Why We Like Waterlox

Waterlox Tung Oil Finishes for Hardwood Floors

2010-12-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

When we try to describe Waterlox to clients, we do our best to convey the unique appearance of this finish. It does not form a “plastic” layer like water-based or oil-based polyurethanes. Waterlox gives hardwood floors a hand rubbed look that is both durable and elegant.

Because Waterlox cures within the wood, there is not a surface buildup, so the Waterlox surface is less prone to show scratches compared to any conventional oil or water-based polyurethane floor finish. If a client is tough on their floors with exposure to dogs, kids, dirt and grit, or just lots of traffic, a Waterlox floor will typically give a longer life before recoat is desired, compared to most polyurethanes. Waterlox looks good longer.

The following describes how Waterlox compares to other finishes.

Waterlox vs. traditional water based urethane

Like their oil-modified counterparts, traditional water based urethanes sit on top of the wood surface. Because they are mainly comprised of acrylic and urethane, they don’t bring out the natural patina of the wood. Wear and scratches will also be more noticeable because they will scratch white. They are often difficult to apply and are often recommend for professional use only. Since this finish is a surface film, when the film is breached, it offers no protection at all. Touch ups are also difficult.

Waterlox Original Tung oil finishes are penetrating oil finishes and as such enhance the wood with a natural oiled look and feel. Waterlox never requires sanding for adhesion and touch-ups can be done at any time without sanding. Waterlox forms a protective finish that won't chip, crack or wrinkle.

Waterlox vs. raw oil or “Danish” oil

Raw oils or “Danish” oils penetrate into the wood pores but do not really protect the wood. Finishes in this category are not difficult to apply, but they offer little or no protection to the wood substrate and can remain tacky like fly paper until dry. Because of this they require frequent and time-consuming reapplication, will water spot and are usually not recommended for working surfaces such as floors or counter tops or for use in water-sensitive areas. While Waterlox Original Tung oil finishes contain a superior drying oil, namely Tung Oil, they are fully cooked varnishes, which dry quicker and form permanent films tough enough to walk on and take daily abuse. Waterlox Original Tung oil finishes are also water and chemical resistant (alcohol and alkali).

Waterlox vs. linseed oil

Linseed oil is a drying oil pressed from the flax seed. While linseed oil will penetrate into the pores of the wood, it will not really protect the wood substrate and will remain tacky like fly paper until dry. Linseed oil molecules are also larger than Tung oil and will therefore have limited penetrating ability. Because of this it requires frequent and time-consuming reapplication, will water spot and is usually not recommended for working surfaces such as floors or counter tops or for use in water-sensitive areas. Linseed oil also contains linoleic and linolenic acids, which cause it to yellow over time. Waterlox provides deeper penetration to seal wood fibers beneath the surface because the molecules are smaller. Waterlox is water resistant and will not water spot like linseed oil, nor will it yellow like pure linseed or linseed oil modified coatings (e.g.: oil-modified urethanes).

Waterlox vs. oil/wax-based systems

European oil/wax-based systems are labor-intensive to apply and maintain. Finishes in this category are difficult to apply and are recommended for professional use only because they are applied by buffing in and wiping off any excess product and are applied in thin coats. While they penetrate into the wood pores, they offer little or no protection of the wood substrate. Because of this, they require labor-intensive and frequent maintenance. Waterlox finishes can be applied by do-it-yourselfers and professionals alike. Waterlox finishes are penetrating oil finishes and as such will penetrate into the wood pores and build up to a film that is water resistant, stands up to foot traffic and common household spills. Maintenance and recoating are easier and not required as often.

Waterlox Tung Oil Wood Finishing Systems

Waterlox Original Sealer / Finish is made from Tung Oil, so its natural characteristics make sealing and finishing wood a breeze. Tung Oil is processed from a renewable nut harvested from trees. Wood sealed and finished with Waterlox tung oil products provide a beautiful barrier that protects against moisture, acids, alcohol, and scratches. Waterlox is widely used for hardwood flooring, furniture, doors, trim, counter tops, antique lumber, and a variety of wood elements.

