sealing french oak, keep it natural

[JetThrust]

try as i might i can find bugger all on the net or the forums to answer my question so i thought i'd put it to you.... apologies if the answer already exists on here somewhere and i failed to find it...
anyway, ive just had a french oak stair installed in my kitchen and need to seal it pretty soon, however, i desperately want to retain the flat, natural finish/look of the wood and avoid anything that will give it a glossy or changed appearance.
The stair chap said i should use a varnish watered down with white spirit, however as im totally new to this i have no idea which would be suitable given my desired matt / natural finish or if there is a more suitable method out there.

any suggestions or advice would be hugely appreciated

cheers

 

[Sandy Beech]

Don't even go near varnish or you will regret it big time later on - any piercing of the surface could lead to discolouration.

Use a Hard Wax Oil (Osmo) and it will give years of pleasure.

Do a search on this forum and I am sure you will find the answer you are looking for.

Note: I made this Post based upon information supplied in the past by 'WoodYouLike' and followed by me when installing new flooring in a bathroom. I am sure he will be along shortly to add his advice.

Any finish will darken wood to some degree IMO.[/u]

 

[JetThrust]

ah nice one, cheers, just been checking out their "Wood Wax Finish Clear Extra Thin" on their website but it gives the wood a sheen that im trying to avoid if possible:


they also do "Industrial Wood Wax Finish" which comes in matt and sounds like it might be suitable.

are these products youve used yourself?

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[Sandy Beech]

Check out the photos posted by WoodYouLike to see some of the effects. Check out this link.

 

[WoodYouLike]

If you want to keep the 'unfinished' pale look on Oak you're in for a disappointment for two reasons:
A) wood matures over time, natural finished Oak will get its characteristic honey colour
B) adding a colour, even a light one, will create a different look. The only colour we know (and use) is light grey (also used on the Duoplank Oak brushed & oiled castle grey pre-finished boards).

Trick of the trade: wet a little area of your Oak stair (don't throw a bucket of water over it! a "wet finger" will suffice) to see how any natural finish will look.
HardWaxOil is a good finish, natural and lets the wood breath.

 

[JetThrust]

cheers for the help, much appreciated.

sounds like im gonna have to bite the bullet then i guess!

The light grey colour that you mentioned sounds interesting, what is that exactly, an applied treatment? does it colour the wood / protect it?

Im resigned to the appearance changing from its current state as the protecting of the oak far outweighs any sheer cosmetic value so im in the market for a suitable wax, i guess im looking for a "lesser of several evils" option which will cause minimal shine...if there is such a wonder elixir of course.

thanks again

 

[tall_tone]

Another option would be a product called "Naturale" from Bona.

It will only change the colour of the wood very slightly and has a 5% sheen (Very low). I am taking my life in my hands here because it is, Shock Horror a lacquer but that said lacquers are not as evil as many, particularly on this forum, would suggest. If your desire is for minimal colour change, this product could be for you.

Oils have there place and are a great, but they will tend to darken the wood more than a water based lacquer, thus the reason for a light grey stain. Naturale in particular does not darken the wood.
Do not add any white spirit.
I am sure if you call them they will send you a sample to try.

 

[WoodYouLike]

The Light Grey (or pre-finished Castle Grey) is a colour HardWaxOil (Blanchon). The beauty of it is you can apply 1 coat of colour followed by 1 coat of natural HardWaxOil to tone down the colour.
Image below shows an Oak Rustic floors (two coats of colour applied)

 

[mac391]

Osmo hardwax oil comes in both satin (polyx 3062 satin) and matt (polyx 3032 matt) finishes and like paint comes in trial size pots. Both completely natural, being a mixture of oil and wax. Any treatment will darken the oak slightly but in my opinion, enhance it!!
i've tried most finishes on the market and Osmo comes out on top every time and realy easy to re-apply in worn areas, a light sand by hand is all that's required.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Osmo is good, Blanchon works easier (as in: can be applied much thinner much easier). But that could be down to personal experience (worked with both)

 

[geeonegee]

We put some of the Blanchon Wood Floor Environment on a oak sample board a couple of weeks ago to see how 'flat' and natural it looked alongside a portion of the board which had been lacquered (Junckers Profinish satin), we applied 3 coats of the WFE and to be fair it looked as though we hadnt put anything on it at all, in my opinion you wont get a product to look any more natural than the WFE, it dried quickly (about an hr) was easy to apply (small paintpad) and looked great.