FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, however we include only enough low-odour benzene-free mineral spirits within our products to allow them to be easily applied and no more. Also due to the natural oil and wax content of our products, they cannot be compared against conventional finishes from a viewpoint of emmissions.
Absolutely – Osmo Canada does not import or retail any finishes which are in-excess of Canada’s VOC laws and despite being well within limits, we are constantly working to lower our VOC content even further simply to show our commitment to a low solvent future.
As our product is designed to absorb into the wood, it will not be able to do so through the sealant. We recommend to apply our product directly onto the wood first and leave to dry, afterwards you can use a silicone sealant or mastic.
Our products are classified as B1 for flammability, they do not speed up a flame – nor do they resist a flame. We recommend to use a microporous fire-retardant product to achieve flame resistance, with a small trial application prior to use.
Some timber manufacturers recommend not to use an oil or wax treatment for their veneered doors. This is because an oil/wax treatments are designed to absorb into the timber and must absorb through the veneer to ensure this. During this process there is a small risk of the veneer lifting. Osmo Door Oil is a recommended finish for interior doors and is suitable for veneered wood also. For exterior doors that are fully vertical we recommend Osmo UV-Protection Oil, otherwise use Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain. We do recommend a apply a small trial application prior to use.
Osmo Decking Oils (007 Teak Oil, Clear) is the recommended product to use to achieve a clear and natural finish on decking. Please note that this does not offer any UV protection. To protect the wood against greying, a pigmented finish such as any of the coloured Osmo Decking Oils is required.
Exterior wood can grey over time after exposure to the sunlight. UV rays cause wood the discolour and fade into a grey effect. Osmo Wood Reviver Power Gel is designed to remove the greyed wood fibres to revive back to the wood’s natural colour and character. Treatment with any of the Osmo exterior product range is then recommended.
Yes, the colour shades of the respective product ranges can be mixed in any ratio.
Allowing for extra ventilation into the room will allow as much air flow as possible. Only natural air can help the drying process. We do not recommend to turn the heating up as this can cause the product to dry on the surface instead of naturally absorbing into the wood.
A list of our suitable products which can be mechanically applied can be found here:
- Osmo Polyx®-Oil 2K
- Osmo Professional Colour Oil
- Osmo Maintenance Oil
- Osmo Wash and Care
- Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner
Our products achieve the best results and the intended appearance when applied directly onto the wood. Applying over other finishes may be problematic as these previous treatments may have worn in some areas more than others, causing a patchy or uneven result. We recommend to clean or slightly sand old microporous finishes, but varnishes and lacquers must be sanded.
Sanding is not necessary between coats. You may do so if necessary but refer to our advice regarding sanding methods (be careful when sanding finer than P150).
Our application tools are recommended for use because they are designed for quick and easy application. Our products only require a thin application, for instance Osmo brushes are of the highest quality with firm and tight natural bristles, so that you can apply thinly, enabling you to spread well and thoroughly, achieving the highest possible coverage.
Our Polyx-Oil 2K, 5125, and entire Professional Colour Oil range is solvent-free and 50 g/l VOC and is great for the professionals, designers and architects who want a solvent-free coating, but do not want to compromise on quality or colour choice!
Osmo Polyx®-Oil Tints offer a range of lightly pigmented wood stains or alternatively Osmo Wood Wax Finish Transparent offers a wider range of highly pigmented wood stains. Additionally our Professional Colour Oils can be used to achieve a colour coat, prior to finishing with Polyx 2K 6125. Choose the wood stain of your choice from any of these ranges – and apply just one coat using a firm brush, followed by a final coat of clear Polyx®-Oil.
Our ‘transparent’ colours stain the surface whilst still showing the natural grain and characteristics of the wood. Therefore a transparent optic is provided.
- Brush application: Apply thinly and evenly along the wood grain with a natural bristle, firm, high quality brush and spread well. Usually 1-2 thin coats are required.
- Roller application: Apply thinly and evenly along the wood grain with a microfibre roller and spread well. Usually 1-2 thin coats are required.
- Cloth application: Apply with a dry, lint-free cloth – thinly, throughly and evenly along wood grain. Remove surplus or excess with a dry cloth. Usually 3-4 thin coats are required.
- Spray application: Apply with either a customary spray gun (nozzle 1.2-1.5mm, 1.8-2.5 bar), an airless or HVLP requipment. Apply swiftly in vertical sections along the wood grain.
