ventilated crawl space. EMFIPRIM PU MONO adhesive primer is applied with a short-haired roller in one coat ±150g/m2 and the damp screen in two crossed layers of 500g/m² (±300g + 200g/m²) with a short-haired roller or a small serrated spatula. The final layer of the damp screen, the EMFIPRIM EPOXY, must be sanded to ensure good adhesion with the parquet glue.

Osmo

Osmo Primer: ideal wood finish for the first coat prior to installation Osmo Primer is ideal for the first coat before the installation, in other words directly in the workshop. Ideal for timber cladding, balconies, fencing, carports and other dimensionally stable and unstable elements. Osmo Primer has been optimized for a professional and especially quick application. It has non-drip formula and dries extremely fast. For high-quality long-lasting protection, a white or light-coloured top coat with either Osmo Country Colour or Osmo Garden Colour is recommended. One litre covers approximately 12 sq m with one coat.

Tover

The various issues encountered by professionals about the subject "subfloors" are numerous: too high screed moisture level, dusty or poor subfloor, not even and / or cracked one. Tover can supply a complete range of primers whose action allows safe and long-lasting installations. In order to create a vapor barrier and consolidate the subfloor surface, the use of the single-component polyurethane solvent-free PRIMER PU100 is particularly indicated, also including heated subfloors. If you have to fix superficial dust, our NANO-FIX represents an excellent solution. If the screed shows cracks, you can use our ADEBLOK T19, a two-component epoxy primer, mixing it with sand to obtain a synthetic mortar with high filling power. On the ground floor, in the case of rising damp, our primer IDROBLOK C3 is highly recommended: this three-component primer is capable of permanently blocking the migration of water into the wood, even on a non-absorbent subfloor.