How To Recoat Oiled Flooring

Oiled wood flooring is arguably one of the most natural looking finishes you can choose, irrespective of whether your floor is solid wood or engineered.  An extremely popular choice recently, there is no getting away from the fact that oiled wood flooring is less resistant to wear and tear than the likes of lacquered wood flooring.  Nonetheless, a well maintained oiled wood floor is highly versatile and practical.

One of the main reasons that oiled wood flooring is so popular is because oiling wood helps enhance the natural beauty of the wood, really enabling the grain of the wood to shine through.  That said, it’s important to keep your oiled wood flooring in good condition to keep it looking great.

Assuming your floor has been well oiled at the start of its life, the ongoing maintenance should be relatively stress free. All you need to do to keep the floor looking its best is to vacuum it and then give it a quick mop over with a damp, not wet mop.  In normal circumstances, you shouldn’t even need to use a detergent.  That said, if your floor has become excessively grubby, you could add a mild detergent to the cleaning water.

If your oiled floor is looking a bit stained in places, you can tackle the stained areas by spot repairing.  Spot repairing involves lightly sanding the stained patch of the floor that has been stained and topping up the oil finish on the resulting patch.  However, if your floor is heavily stained, the only real option is to recoat the flooring entirely.

When it comes to recoating your whole floor, you will need to be organised if you’re planning a DIY approach.  If you’re bringing in the professionals, all you should really need to think about is clear the room and leaving everything to them.  Either way, when you’re clearing your room, be careful to lift and not drag furnishings because dragging furniture across your floor can cause damage.  Like all jobs of this nature, the success lies in the preparation and the more effort you put into the preparation of your floor, the better the results will be.

If you plan a DIY recoating of your oiled floor, you’ll need to lightly sand the floor to remove the top layer of dirt, grime and damaged finish. The reason for sanding is to prepare the wood to take the oil and to give you a nice, even surface across the floor.  Once you’ve sanded the floor, you need to make sure you invest the time needed to make sure you pick up all the dust from sanding before moving on to the recoating process.  At this point, you should also repair any damage or fill any gaps.

Depending on which oil finish product you have chosen, you will need to apply one or two coats, but you should always follow the manufacturers instructions.  Make sure you mix the oil thoroughly before starting and try to work systematically along the boards of your floor.  If your room is large (more than about thirty square metres) you should treat the room in two sections, working in from the edges and towards the door.  The best way to tackle this task is by using a brush to get right up to the edges and into the corners.  When it comes to the main surface of the floor, you should pour the oil in small quantities on to the floor and then use a rubber bladed scraper to spread the oil along the boards, all the time making sure you don’t leave puddles of oil on your floor.  Thereafter, follow the drying instructions on your chosen product (normally around 15-20 minutes) and apply a second coat if necessary.  Once the oil is touch dry, wipe over the floor with a lint-free cloth to remove any excess and make sure your room is well ventilated for the final drying process.