The primary downside of oil finished floors is the specific and critical maintenance they require.
Maintenance of linseed oil finished floors.
I assume buffing would make the floor look a little more shiny closer to satin water based poyurethane finish whcih is the look we would like but we are seriouly considering going with the oil because of the ease of touch up.
Cons of oil finished floors.
Linseed oil does not harden sufficiently to offer enough resistance to abrasion to be a suitable deck floor preservative.
Following are steps for a hardening oil finish.
Woca oil finished floor will last virtually forever and will never have to be sanded.
Linseed oil has been used for interior wood floors but it must be waxed for durability.
A wood floor finished with woca oil is resistant even to excessive wear and most liquid spills.
Regular maintenance regularly vacuum or dust mop your floor to prevent sand or abrasive dust buildup that can scratch the floor finish.
Most use linseed or tung oil or a combination of the two as a base but soy sunflower china wood safflower hemp and other oils are also used.
This will help with your diy project with hardwood floors.
Combined with the more textured face treatments that are popular with oil finished floors even with repairs and years of use many believe that oil finished floors only get more beautiful with time.
Although the oil finish on a wood floor will bead up liquid spills and protect the wood from moisture it s important to wipe up spills right away.
That said these finishes are not for everyone.
The finish will tend to be a matte to satin.
Linseed oil is not completely denatured so it can encourage rather than discourage mildew growth.
Important maintenance tips for oil finished wood floors.
A gloss finish can be achieved by applying a coating of wax to an oil finished floor but we do not recommend this course.
Linseed oil is one of the more common choices but because oils are a less common choice for flooring finishes you may be uncertain about how to best care for your linseed treated floors.
Application for these finishes varies.
Linseed oil is a penetrating finish on hardwood floors that does not form a sealant on the wood like polyurethane but instead acts as a stain that enhances the look of your floors.
Standing water for any amount of time is not good for wood flooring no matter the finish type.
At least by today s standards.
We d like an oil finish that doesn t keep making the floor look darker and darker every time it is touched up.