Tung oil finishes are the most durable of all wood finishes and strongly enhance the natural beauty of wood. Since these finishes retain a certain amount of elasticity almost indefinitely, they will not cloud, crack or become brittle . Scratches are easily repaired; no sanding is necessary; just re-apply finish to a clean surface. Unlike raw tung oil, Waterlox is blended with a resin that creates an extremely durable hard surface.

We recommend a 3 to 4 coat system be used for all finishing. Some flooring, furniture and antique restoration projects require up to 5 coats). Waterlox Original Sealer / Finish provides the best sealing coat(s) because its superior penetration. The final coat(s) can be any of the following:

Waterlox Original Sealer / Finish for a medium gloss finish recommended for floors, furniture and antique restoration, gun stocks, cabinetry, and most wood.

Waterlox Original High Gloss Finish for a high gloss finish recommended for floors

Waterlox Original Satin Finish for a low sheen on crafts, paneling, and flooring.

All of the above systems will produce a beautiful finish and lasting protection with easy maintenance and recoatability.

Waterlox For Floors

About Waterlox
Floor Finishing Guide
Floor Finishing Guide Video

Waterlox Original tung oil finishes are penetrating oil finishes and as such enhance the wood with a natural oiled look and feel. Waterlox never requires sanding for adhesion and touch-ups can be done at any time without sanding. Waterlox forms a protective finish that won't chip, crack or wrinkle.

More about Waterlox

Waterlox launches new website

2010-05-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

The Hawkins family has worked for four generations to provide finishing solutions that enhance and protect the natural beauty of wood. They began manufacturing Waterlox products in 1910.

We encourage all our clients to explore the new Waterlox Website.You will find fantastic resources and Project Guides for various wood care projects.

Waterlox continues as the PaintSource Product of Choice for enduring beauty and low cost maintenance for hardwood floor care.

Waterlox is a superior option, in most all cases, to any oil based, or water-based polyurethane finish.

Waterlox Links:

Waterlox Images

Why PaintSource Chooses Waterlox

Waterlox for Floors
Floor Finishing Guide Video
Waterlox Application Guide
Product Specifications
Care and Maintenance
Ask a Question
Frequently Given Answers

Doug Wilson
PaintSource.net

Top 10 Reasons We Choose Waterlox

2009-12-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

1. Waterlox brings out a natural beauty in wood that looks "hand applied" and Old World.

2. Waterlox is is easy to apply.

3. Waterlox is easy to touchup

4. Waterlox is easy to maintain, repair, and recoat.

5. Waterlox is 80% Tung Oil
(a renewable natural resource).

6. Waterlox does not darken, harden, or peel like many common finishes.
Waterlox does not form a "plastic" film on the wood surface.
Waterlox is not prone to show "whitish" scratches like most polyurethanes.

7. Waterlox is a superior alternative to polyurethane.

8. Waterlox offers superior adhesion to
Brazillian Cherry, Ipe, and other exotic hardwood.

9. Waterlox is the best performing finish for
Clients with Hardwood Floors and Dogs.

10. Waterlox has been serving woodworkers and craftsmen for over 90 years.

Watch Video Discussion: Why PaintSource Chooses Waterlox

Waterlox Review

2009-10-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

We talk to clients all over the country with various floor finishing project requirements and expectations. We are many times asked "What do you think is the Best Hardwood Floor Finish?" This question can only be answered after careful consideration of several factors. We have to consider cost, appearance, ease of maintenance, and long term durability.

Aesthetics

What look do you want?
Do you you want a natural, non-“plastic” look?
Do you desire a hand rubbed look?
Do you like low sheen? High sheen?
What type of wood are you finishing?
Are you finishing, or is a contractor doing the work?

