Special Combined lacquer and oil finishes: how do we do this and who has these

AN ATTRACTIVE SOLUTION

LOW MAINTENANCE IN COMBINATION WITH DECORATIVE BEAUTY HAS ITS APPEAL

Photo – Ciranova

In a number of cases clients prefer to see a lacquer painted on top of their oiled floor. Obviously, the producers are keen to profit from that. What are the benefits of such a combined finish of oil with varnish? And how do you approach that in practice? We took some soundings from the technical department of the Blanchon Group, one of the specialists in this field.

With products such as its Solid’Oil™, the French company has years of experience in this field and has completed scores of prestigious projects in recent years. How does the company ensure that it satisfies all its residential and commercial clients? Obviously, to do that, you have to explain what the main benefits are of a combined oil and varnish finish.

They told us that the growing demand for wooden floors in the home has led to the development of parquet floors with classic or unexpected shades. People use either stains or coloured oils for that purpose. Both product families have different effects, which the Blanchon Group believes are equally as valuable as they are attractive. Nevertheless, a lot of parquet floor fitters prefer coloured oils, both for the easy application (and therefore a guaranteed result) and for the beauty and depth of the end shade. Moreover, it’s a fact that many clients prefer to clean a varnished parquet floor rather than an oiled one, even though an oiled floor for domestic use can be cleaned quickly and easily.

Gloss

The latter clearly reveals one of the main assets, namely the low maintenance. But how natural is it to apply varnish to oil? What about the degrees of gloss? They assure us that a finish which combines guaranteed and durable decorative beauty with low maintenance will always score highly with users and it’s also certainly very attractive. Generally, since oil finishes are matt or even ultra-matt, it’s easy (and better) to use varnishes with invisible (or quasi-invisible) surface aspects to preserve the decoration consistency (the degree of gloss is generally between 2 and 10). Obviously, if the client asks for more gloss, this can be even ‘higher’. This evokes the look of a carefully polished wax floor.

Does this require special skills?

An important question is whether this method of finish requires special skills from the fitter. Do professional parquet fitters need any extra training for this purpose? At Blanchon they are resolute. No, a precise and detailed recommendation for those who apply the finish will suffice as information, at least if we are talking about a professional. It is also advisable to use one single brush when polishing the oil and thereby also prevent any surplus thickness.

What about renovation?

When you talk about applying lacquer on top of oil, you think almost automatically of a newly fitted floor. But what about the constantly growing renovation market? How do you carry out repairs in patches and ensure good scratch-resistance? Here, too, the answer is crystal clear: The maintenance and renovation are the same as for a sealed floor. There are countless recommendations and products available on the market. Obviously, you are advised preferably to use only high-quality varnishes because that guarantees outstanding durability.

In terms of renovations in patches after an ‘accident’, you shouldn’t forget that it can be equally difficult as on a colourless lacquered

floor. Think here of ‘misfortunes’ of both a mechanical nature (e.g. scratches, bangs, or animal marks) and a chemical nature (e.g. spilt hot liquids, aggressive products, or alcohol stains). Moreover, Blanchon points out that if there is any doubt, it is best to call upon the services of a professional for the renovation. Obviously, that renovation depends on the depth and location of the damage.

Some specialists have their say

Blanchon

Blanchon has several oils which can be finished with a lacquer, but the one which particularly stands out is their Solid’Oil™. This product has yielded remarkable results for some years now and is greatly appreciated by floor fitters. Numerous prestigious references (often in busy areas) form a reassuring and enviable basis for interested project owners. For instance, they have tackled various Printemps shops in Paris and Ile de France, Gant shops (gentlemen’s fashion), and many more. Solid'Oil™ impregnates, colours, and protects parquet floor and woodwork in one coat. The hard wax oil offers high resistance to contact with the wood through an interactive network which nourishes the wood deep down and protects it. It stresses the natural look of the wood and simplifies the maintenance. Solid'Oil comes in 10 basic shades and simply by mixing you can get an infinite range of shades, from natural to deep black, with several interim wood shades and lots of shades of grey.

Bona

The Bona Craft Oil 2K two-component oils are compatible with the Bona Traffic HD assortment of sealers. For a natural look you need to use the invisible version of Bona Craft Oil 2K, to which you should add one or two coats of Bona Traffic HD Raw. This new sealer is the most natural in the range. It doesn’t change the colour of the wood at all and yields a gloss level of 4%, regardless of the measurement angle. Applying the Bona Traffic HD Raw varnish gives you not only the feel of oiled parquet, but also parquet which is protected from stains. Moreover, it makes the maintenance easier because there’s no need to apply maintenance oil. The technical staff from the Bona commercial cell are all trained to apply these products and they help clients to complete their projects.

Chimiver

"LIOS BIOIL COLORATO" and "ECOTRAFFIK 2K

LIOS BIOIL Colorato is a colored natural oil treatment for wooden floors, very durable and with a soft effect on the surface. LIOS BIOIL Colorato is available in 20 different colors, mixable together to make a wide range of brand new colors. This oil can be finished with ECOTRAFFIK 2K, a two-component water-based lacquer for wooden floors. ECOTRAFFIK 2K is characterized by high solid content and it's easy to apply, giving a warm and pleasant shade to the floor treated. This lacquer has high abrasion and black heel mark resistances allowing the use on high traffic surfaces and in public spaces.

RIGO Verffabriek

SKYLT Undercoat Oil 2K The RIGO Verffabriek master paint makers sought a way to preserve the untreated appearance of floors and surfaces. The result is SKYLT ORIGINAL, an invisible varnish for pure wood enthusiasts. SKYLT can be combined with SKYLT Undercoat Oil 2K. Using this duo, you can create the appearance of an oiled floor with the strength and maintenance of a varnish. With SKYLT Undercoat Oil 2K, you can stain wooden surfaces and then apply an invisible topcoat with SKYLT. As SKYLT varnish is truly invisible, the wood retains its natural appearance. You’re free to vary with colour shades thanks to SKYLT Undercoat Oil. When you opt for the appearance of an oiled floor, but for the convenience of a parquet varnish, choose SKYLT Undercoat Oil 2K. The oil is available in three different bases: Clear, White and Black. It can be tinted with separate colour pigments and can be coated with SKYLT directly after drying. Floors are easy to maintain after being finished with SKYLT.