- Buffing application: Spread the finish evenly with a wide paint scraper or the Osmo scraper. Wait approx. 30-60 minutes for the oil to absorb. Buff the surface with a single-disc machine using a green pad. Apply second coat directly after this and spread the finish evenly across the surface using a white pad.
Osmo Woodfiller can be used to fill gaps, splits and cracks in the wood. If staining the wood, use Osmo Woodfiller (73001 Natural) as this can be stained to match the floor stain. Otherwise choose of the other colours to match the wood colour.
Osmo Woodfiller can be used to fill gaps, splits and cracks in the wood. If staining the wood, use Osmo Woodfiller (73001 Natural) as this can be stained to match the floor stain. Otherwise choose of the other colours to match the wood colour.
After treatment, we recommend to maintain your decking and garden furniture occasionally with Osmo Decking Cleaner. If your wood has faded and starts to discolour into a greyed effect, we recommend to use Osmo Wood Reviver Power Gel to remove the grey and revive back to original colour, afterwards re-application of a suitable treatment is recommended.
After treatment of Osmo Polyx®-Oil, we recommend to maintain your floor regularly with Osmo Wash and Care and occasionally with Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner or Osmo Maintenance Oil.
After treatment of Osmo TopOil, we recommend to maintain your worktop regularly with soapy water and a cloth and occasionally with Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner or Osmo Maintenance Oil.
For renovating Osmo treated surfaces, no sanding is necessary – as long as you are using the same product that was used initially to treat the wood. Re-apply onto a clean and dry surface, usually just one coat is required. Sanding may be necessary if the wood had not been well maintained and there are marks or scratches, two coats would then be recommended.
The end grain can be sealed with Osmo End Grain Wax Sealer, by applying a small amount to the end grain with a cloth and leave to dry.
As soon as the Polyx®-Oil has dried after application of two coats, the floor can be used immediately with light traffic. However, the finish takes approx. 10 days to complete the curing process. During this time we do not recommend you to cover the surface with rugs or carpets etc. as this can cause the wood to discolour.
For roller or brush applications; a maximum of two coats is recommended. Our finishes are designed to penetrate into the wood, application of a third coat is unlikely to absorb.For cloth applications; three or four coats is recommended. When applying with a cloth, most of the oil is taken off the surface at the same time, which is an extremely thin application process.
Wood surface must be clean, dry and frost-free with a maximum moisture content of 20% (be cautious with woods with high moisture such as Green Oak). Clean or slightly sand old microporous finishes, remove old varnishes or lacquers by sanding. Sand carefully before application starting with a coarse paper – final sanding for flooring P100-150, furniture P180-240. Remove dust etc. thoroughly from the surface before application with a vacuum cleaner. Application temperature preferably over 5°C.
Oils such as the clear Polyx®-Oil accentuate the natural colour and grain of the wood (permanent wet-look). Polyx®-Oil Effect (3044 Raw) counters this exaggeration of the wood’s colour, leaving the surface looking natural in it’s new or raw condition. The finish is close to being invisible to the eye and retains as much of the wood’s natural colour as possible. Suitable for raw wood only.
For exotic hardwoods (such as Mahogany, Teak, Iroko etc.) we recommend using Osmo Wood Wax Finish Extra Thin for interior wood. Although for exterior hardwoods we recommend to let the wood weather for approx. 3-4 months as an impregnation is not necessary due to the wood’s ingredients. The high natural oil content of these types of wood when in their new condition do not allow penetration of any further oil until it has been exposed to the external elements. The wood is unlikely to fade during this time.
As our product is designed to absorb into the wood, it will not be able to do so through the sealant. We recommend to apply our product directly onto the wood first and leave to dry, afterwards you can use a silicone sealant or mastic.
Yes, for vertical surfaces such as cladding, fencing, doors and windows etc. Osmo UV-Protection Oil is a special product which can acheive UV protection on vertical surfaces, as long as rain/water can run off the wood rather than absorb into it, a minimum drip angle of 15° is required. Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide the wood with UV protection using a clear treatment on horizontal surfaces such as decking.
Exterior wood can grey over time after exposure to the sunlight. UV rays cause wood the discolour and fade into a grey effect. Osmo Wood Reviver Power Gel is designed to remove the greyed wood fibres to revive back to the wood’s natural colour and character. Treatment with any of the Osmo exterior product range is then recommended.
