• CHALLENGE: Protect new oak doors without covering the natural grain of the wood
• SOLUTION: Apply two coats of Osmo UK Door-Oil
The original doors were all intact when the couple bought the house, but they were twisted, broken and covered with paint, so the husband and wife duo decided to replace all seven doors with brand new oak doors that matched the four panel design of the previous ones. The new doors feature a natural grain and complement the period of the house perfectly.
The couple wanted to preserve the look of the wood, whilst being sensible about protecting them from general everyday wear and tear. Remembering that her mother had always used an oil for the doors in her childhood homes, Ruth Shaw decided that this was the way forward and researched which were the best products.
“Reading several reviews, I kept seeing Osmo finishes mentioned as the best” commented Ruth. “I follow a number of renovation accounts and tradespeople on Instagram and you only have to search #osmooil to see that it is a very popular choice. We looked at Door-Oil and this product seemed to tick all the boxes for us.”
As the doors are brand new, despite a bit of sanding where the grain was loose and a wipe down with a dry cloth to remove any dust, the surface needed very little preparation before the Osmo finish could be applied. “I hadn’t used a wood finish before, so I followed the instructions on the tin and found the application very easy” continues Ruth. “The finish is quite thin, which made it easy to work into the wood grain. This was important as the four panels on each door have a decorative trim, so I wanted to prevent any build-up in this section. I found that by applying a thin coat, it went a long way, even after applying two coats.”
Door-Oil is created from natural vegetable oils and plant waxes. These properties ensure the treatment is quickly and deeply absorbed into the wood, enriching the wood’s natural beauty and strength without any cracking, flaking, peeling or blistering.
“I left the finish to dry for 24hours between coats and even after just one coat, the door already looked beautiful” adds Ruth. “It accentuates the natural grain of the wood and only darkened the oak slightly to leave a lovely, slightly richer and warmer version of the oak. After two coats, the doors looked finished, nourished and are now a great feature of the room.”
After application, the surface becomes healthy and elastic, and the wood's fibres are prevented from becoming dry and brittle over time as well as shrinking and swelling. It contains no biocides or preservatives and, when dry, is safe in contact with humans, animals and plants. The dried product is even safe children’s toys.
So far, three doors have had Door-Oil applied and have been hung in the property. Once the renovations in the other rooms have finished, the remaining four doors will get the same treatment.
As the renovation project continues, with work being done both internally and externally, Ruth commented that she would definitely consider using Osmo UK finishes elsewhere in her home.
To view the project, click here.
For more information of Door-Oil, click here.