A maximum of two coats is recommended and a third or any further coats will likely fail to penetrate, causing extended drying times and/or tacky surfaces. This can also cause the surface to scratch easily.
Use between 1 to 3 coats of oil, ensuring each layer is completely dry before applying a new one. Complete the process with a floor buffer to work the oil into the wood's pores and bring a lovely sheen.
For first application, two coats is recommended onto a clean and dry surface. For re-application, just one coat is sufficient.
If additional coats of oil are applied or if it is applied too thickly, the surplus oil will remain on the surface of the wood. This could result in a number of problems including a sticky, tacky finish; a finish that could take days or longer to fully dry; or a finish that is easily scratched, scuffed and marked.
Once applied, the first coat should be left to dry for at least 8-10 hours ensuring good ventilation. The second coat should be applied the same way as before. This coat will flow over the surface much better than the first and be easier to apply. Again 8-10 hours should be allowed for drying with good ventilation.
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.
Sanding is not necessary between coats. However, de-nibbing with a pad may help to reduce any imperfections from the surface between each coat.
For ease of application dilute the first one or two coats with up to 50% white spirit. Allow the oil to penetrate for 20 to 30 minutes then wipe off the excess oil using a clean lint-free cloth. Allow to dry for 24 hours between coats.
Standard linseed oil takes ages to dry, at least two or three days per coat, and you need multiple coats when applying it to new wood, normally three to five coats but in some cases, as many as fifteen to twenty coats can be applied.
After letting the oil sit for 30 minutes to a 1 hour, rub the wood with a clean, dry rag to remove any excess oil. Let the wood sit for at least 24 hours, or until the oil has absorbed into the wood.
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.
When excess oil is left on the surface the oxygen in the air cures the surface leaving it sticky and easily marked. This is a common problem that strongly indicates that some excess oil was still present on the surface of the wood flooring after oiling.
How many coats will be applied? The standard for a hardwood floor is at least three coats. This consists of one seal coat (which may be the stain) and two coats of finish. Additional costs of finish may be applied depending on the need.
Thus, it's best to wait until all coats have been applied and dried before walking through the room. After that final coat, your floors should be off-limits for 24 hours. This is the only way to avoid any damage. Also, if you can swing it, hold off 3-7 days before moving furniture back into the room.
Applying a second coat of stain to change the color is something you might try once, but the chances of success are not very good. A second coat of stain can cause other issues like peeling of the top coat(s).
It's always best to sand lightly between every coat of finish to remove dust nibs. This is done easily using very fine-grit sandpaper: #320 or #400 grit (P400 or P800). Using a “stearated” or dry-lubricated sandpaper is best because it clogs least.
As a general rule, furniture that has oil-and-wax finishes or stain-and-wax finishes should be oiled once or twice a year, or whenever the wood looks particularly dry.
A second way to test lumber for dryness is put the edge of the wood into a black garbage bag and leave it in the sunlight for an hour or two. A few hours later, open the bag and if there is any condensation on the wood; it's not dry enough yet for stain to be applied.
The oil is generally a mixture of linseed oil, varnish, mineral spirits and sometimes tung oil. We recommend using tung oil for walnut. This type of oil will darken the grain, enhancing and protecting the wood.
Danish oil dries slowly, so wait overnight before recoating. And it goes on thin, so apply a minimum of three coats. You don't have to worry about brush marks, but you'll get an even smoother finish by lightly "wet" sanding between the second and third coats.
Spread the finish evenly with a brush, roller or wide paint scraper or an Osmo Scraper. Wait approx. 30-60 minutes for the oil to absorb.
Use some wet/dry sandpaper at 220 or 320 grit, and sand the Osmo into the wood.
Osmo products provide best results when applied directly onto natural wood. Applying directly over other oil-based finishes is not recommended since the surface may not be able to absorb as much of the oil as expected, or applying directly over older microporous finishes may provide inconsistent results.