Question: We're going to be pulling up some carpets in our home and polishing the (pine) floorboards below.
What are the different products available, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Louise

Answer:  Floor treatments suitable for your floor come in four basic types of finishes,

• varnish,

• oil,

• oil sealer or

• wax;

and are available in three brands Livos, Volvox and Bio.

1.       1.  The first is Varnish. Bio Floor Varnish is a surface finish which looks similar to the common (but toxic) polyurethane finish. It is available as a gloss or satin varnish. 

Advantages: Shiny, reflective finish. Doesn’t have polyurethane in it and is not toxic. Self levelling.

Disadvantages: Like polyurethane, it is difficult to repair without sanding the whole lot. You walk on the surface coating, not the wood.

2.       2. Wood oil.  These are natural oils which nourish and protect the timber. The options are  Livos Ardvos, Volvox Wood Oil, and Bio Teak Oil. These are NOT like ‘modified Tung oil’;  our floor oils do not contain any polyurethane.

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)

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

3.       3. 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.

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

4.       4. 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.)