Oiled floor, beautiful and eco-friendly!
If, over time, oiled flooring in Montreal, Laval and the South Shore has become increasingly popular, it’s thanks to the evolution of work methods that have opened new perspectives and improved the protection of oiled floors. Simultaneously, science has modified the parameters, opening up a whole new world with natural oil, or rather natural oils, as there is a whole range. A horizon that changes our perspective and inspires us to create new oiled floors that will perfectly match your decor. Fashions change with the times, but wood remains immutable and its virtues endure. We appreciate its character, its soothing naturalness, its serenity and its warm comfort. For millennia, it has fascinated us with its beauty and inimitable charm.
When using natural oil to protect your hardwood floor, you preserve its authenticity and unique character. While a varnish coating brings shine, natural oil penetrates the grain and enhances its texture. When you walk on an oil-treated parquet, you are truly in contact with the wood. An oiled floor will give you this pleasant sensation that will evoke the bucolic charms of the countryside. This is an advantageous solution that will surely please people living in the heart of downtown and wishing to make their apartment more cozy. Also, learn that an oiled finish is renewable and each additional layer will only enhance its luster, making it even more splendid. Penetrating oils are composed only of natural elements. Impregnating oil is currently the most ecological coating to protect your wooden floors. By choosing an oiled floor, you are also making a gesture towards nature.
An oiled floor is a floor that breathes
When you opt for an oiled floor, you opt for a floor that breathes. In Quebec, an oiled floor is ideal! Indeed, our climate varies with the seasons, but its specificity is that temperature differences can reach up to 80 degrees Celsius. In winter, electric heating causes the ambient air to dry out and causes the wood slats to shrink.
During the summer season, houses become saturated with humidity and inevitably the slats expand. By applying oil to your parquet, you become an ally of your floor. A varnish will enclose the wood under a rigid and impermeable film, but oil gently penetrates the wood and allows your floor to breathe. Because, through this technique, you will allow moisture to be in contact with the entire surface of your oiled floor, it will therefore have less tendency to swell and deform. Thus, in the long term, you will prevent the formation of U-shaped boards that are found in many Montreal apartments.
Traditionally, floor sanders swore only by crystal varnish. Although it is known to be durable, it still cements the slats together. This phenomenon produces interstices of several millimeters, a phenomenon commonly known as the “block effect”. This manifestation is explained by the fact that, during the winter season, the wood blades tend to shrink. And, since the crystal welds the boards together, a separation is spontaneously created at its weakest point.
If you prefer a varnished floor, an alternative option remains possible: opt for a water-based varnish or an alcohol-based varnish. These will not cement the wooden panels of your parquet, but will, on the contrary, form an airtight film on each of your slats or boards.
Natural oil undeniably remains the coating that best respects the natural character of your wooden floor.
Maintaining an oiled floor, nothing easier! 
One of the great advantages of an oiled floor is that, with proper maintenance, you will keep it for decades.
Nothing is easier to maintain than an oiled floor. To preserve it, you only need minimal skill. You simply need to dust your oiled floor periodically using a vacuum cleaner or microfiber cloth and clean it with maintenance products for oiled floors.
You will need to call a professional for oiled floors to deep clean it about once every five years. At that time, it will be necessary to apply one or two layers of oil using industrial tools.
However, if you have an oiled floor for commercial use, such as in a restaurant, it will be essential to do this annually. Over the years, your oiled floor will require less and less maintenance. It will have acquired the inimitable and rich patina of European parquet floors, so coveted by lovers of beautiful floors.
The oiled floor, a sustainable choice
Oiled and lacquered trends are very popular at the moment. People appreciate the sumptuous modern and simplistic contrast of oiled floors. If you’re looking for a floor with a natural and rustic appearance, you’ll appreciate oiled floors whose finish retains the authentic warmth of wood. They provide a cozy atmosphere and create a pleasant environment.
The high wear resistance of an oiled finish makes it the number one choice for commercial establishments. It’s because the oil penetrates deep into the wood that it offers excellent protection against abrasive effects. In the long term, your oiled floor may suffer damage: if your floor is seriously damaged, you can easily repair an oiled floor.
During its first years, you will apply a coat each time the oil finish becomes dull. But over time, the resistance of your oiled floor will increase and it will require less and less maintenance. After a while, its appearance will become patinated and its texture will blend beautifully with your decor.
We offer you a wide choice of colors, browse comfortably through our large selection of stain suppliers. The oiled floor will bring elegance and warmth to your interior. It is well-suited to all wood species, particularly softwoods on which vitrifying varnishes sometimes tend to adhere less well. However, be aware that Canadian maple has a very tight grain and that oil penetrates better into more porous wood varieties such as oak. For ideas, check out our completed projects of oiled floors and lacquered stairs.
