Natural Oils and Waxes for Interior Timbers

Natural Timber Oils are a durable, beautiful and easy maintenance option for interior timbers. Natural Timber Oils enhance the look of timber without degrading the air quality in the building. Natural oils are NOT modified.

Timber needs to breathe, and natural oils and waxes on a wooden floor enable the floor to breathe and 'move', as it should. Wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity, natural oils enable that movement, they allow some flexibility! Natural Oils can include a stain to change the colour of the floor, and natural oils can seal timbers in 'wet' areas such as the kitchen and bathroom.

 There are four basic types of natural oil and wax finishes,

• oil,

• oil sealer,

• wax

You can use one of these options, or combine any or all of these finishes on one floor! Natural Oils are available in three brands; Livos, Volvox and Bio.

 1. Wood oil.  These are natural oils which nourish and protect the timber. The options are  Livos Ardvos, Volvox Wood Oil, and Bio Teak Oil. For windows, doors, panelling and furniture use Bio Natural Wood Oil, Livos Kaldet and Volvox Wood Oil, or any of the floor oils.

Advantages:  Easy to apply, easy to maintain, easy to repair. ‘soft’ underfoot. This means that you walk on the actual wood, which has been oiled. The oil does not sit on the surface and coat the wood, it penetrates into the wood. Oiled floors breathe better than coated floors, and they can flex with the movement of the house as it heats and cools etc. (This finish is recommended for DIY projects)

NOTE: These are NOT like ‘modified Tung oil’;  our floor oils do not contain any polyurethane.

Disadvantages: Not recommended for ‘wet’ areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.

 2. Oil Sealers are made with ‘hard oils’, which means the oil sets hard when buffed. The options are Livos Kunos, Livos Meldos,  Volvox Hard Oil or Volvox Hard Oil Wax Finish ( a 2 in 1 product).

Advantages:  Hard wearing, recommended for all of home including kitchens and bathrooms. Oiled floors are easy to maintain and easy to repair, and ‘soft’ underfoot. This means that you walk on the actual wood, which has been oiled. The oil does not sit on the surface and coat the wood, it penetrates into the wood. Oiled floors breathe better than coated floors, and they can flex with the movement of the house as it heats and cools etc.. Livos Kunos is available in timber colours, white and  black.

Disadvantages: A little more effort to apply because it requires buffing after each coat at the application stage.

Kunos White on plywood floor.

 3. Wax. Available products are Bio Hard Floor Wax and Volvox Wax Finish

Advantages:  Minimal change in appearance of the wood, water repellent. Waxed floors can be polished.

Disadvantages: Wears in walkways, needs to be reapplied more regularly than oil. Wax can build up near walls where it isn’t walked on; wax removers are then used to remove any buildup.

Note that for oiled and waxed finishes we recommend that you sand the floors to at least 180grit (remember, you walk on the actual wood, it isn’t going to be covered by a layer of varnish or polyurethane.)

 4. There is a fourth option, ideal if you really like the glossy look of polyurethane, and that is Bio Floor Varnish

Bio Floor varnish is available in a Gloss or Satin. For more details see Bio Varnish.

Beautiful floors using Bio Floor Varnish.

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Detailed information and Technical Data

Livos 'How-to information