Durability

What is the exposure?
Do you have Dogs? We do.

The following Waterlox review is based on our experience with extremely satisfied clients across the country, as well as our years of using and testing Waterlox products.

Ease of Application and Maintenance

All floor finish choices offer trade-offs, and there no perfect finish. Many of the most durable finishes are difficult to apply , and require a much involved process for maintenance, including sanding, and inconvenience . Most of the commonly used polyurethane floor finishes used lead to rapid deterioration and visible scratching, requiring frequent and inconvenient recoating. Prefinished floors are difficult to recoat as well. Both oil and water-based polyurethanes must be sanded before every recoat.

Our Favorite Finish

A great product we have used and tested for years is a blend of Tung Oil and Resin. Tung oil has been used as a wood sealer for centuries in China precisely because wood absorbs it so readily and because it does eventually “cure,” meaning that it hardens when exposed to oxygen. Essentially, tung oil works by seeping into the wood and hardening, which, on a floor, allows the wood grain itself to take the wear of foot traffic.

Waterlox Sealer/Finish is 80% Tung Oil , and gives a natural low film look to the wood. It enhances natural features of the wood, without covering the texture of the wood in a “plastic looking” finish. The Tung oil is a proven water-proofer, and the resin adds durability exceeding many common finishes. It is much easier to apply with good results than most common floor finishes.

Maintenance is also easy with Waterlox. You just sweep the floor, clean, and reapply a rejuvenating coat as desired every few years. No sanding is ever required, which means no machines, no dust, no inconvenience, and no expense in preparation. Most common finishes are difficult to spot repair, and usually require full sanding and refinishing. With Waterlox, small scratches can be spot repaired, with excellent results. Some clients even buff the finish after a year or two, with excellent results, and extended maintenance.

Another benefit when rejuvenating in a few years is that we are not forced to remove large cabinets and furniture, simply recoating the traffic areas. This can all be easily blended later if the furniture is moved or removed.

Textured and Reclaimed Lumber.

Many clients are choosing textured woods including reclaimed, hand-scraped, and distressed. You simply cannot choose a finish that requires sanding on this type of floor. Polyurethanes, Water-based Finishes, and Moisture Cure Urethanes all require sanding, and represent a poor choice for this type of project. To maintain the character of reclaimed lumber, hand scraped, or distressed wood, we strongly encourage our clients to consider Waterlox.

Exotic Hardwood

Exotic hardwood flooring like Mahogany, Cumaru, Ipe, and Tiger Wood has always been a challenge. These woods are extremely dense and hard, and they are full of natural oils that many times will make adhesion of most finishes difficult. Waterlox is our product of choice for exotic hardwood. It does bring out the natural beauty of the wood, darkening and enhancing. Waterlox addresses and overcomes almost every disadvantage and performance shortcomings of traditional polyurethanes, new acrylics, and other products (drying issues, film-building, lap-marks, poor adhesion, peeling, short-life, poor appearance).

Waterlox gives superior direct adhesion to exotic hardwood, and is used as a seal coat under many other types of finishes. There is little film building with Waterlox, even with repeat applications. Nothing to peel, ever. Waterlox is very translucent and natural looking on exotic hardwood flooring.

Other Finishes

The performance, elegant appearance, lasting beauty, and the ease of use will usually make Waterlox the product of choice for hardwood floors, cabinets, walls, logs, timbers, furniture and a variety of wood components.

Occasionally, a client may consider some of the following factors that, at first, appear to outweigh the benefits of Waterlox :

-Some clients seek a low odor finish and fast dry finish. Waterlox is solvent-based, and requires 24 hours between coats. Allow a little time for proper floor finishing in your project schedule.

-Some clients seek a $20 per gallon finish. Waterlox is expensive due to the premium ingredients and processing method. Floor finish materials cost is a minuscule percentage of the total cost of a hardwood floor finishing project.