The floor can either be repaired with the Osmo Repair Set, which comes with a heating gun and several wax sticks. Heat the wax stick over the scratched surface and smoothen with a spatula. (choose the closest colour to match the wood) partially renovated, by cordoning off the plank of wood that the scratch or mark is on, sanding back and re-applying on this area only.
There are several possible reasons why this could happen:
- Over application – there is a limit to the amount of oil that the wood can absorb, excess application can cause the oil to dry on the surface – which can create a sticky or tacky surface. Remedy: allow for extra ventilation to enable the drying, or remove excess with cloth.
- Existing treatments on the surface – previous varnishes or other treatments can block the absorption of oil into the wood. Please refer to our advice regarding wood preparation. Remedy: sanding and re-application.
- Unsuitable product for the wood – exotic hardwoods such as Teak, Iroko, Idigbo, Cedar etc. have a high natural oil content, and application of further oil can be problematic if an unsuitable product has been applied. For these types of wood we recommend Wood Wax Finish Extra Thin for interior use, or for exterior use we recommend to allow exposure to elements for at least 3 months prior to application, any exterior product would then be suitable.
Our products contain natural vegetable oils such as linseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil and thistle oil – and our interior range also contain natural vegetable waxes such as carnauba wax and candelilla wax. Although the ingredients vary with each product, there is a full declaration of the ingredients on each product page.
Osmo Polyx®-Oil 2K (6125) has a special curing time of 4 hours, which means the floor can be used as normal after this time. However, the other Polyx®-Oils have a drying time of 8-12 hours and a full curing time of approx. 10-14 days – during this time we advise you to keep floor traffic to a minimum and not to cover the surface as this will block the oxidation process which can cause the surface to discolour.
Sand carefully before application (sanding between coats is not necessary) starting with a coarse paper – final sanding for flooring P100-150. Sanding grades finer than P150 closes up the wood grain, which slows the penetration of the oil. Final surface sanding P180-240 is acceptable for furniture that will be treated with a cloth application.
Osmo offers two types of hardwax-oil wood finishes for exotic woods:
Osmo Polyx Oil 2K
Osmo Wood Wax Finish – Extra Thin
Both are suitable for finishing exotic woods; however, we always advise that you try a small sample before applying the finish to the entire surface.
Osmo Wood Protector is recommended for woods prone to moisture, usually in bathrooms or kitchens. Although, this is not necessary for exotic woods.Osmo WR Base Coat is recommended for exterior softwoods such as Pine, Spruce etc. to impregnate the wood for increased protection.
- For interior wood – re-application is usually recommended every 3-5 years. Although, this is dependant on the amount of use and how often the surface is maintained.
- For exterior wood – re-application is usually recommended every 3-10 years. Although, this is dependant on the external elements. Woods in locations near the coast or are south-facing usually requires re-application each year or more.
The wood finishes are produced by Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG in Münster, Germany. Osmo Canada receives a large delivery regularly which is distributed to many suppliers of Osmo throughout Canada.
You can purchase our products locally from any of our suppliers or directly through Osmo Canada (Sorry – No special discounts, we enforce an MSRP). To order products from outside of Canada please contact the relevant Osmo sister company, or alternatively, Osmo Holz und Color in Germany.
A list of our sprayable products can be found here:
- Osmo Interior Wax
- Osmo Industrial 3063
- Osmo Park Lane
- Osmo Uviwax®
- Osmo Fence and Garden Stain
- Osmo Teak Oil Spray
- Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner Spray
Osmo finishes are not classed as a stain, or a lacquer and as such are not subject to the same VOC requirements set out by Environment Canada for wood stain. Hardwax-Oil and Softwax-Oil are classed as “Conjugated Oil Varnishes” whereby the VOC content concentration limit is 450 g/L. This higher allowance is due to the fact our products are made from renewable, natural vegetable oils and waxes as opposed to solely man-made chemicals.
Osmo products depend on penetration into the wood surface where they form a cross-linked chemical bond to the wood fibres. Penetration of the oil can be inhibited by not adequately preparing the surface and/or applying the oil to wood with a moisture content beyond 20% such as onto new pressure treated wood, or applying at temperatures under 15 degrees Celsius. We suggest allowing pressure treated wood to dry outdoors for a minimum of 6-weeks prior to finishing, and to allow any decking cleaned and stripped with a pressure washer to dry for 1-week.