Penetrating Oil | Artistic Floors by Design

Your New Wood Floors: What’s Next?

You are considering or have chosen to have Artistic Floors by Design apply Commercial-Grade Penetrating Oil, which means that your floor’s finish cures at the molecular level without forming a film like polyurethane that shows indentations easier in the finish (usually from dog claw marks). The penetrating oil we offer is based on 100% natural vegetable oils and contains no solvents, water, or waxes. It fortifies and protects from within, conditioning and protecting the floor’s wood fibers. It has a natural low sheen and anti-slip properties (lower likelihood for dogs to stick claws out as they run), and is easier to repair than film-forming polyurethane.

How does Penetrating Oil work?

Penetrating oil penetrates the wood fibers, so we don't apply a few coats like we do with polyurethane. In fact, we apply the colorized finish at the start of the final day and then spend the rest of the day buffing the excess oil off because the fibers of the wood cannot take any more finish. Penetrating oil, also referred to in our industry as self-healing finish, penetrates and seals the wood fibers and protects the wood at the molecular level. The advantage to penetrating oil is that repairs are less invasive. For dog claw marks and other damage, repair oil can be used on the repair area, which then repairs the wood fibers over time. Sometimes this takes a few applications of repair oil but it’s easier and less costly than removing all furniture to buff the top coat of polyurethane throughout the floor and then apply a new top coat of polyurethane, which is the only way to repair dog claw marks and other surface damage/indentations to a polyurethane-finished floor.

What now?

From your date of completion, Artistic Floors by Design and ourfinish manufacturer) recommend that you stay off of the floors for a full 24 hours and then keep dogs off as much as possible the first few days (wear socks only for the first few days as well). Furniture and appliances can be moved back in after the first few days. For example, if we apply your colorized penetrating oil on a Friday, you can move back in Monday. We also recommend professional appliance and furniture movers, as water lines can be difficult to reinstall and dragging furniture across the floor (even on blankets) won’t usually damage the floor, but it can buff the sheen so you clearly see the dragged marks of heavy items. Please call or text Joni if you need recommendations on moving back in or recommendations for moving companies: 720-988-3663.

Regardless of your finish type, we do not recommend any rubber-backed rugs because the oils in the rubbers can cause the finish curing process to slow or stop, even reversing the curing process. Slip stoppers can be used and please call or text Joni for more info: 720-988-3663.

Cleaning your new floors:

In exchange for your positive/negative review online, we provide you with a Cleaning Kit. You can also purchase those online if you choose not to review our company. The kit includes cleaner in concentrate (when mixed with water, yields about one liter of cleaner), a mop with a trigger handle, and a terrycloth pad.

You can vacuum the floor as much as every day if you’d like, but be sure you’re using a vacuum without a beater brush (or the beater brush should be disabled). We recommend vacuuming prior to mopping so that minor scratches from debris don’t get dragged across the mop head.

You should only clean once a month, and only after allowing the finish to fully cure for two full weeks. In the between times, AFTER the finish has fully cured (two weeks), you can spot spray cleaner or plain water (in a squirt bottle you can buy at Home Depot) with the mop provided to you in the Cleaning Kit..

Maintenance:

If you start to notice over time any dog claw marks or damage from a felt pad (sometimes felt pads can collect rocks and debris; we recommend vacuuming all felt pads regularly), repair oil can also be provided in exchange for positive/negative reviews or purchased online. Repair Oil can be poured into a spray bottle and sprayed or poured out over the floor in small amounts and mopped up with the mop included in the Cleaning Kit. Over time, you’ll start to notice the damage lessen as the wood fibers are repaired with the Repair Oil.

When you start to notice a difference in the sheen of finish over the years in traffic areas, you won’t have to move your furniture to hire a professional to complete the maintenance coat that's required with polyurethane. Instead, you can call us and we can buff in oil in traffic areas while just rolling your rugs back for you.

Just like any other finish, water and other liquids will bead up over the finish because it’s sealed, but it’s important to wipe up spills like wine, milk, or mustard quickly on either type of finished floor because of the acids in those items.

We live in a mountain desert climate, so it is extremely important to both install and then maintain a whole house humidifier attached to your furnace. It will only run when the furnace operates, which is the fall/winter/spring during cold weather. That’s our season of dehumidification. Wood is just like people: we take on and release moisture into the air and we can use lotion and chapstick; however, wood can’t. So please keep your wood floor conditioned with the humidifier! If you need a referral for a good HVAC company to install a humidifier onto your furnace, call or text Joni: 720-988-3663.

Questions:

There are no silly questions, so if you have any questions at all, please engage with Artistic Floors by Design and use us as a resource.

Joni: 720-988-3663; joni@artisticfloorsbydesign.com