-Some clients allow their contractor to choose their finish for them. Seeking low bids forces contractors to cut cost by using an inexpensive finish. Choose and specify the finish of your choice, and exclude finish cost from the bid process.

Our clients choose Waterlox.

Waterlox Links

Waterlox Floor Finishing Guide
Floor Finishing Guide Video
Waterlox for Floors
Waterlox Advantage
Frequently Given Answers
Waterlox for Log Homes
Waterlox on Ipe, Mahogany, and other Hardwoods

Fun Links about Wood at Wikipedia.com:

Treatment of wood has been practiced for almost as long as the use of wood . Some accounts reach back to the beginning of recorded history. For example the Bible in Genesis, 6:13-14 “And God said unto Noah… make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.” There are also records of wood preservation reaching back to ancient Greece during Alexander the Great’s rule, where bridge wood was soaked in olive oil. The Romans also protected their wood by brushing their ship hulls with tar. During the Industrial Revolution wood preservation became a corner stone of the wood processing industry. Inventors and scientists such as Bethell, Boucherie, Burnett and Kyan made historic developments in wood preservation, with the preservative solutions and processes.

The ancient Chinese used Tung Oil to waterproof their ships, and that same tung oil is now blended for even greater performance in Waterlox Tung Oil Finish.

Waterlox Drying Time Between Coats

2009-10-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

I bought waterlox thru you & have a question. I am using it on yellow pine inside a barn. I have already done 3 coats in some areas in dry weather - waited 24 hours between coats - all is fine. Now, we are having a stretch of very wet weather - I did a section of 1st coat yesterday - my question is - should I wait more than 24 hours? If it is not tacky at 24 hours is it "dry" (don't know how anything could dry in this weather)? Should I wait for dry weather (another week of rain here). There is very good air flow & not too hot - good breeze thru barn. Sue

Sue:

These issues are the same whether your project is a barn, or an interior wood floor: Waterlox cures with oxygen, so the more oxygen available, the better the cure. Exchange and move air, but do not blow air directly on the wet coating.

Fort this project, the breeze is key...if the breeze is full of moisture, there is less free oxygen to cure the Waterlox. If you are getting a consistent supply of fresh dry air, that is good. You are correct to let it cure a little longer in marginal conditions..maybe 36-48 hrs between coats. If it is pouring rain outside it will not cure a lot in the barn. Count 24 cumulative hours of good drying conditions. Also be sure to circulate air in corners and in the high work if you can.

You can generally drag or slide your fingers across the surface..if the finish is very "grippy" (not slick), then give it a bit more time.

Doug
PaintSource.net

Storing and preserving Waterlox

2009-10-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. Project is going well. Have gone thru about half of our order - will need more I am sure, eventually. I have a question about the product. I will be gone & unable to use the waterlox for about 10-12 days. Is that long enuf to be concerned about storage of the product? Pictures are in the works! Sue

Sue:

The worst that would happen is that a little of the material on top could start to skin. As long as you strain the material before use, all the liquid is good.

The amount of oxygen in the container will affect the speed at which you might start to see a little skinning. A quart of material in a gallon can, for example, would go pretty quick, as opposed to 3 quarts of liquid in a gallon can. Skinning can sometimes occur in as little as 3-5 days, and sometimes it can go a few months. I generally preserve if more than a couple of days. I recommend you take storage measures to be safe.

Also, never shake Waterlox products that are packaged in the tall square can. They are in the square can for a reason. You can't get a mixer in the can because Waterlox doesn't want you to mix the product. If you shake or mix the Waterlox, it will be much more prone to skinning in the can, and it can cause finish problems from micro-bubbles. Just open the can and pour. No need to mix or shake. Be sure to recap tightly between pours.

