Overview of Using OSMO Natural Oils on Flooring in Australia

A number of floor sanders have asked questions about the Osmo oil range. On display at VCS we have a number of the various colours demonstrated however these are not the normal day-to-day product that would be used for sanding and finishing a timber floor. While Osmo provides the versatility of colored finishes, for day-to-day finishing there are simply two different products.

In this section we answer specific questions raised by floor finishing teams.

With Osmo coatings what is the sealer?

Osmo coatings are a combination of oil and wax that does not require a primer coat. Osmo coatings self-prime.

So how many coats are applied?

Just two coats of finish are applied. That is two coats of the same product.

So are these coats applied over a sealer?

No. You just apply two coats of the finish.

Do you sand back the first coat before applying the second?

No. You just apply the second coat over the first coat without sanding.


And then do you buff the finish with a white pad?

No there is no buffing required. You roll on the coating and let it dry. That's it. Nothing else.


What about the sanding? How finely does the floor needed to be sanded?

Sanding a timber floor to approximately 100 grit is fine with Australian hardwoods. You do not need to burnish the grain as you would with a finely diluted finish.


How are oils applied? Do you need special tools?

Oils are applied using a micro fibre roller cover. The application rate is approximately 30 m² per litre. You apply them thinly. But remember that you are not applying a highly diluted finish. This is pure oil and wax at its best. (With standard floor coatings you apply at 10 m² per litre and approximately 2/3 of what you apply evaporates. So normally you would apply 3 L over 30 m² but only 1 L of actual finish is left behind. Therefore the coverage is the same.)


Is there a satin finish?

Yes the standard finish used on floors is a satin finish. It is called Osmo 3032. It has been consistently used for nearly a decade in Western Australia with very good results.

Can I just apply two coats of satin?

Yes that is exactly how the product is applied. You would apply two coats of the same product with no concerns about unevenness in the satin finish. The product is a satin through and through. You get ideal adhesion and ideal performance.


Is there a matt finish?

Yes there is a matt finish for Osmo coatings. It is called Osmo 3062.


Can the matt finish be directly applied over a matt finish?

Yes that is exactly how you would apply Osmo Matt. You would apply two coats of the same finish with no concerns about whether or not you would have an even matte finish. (In solvent based coatings you generally apply a gloss and then finish with a matte. This does not apply with Osmo.)


What about durability? Surely oil-based finishes do not last very long.

Osmo is a completely different type of finish. Its combination of oil and wax both penetrate the timber and provides a protective layer. We are seeing a number of floors in excess of nine years old that are performing perfectly. This is surprising to us as we think of the traditional oil products that provide very short term protection. Osmo works in a completely different principle feeding the timber from inside and also protecting the surface. As a result it has excellent durability and enhanced chemical resistance over other coating products. In some areas it is actually superior to other floor coating choices.


Could Osmo oil be used commercially?

Osmo oils have been used successfully on a number of commercial locations including fast-food outlets, holiday accommodation, shops in major shopping centers around Perth and more. It is a very successful floor coating choice and given that it works very well in these commercial areas there is no difficulty in using it in domestic locations as well.


Is Osmo repairable?

Yes. This is one of the major selling benefits of Osmo oil. Fine scratches can be fixed using a little oil applied with a rag. As long as the surface is clean then it can be applied without any need to re-sand the surface. Even a re-coat can be accomplished by simply cleaning the floor as opposed to requiring the use of sanding machines. It can be sanded using a rotary sander but this is not necessary.

Are there brochures that we can use to give to our customers?

Yes, we have some excellent brochures that you can use to show your customer.

How does the cost workout in comparison to the major waterborne coatings that we currently apply?

Generally, there is a saving in time because you apply just two coats. Usually in cost terms it is approximately 25% cheaper to use Osmo as opposed to standard waterborne technology.


Do the floors darken as much as they did with the old-fashioned oils that we have used?

Not so much. The combination of oil and wax seems to set the colour a little lighter. There is not so much in the oils that can penetrate the timber a long way and make them darken too much.


Finishing at 100 grit seems quite low. Would it improve things if we sanded finer?

Not at all. It is not a good idea to burnish the floor as you would do for the diluted floor coatings that you are used to using. Finishing at 100 grit is working extremely well. Whereas many coatings need to be diluted in a carrying medium and hence we call them waterborne or solvent-borne, Osmo coatings are purely a blend of oils and waxes with a tiny fraction of carrying medium. It is a completely different approach and demands that we sand to a much lower level.


Do these coating store well when opened?

Yes they keep very well though they can thicken up a little. We carry an Appropriate thinning solution for the product so that if they have thickened up in storage after opening, you can dilute them and use them.


What is the temperature range for coating?

The coatings have similar application temperatures to standard floor coatings. Generally anything above 12° and anything below 32° works well.

Are there maintenance kits?

Yes there is a complete range of maintenance products available for the Osmo oil coatings. This covers every aspect of maintenance.

Are there coatings for decking?

We have a comprehensive range of decking coatings in Osmo that provide excellent UV protection. In addition we have an anti-slip product and a UV protection oil that actually filters UV light.