Posts Tagged ‘hard wax oil’
Hard Wax Oil-Your Wood Floor’s Best Friend
Osmo Polyx Oil and Fiddes Hard Wax Oil both provide great protection for any wood surfaces around the house, but is one superior?
As many homeowners look to renovate, not relocate, the popularity of natural wood flooring and kitchen surfaces has increased.Synthetic materials could never create the effect and style of a room like a new hardwood floor or some natural wood kitchen cabinets.
Protect Your Wood!
Natural wood surfaces obviously need more attention and extra care, but it doesn’t have to be a chore.A professional’s touch isn’t even required to maintain the wood’s natural beauty. Several products currently on the market make it easy for the average do-it-yourself enthusiast to keep those natural surfaces looking top-notch.
Of course, a durable, long-lasting and easy-to-maintain product is needed for high-traffic areas. If small children will be crawling around on the floors, the finish has to be non-toxic, as well. Many types of wood oils are available, but general consensus says that a quality hard wax oil is just the ticket.
Why Hard Wax Oil?
Hardwax oil is one of the most versatile and easy-to-use products around. Not only is it suitable for use on most interior wooden surfaces including wooden flooring, kitchen worktops, cupboards, skirting, spindles, doors and furniture, but even unsealed terracotta tiles and quarry tiles will benefit due to their porous, wood-like properties.
Matte, satin and satin gloss finishes are currently available, making it perfect for almost any job. Application couldn’t be easier either: use a good quality cloth, paint brush or floor applicator…just utilise the method best-suited to the job. There’s hardly any smell, and it penetrates the wood to provide a finish that is tough and resistant to wear and liquids.
When Price Makes A Difference
Price is the first difference to consider. On average, the cost-conscious consumer can expect to save around £13-£14 (based on a 2.5 litre container) by opting for the Fiddes hardwax oil.Of course, buying a larger size results in even bigger savings. But saving money is no good if you get inferior results, so how do Fiddes Hard Wax Oil and Osmo Polyx Oil match up performance-wise?
Drying Time
Both Fiddes and Osmo wax oil provide a water-repellent seal and are easy to maintain; however, Osmo’s Polyx Oil takes about twice as long to dry at approximately 8 hours per thin coat.Osmo do offer a quicker-drying option, but it costs a bit more.
Available Colours
Fiddes comes in 9 satin colours including the popular walnut, whiskey, American and white, and the clear version comes in matt, satin and gloss finishes.
Osmo currently offer four colours in their foundation wood finish range: light oak, mid oak, dark oak and white. Clear versions are also available.
Both Fiddes and Osmo Hard Wax Oil are non-yellowing, and colours can be mixed to create new ones, which helps with colour matching.
Ingredients
Osmo Polyx Oil contains natural ingredients only.
Fiddes Hard Wax Oil is probably 98% similar to the make-up of Osmo.
Safety
Both hard wax oils are approved by the EN71 Toy Safety Compliancy Test, making them suitable for application onto children’s toys.
History
The original hard wax oil, Osmo Polyx Oil was invented six years ago by the maker of the same name.
In recent years, Fiddes have developed their own hard wax oil, which has become a popular option for many people.
Ask Your Shop For A Sample
Of course, a decent retailer will gladly let you purchase a sample of whichever wax oil you’re considering. Testing a small, out-of-the-way section of the wood is also a must to ensure you’re going to get the finish you desire. In addition, you should keep in mind that using a coloured hard wax oil is going to give you a different look depending on the type of wood on which it’s applied – another reason to make sure you test it out before committing a large area to one particular finish.
If you would like to get an idea how a particular type of wood will look once it’s been finished with a clear wax oil, simply use a little water to wet a section, wipe off the excess, then let it dry for about 10 seconds. The resulting shade is a close approximation of the finish you’ll get.
Summary
For more colours and to save some money, use Fiddes Hard Wax Oil.
For all-natural ingredients and a somewhat more durable finish, try Osmo Polyx Oil.
No matter which brand is chosen, the flexibility of the product is inarguable.When a long-lasting, hard wearing finish is needed for hardwood floors, cabinets, work surfaces or even children’s toys, hard wax oil is a must-have.
For important advice about how to install suspended ceiling – make sure to go through the page. The time has come when proper info is really only one click of your mouse, use this opportunity.