The only products that need mixing are the Waterlox Interior Satin, or the new Marine Satin. If you are going to shake Marine Satin, shake it a day or two before using, then gently stir before each pour during your project. The Interior Satin Waterlox mixes easily with gentle stiring. Just be sure to drag your mixing stick across the entire bottom and all corners, stirring across, around, and then upward in a rolling motion. Again, gently stir before each pour of Satin during your project.

For storage of Waterlox products, you can pour any partial cans into smaller container(s), filled to the top, and covered quickly. That will store for a long time (months or years). I use small jars from the kitchen (pickle jars, mushroom jars). Label the jars for safety. Sometimes little small jars can be used in the future for small projects or touchups. Also, as you do the project, keeps lids on cans between pours, and pour any leftover material in pans or paint pails into a separate container to be strained. Do not pour back into can.

If you think you will use Waterlox on a regular basis, you can utilize Bloxygen Finish preserver. (www.bloxygen.com) Just a quick spray in the partial can, and Waterlox is preserved, and ready for future projects.

We look forward to the pictures. All the best.

Doug

Waterlox Tung Oil Finish

2009-05-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

I guess I am obviously obsessed with Waterlox, and it shows.
I need to get a life. Below is my recent birthday present from friends:

Vintage Waterlox . I don't think they had Bloxygen back then,
so it probably has dried in the can a little.

Waterlox on Kentucky Walnut

Waterlox for Log Homes

2009-03-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

Our product of choice on most interior wood is Waterlox. Waterlox is a superior waterproofer and finish for most Log Home Applications including Walls, Timbers, Logs, Wood Floors, Cabinets, furniture, Exotic Hardwood, and Reclaimed Lumber. Also for rejuvenating sheen, and waterproofing existing finishes. Waterlox gives a Durable, Naturally Beautiful, Hand Rubbed Look. A superior alternative to most commonly used finishes.

Waterlox will certainly protect wood surfaces and make cleaning much easier. The Sealer/ Finish is the simplest system, with 3 coats to most wood (4 coats on floors), giving a semi-gloss sheen. If you want a lower sheen, you could apply 2 coats of Sealer/ Finish, with a topcoat of Satin Finish. We urge most clients to test a sample when selecting final sheen.

Floors

Waterlox is widely used for hardwood floors, including pine and antique lumber. Waterlox on wood floors is much more natural looking and the most easily maintained as preferred by most log and timber home owners. All wood floors eventually need recoating and maintenance. One great feature of Waterlox for floors is the fact that the floor does not have to be sanded before applying a renewal coat. Polyurethanes, and water-borne finishes require sanding for rejuvenation. Waterlox eliminates the dust, mess, and cost of future machine sanding. Repeated sanding also destroys the character of many beautiful floors. Waterlox is easy to freshen and rejuvenate. Just clean the floor, and easily apply additional coats depending on wear and tear.

Waterlox Video Floor Finishing Guide

We like to see at leat one coat applied to backside, edges, and end-grain saw cuts before and during installation for the ultimate in wood stabilizing. More info here

Cabinets:

All interior wood finishes perform in a variety of ways. Lacquer based products have traditionally provided a great finish for interior wood cabinets. Unfortunately, it is difficult to spray apply lacquer in a residential jobsite. Waterlox is a great alternative to lacquer and varnish products for wood cabinets in that it can easily be buffed and recoated on site.

Waterlox Advantages:

Hand rubbed look

Upararelled wood protection on a variety of interior surfaces in the cabin.

Ease of application, touchup, and refinish.

Safer and more serviceable than lacquer for cabinets and walls.

Natural Woodtone Enhancement and Beauty.

Use on :

Wood Flooring
Historic Reclaimed Lumber
Cabinets
CounterTops
Wood Trim
Doors
Wood Windows
Walls
Bathrooms and Kitchens
Furniture and Railings

Gallery

Waterlox Hardwood Floor Finish Option

2008-11-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

Click here for revised post.

Waterlox Links

Waterlox for Floors
Waterlox Advantage
Floor Finishing Guide Video
Frequently Given Answers