What is parquet oil used for, its main advantages and disadvantages, types of compositions, rules for surface preparation, application technologies, especially floor restoration. Parquet oil is a substance that consists of natural ingredients and contains a minimum of chemical solvents. For this reason, covering a wooden floor with this product is an environmentally friendly and harmless procedure. You can carry it out yourself, following the rules for the selection of a suitable product and its application.
Advantages and disadvantages of oiled parquet flooring
Several decades ago, the processing and polishing of parquet floors was the responsibility of a special worker who was called a floor polisher. Nowadays, everyone can do these works, since many new technologies and tools have appeared that have greatly simplified the procedure. In pursuit of environmental friendliness, more and more owners give preference to covering the parquet with oil rather than varnish. There are several reasons for this:
- The oiled wood floor is antistatic.
- To the touch, parquet treated with an oily composition is warm and does not slip, unlike varnishing. Has a satin texture.
- The protective properties of the oil, which penetrates deep into the wood structure, is much higher than that of other impregnations.
- Damage, chips, scuffs, scratches on the parquet under oil are less noticeable.
- The oil has excellent waterproofing properties. At the same time, the pores of the wood are open, thanks to which it breathes, retains its natural shade and texture.
- It is easy and inexpensive to restore a floor with oil. A partial update is also possible.
Before opting for parquet oil, it is worth learning about the disadvantages of this tool:
- Thorough preparation of the floor is required before oil is applied to the parquet floor.
- Immediately after coating with oil, the surface will get dirty much faster than with other impregnations and varnishes.
- An oiled floor requires special care products recommended by the manufacturer.
- Furniture with metal legs and other metal objects should not be placed on oiled parquet flooring, as stains may form as a result of a chemical reaction.
- It is necessary to restore such a floor every 2-3 years.
Features of the use of oil for parquet
The oil dampens the shine of the wood and emphasizes the natural grain and grain pattern. Most often, it is used to process exotic wood species - kempas, jatoba, lapacho, iroko, since they contain a large amount of oily substances, and it is impractical to varnish them. It simply will not lie flat on the surface. Of domestic wood species, ash and oak oil are best perceived. Oil impregnation of parquet flooring is suitable for different premises:
- Hallway … Here the floor is exposed to active mechanical stress. Therefore, it is important to use oil in the corridors, since the coating will be resistant to wiping. Places where the substance has worn off can be easily restored.
- Terrace … In this room, special oil impregnations are used for the treatment of external structures. You will have to cover the terrace with oil a couple of times a year. With such a frequency of application, the wood will retain its deep shade, will be protected from the damaging effects of moisture and "biological corrosion".
- Bathroom … In this room with high humidity, it is recommended to use only certain types of wood for flooring. This is, for example, lapacho, teak. They need additional treatment with special oils, under the influence of which the parquet becomes harder. This product is absorbed into the pores of the coating. Moisture and vapors do not penetrate deep layers, but steam can easily escape to the outside.
If you have underfloor heating, then oil is the optimal solution for processing such parquet. It is capable of contracting and stretching at the same time as the tree. This oil compares favorably with varnish, since the latter creates a strong film on the surface and cracks when the wood is stretched.
Varieties of oils for parquet
Today, there are many varieties of parquet oils. They can differ in composition, shade, consistency.
Depending on the wood from which the floor is made and the purpose of the room, you can choose one of the following oil impregnations:
- Resin-free oil … This composition contains at least 90-99% of pure natural oil. It may contain some solvents, and some do not have any impurities at all. Such a product is considered environmentally friendly. The oil is easy to apply, and there is no need to take breaks to dry the composition on the floor, since there are either no solvents in it at all, or very little. To cover the parquet in the room, you will need much less such a product than an oil mixture with resins and solvents. But among the minuses, one can note the need for frequent and thorough care of the treated parquet.
- Oil with resin … They are also called high solid oils. These are very dense mixtures, and due to the resin content, they are very durable. It is rarely recommended to renew the parquet floor, as the resin adheres oil particles to the wood fibers.
- Parquet oil wax … It is a mixture of oil and liquid wax. Such compositions create an excellent protective film on the surface, much denser than pure oil, and therefore are most popular. The wax gives the parquet a matte, soft sheen. The surface of the floor after treatment with this mixture becomes more slippery.
Parquet oils are also classified by color:
- Transparent light yellow or colorless … They are usually used for dark wood, but light wood can also be processed.
- Dark oils … They imitate well the shade of walnut, cherry, oak. Suitable for impregnating oak boards and rare exotic species.
- Whitening oils … This category includes shades of silver, white and gray. Suitable for covering parquet from maple, birch, ash. If you treat an oak floor with such a tool, you can get an interesting "antique" effect - with a silvery tint.
Parquet oil treatment technology
In general, it is not difficult to coat a wooden floor with oil. The main thing is to carefully prepare the surface and choose the right and convenient tool and oil composition.
Preparatory work before coating the parquet with oil
The success of the entire treatment procedure half depends on the preparation of the parquet for the application of oil. Oil, more than varnish or pure wax, exhibits all surface imperfections. Therefore, it is important to sand the floor thoroughly before proceeding with the impregnation coating.
If you intend to process a small floor surface, then you can sand and polish by hand. If you have to work in large volumes, then it is recommended to get a thermal pad or a grinder. You can rent them instead of buying.
Sanding should begin with the use of 20 grit sandpaper. Then you can go to "reduce" the grain and use sandpaper from 36 to 150. After you sand the entire surface, you need to sandpaper the border of the floor covering. It is carried out in the same way as grinding the rest of the area, with a change in the grain size of the material. Keep in mind that too fine a grain of sandpaper can negatively affect the structure of the wood. Its pores will close and the oil will not penetrate deeply.
If the parquet has visible imperfections and damage, it should be putty. Use compounds that match the color of the wood. As a rule, putties are applied in one layer. After drying, it is recommended to sand the treated areas with sandpaper again. At the end it is necessary to polish the surface of the parquet. You can use a piece of felt or microfiber to do this. If the area to be processed is large, then use a grinder. At the end, dust and all debris must be removed from the floor. Wood species such as fir, birch, pine are also recommended to be treated with an alkaline solution before coating with oil. Otherwise, the wood will darken.
Rules for coloring oil for parquet
If you want to get a certain shade of the floor surface, then a coloring pigment can be added to the oil. As a rule, it is recommended to add 7-10% paint to the parquet oil. The higher the amount of color, the more saturated the color you will end up with. The effect of coloring can be seen immediately after applying the product, without even waiting for it to dry. However, it is worth remembering that oil does not form a film on the surface of a tree, like varnish. This means that all furniture and objects that will come into contact with the parquet can be painted. Also, be careful when adding white pigment to the oil composition. When rubbing it on the floor, do it as carefully as possible. Otherwise, the parquet floor may look like it has been painted with white paint carelessly.
Cold oil application
It is best to start applying cold oil to the floor immediately after sanding and polishing. This will prevent the process of clogging the pores of the tree with your own resins. Parquet treatment with oil must be done in several stages, between which technological breaks are made. Depending on the type of oil and wood, 1 to 3 passes can be done. So, the more the wood absorbs the oil composition, the more layers should be done. For example, beech is recommended to be processed three times. The cold method of oil application is easier, as it does not involve the use of a thermal pad.
The procedure is performed as follows:
- Apply the oil evenly in a thin layer using a special spatula or a wide flat brush.
- Remove the excess with a soft cloth after two minutes. Please note that oil residues must be removed immediately during processing. Otherwise, it will dry out and form a crust.
- Let's move on to the surface polishing process. For this we use a grinder with a special pad.
- After we have polished the floor, take a dry cotton cloth or rag and carefully wipe the surface from the oil residues.
- After processing, the oil can be released from the tree for several more hours. In this case, wipe it off again and polish the parquet again.
- Apply the second layer (if necessary) after 5-12 hours. The exact information on the drying time of the oil is indicated on its packaging.
- The second layer takes much less composition, since the parquet board absorbs less oil than during the first application.
- After applying the last layer, the floor is also polished with a grinder.
Parquet is considered to be of high quality if it has a satin sheen. You can walk on such a floor and put furniture on it in 7 days. It will take so much time for it to dry completely. After using some compounds, such as hard wax parquet oil, it is recommended that the surface be coated with a wood finishing compound. It has a denser consistency and should be applied after the last layer of oil has dried.
Hot oil coating of parquet
The hot method of treating parquet with oil is good because the composition in this case impregnates the wood better and the result is better and more durable.
We carry out the procedure like this:
- We heat the oil to a temperature not lower than 80 degrees. We do this on a steam bath.
- We warm up the floor with a thermal pad. This is a necessary step as otherwise warm oil may remain on a cold surface.
- Apply the mixture evenly to the floor with a spatula or brush.
- We rub the oil with a thermal pad with a special beige pad. We carry out the procedure until the mixture is completely absorbed.
- The second layer should be applied in cases where there is an increased load on the floor. We do this after 2-2.5 hours after the first treatment in a similar way.
The finished surface should have an even shade and texture, without matte stains.
Parquet restoration with oil
Parquet oil makes it possible to make small surface repairs with your own hands. For example, scratches and stains can be easily removed. Damage will be less noticeable on an oiled floor than on a varnished surface.
The easiest way to remove scratches is. It is necessary to grind them with sandpaper and soak in oil. Some time after impregnation, the wood will swell slightly, and the defect will heal.
To remove stains on oiled parquet flooring, you can use plain water. They are usually easily removed from such a surface. If the stain is large, then use a special parquet care product of the same brand as the oil. If the stains are ingrained and do not wash off with water, then you can re-coat the damaged area with the same oil composition as the entire floor.
In places where there are large spots or deep mechanical damage, it is recommended to re-sand. This should be done in the direction of the tree pattern (along the fibers). To do this, use 100-200 grit sandpaper. Then apply a thin layer of oil and rub it with a dry cloth. How to cover the parquet with oil - watch the video:
Even a beginner can apply oil to the parquet with his own hands. To do this, you need to have the right tool and choose the right oil composition that is optimal for wood. The result is an environmentally friendly and attractive floor surface.
