Can I Apply One Hard Wax Oil Brand Over Another?

mixingoilsguide

Introduction

A Traditional Hard Wax Oil is the perfect way to finish off your oak flooring. Offering extreme durability and resistance, these oils are also micro-porous and water repellent. As a natural oil and wax mix, hard wax oils are safe for humans, animals and plants. As standard these oils can give either a natural satin or a natural matt fish, which is beloved by many.

As you may have already seen from our guide to oak floor finishes, there are a number of different brands available many of which we stock, including Osmo Polyx-Oil, Blanchon Hard Waxoil and Fiddes Hard Wax Oil.

Although all of these are Hard Wax Oils, the different formulas used mean that they will of course produce a slightly different final finish.

As a supplier, we are asked various questions in relation to their application, resistance and much more.

One question that has recently been asked more and more in one form or another is “can I apply hard wax oil A over hard wax oil B?”.

Although we always recommend that you stick with the same oil brand when re-coating, we have had customers who have simply forgotten which oil they used 5 or 6 years ago and are therefore left with no other choice.

We have also had customers who many years ago coated up their flooring with one particular oil, but have since discovered another option which they much prefer.

This short guide will take you through a couple of tests we undertook recently.

( To download a printable pdf version of this guide, click here)

Mixing After One Coat

For the first part of our test we took one of our unfinished 240mm Character Grade Engineered Oak floorboards and split it into three individual sections.

We chose to use a satin finish from each of three manufacturers as this would be likely highlight the biggest problems.

We applied a thin coating of hard wax oil to each section and then left to dry in warm, dry, well ventilated conditions as per the manufacturers instructions.

Section 1

Fiddes Hard Wax Oil - Clear Satin

Section 2

Blanchon Hard Waxoil - Natural Satin

Section 3

Osmo Polyx Oil - Satin-matt.

 

After leaving the first coat to fully dry, the next step was to combine the oils.

Section

First Coat

Second Coat

1 Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Blanchon Hard Waxoil
2 Blanchon Hard Waxoil Osmo Polyx-Oil
3 Osmo Polyx-Oil Fiddes Hard Wax Oil

 

Hard Wax Oil One Coat Mix

Results

There seemed to be no discernible difference.

In terms of colour alone, using two different brands seemed to have no negative impact upon each other.

Looking over the boards it would be difficult to know that two different brands had been used.

 

Mixing After Two Coats

To ensure that the results of the first test were not a fluke or due to only one coat being applied, we decided to carry out a more extreme test.

Once again, we used one of our standard unfinished oak boards, this time in 140mm width, again split into a number of sections.

This time we applied two base coats of one brand of oil and then added a coat of another brand and then compared this to 3 coats of the same brand.

Section

First Coat

Second Coat

Third Coat

1 Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Fiddes Hard Wax Oil
2 Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Osmo Polyx-Oil
3 Blanchon Hard Waxoil Blanchon Hard Waxoil Blanchon Hard Waxoil
4 Blanchon Hard Waxoil Blanchon Hard Waxoil Fiddes Hard Wax Oil
5 Osmo Polyx-Oil Osmo Polyx-Oil Osmo Polyx-Oil
6 Osmo Polyx-Oil Osmo Polyx-Oil Blanchon Hard Waxoil

Hard Wax Oil Combinations

Results

There were no reactions between coats of different brands of oil but the final finished look is determined by the last coat applied.

In other words, if you particularly like the slightly "hard" look of Fiddes, you can achieve this by applying one coat over any of the other brands.

Conclusion

We have proven that with these three brands, you can apply any one over any of the others with no detrimental effects, however we would still recommend that you use just one brand if you want to be absolutely certain of getting the finish you want.

48 Comments

Have just finished putting two coats of Osmo satin hardwax oil on our solid oak floorboards. Very easy to apply using Osmo 220mm brush, however not impressed with how many bristles came out of it! Didnt notice some until oil dried, so spent ages on hands and knees picking them out, brush is very expensive and I would have expected it to be better quality. The floor does look gorgeous though!

Bob Burton October 24, 2014 at 9:03pm

I have part of a 0.75 L tin of Osmo Hard Wax Oil which was originally bought for my hardwood kitchen worktops several years ago. It is a really good finish, but obviously the 0.75L tin is lasting for ages as I only need to re-oil them every 2 or 3 years and it doesn't take much to re apply to 2 or 3 squares metres of work top.

I also have oiled oak flooring, bought prefinished, and now in need of re doing. I am using the left over Osmo HWO but as the room is a) large and b) inhabited I can only apply the oil to a small area at a time. It is taking AGES to dry ! Could it be because it has thickened over the years? Can I thin it a bit with some white spirit?

Had I better throw it away? i have ordered another tin of HWO, but being frugal I am loathe to throw the original stuff away especially at £22 a tin.

Jay Milla November 16, 2014 at 12:29pm

Hi Jay,

It is important to note what your floor was originally finished with. The Osmo, and indeed all of the hard wax oils, are designed to be applied onto unfinished timber which has not been treated with other products.

The tin of course needs to be well stirred, and the shelf life would need to be checked. Normally Osmo recommend around 5 years with a tightly sealed tin. The drying time will also be affected by climatic conditions and how much you have applied.\

Hope this helps.

Peak Oak November 17, 2014 at 10:51am

Hi - We have just had an oak floor fitted and used Osmo Polyx-oil (clear matt) as a finish. Two coats have been applied and I don't like the colour - it is slightly orange and I wanted a more natural/light brown oak look. Is this a sanding job or is there something I can put on the top to make it look less orange??

Thanks
Sarah

Sarah J November 18, 2014 at 1:14pm

Hi Sarah,

Generally this would be a sanding job. For the Osmo Colour stains, the colours are applied first and the Clear afterwards. It may be worth you taking a look at our <a href="[link awaiting verification]; title="Essential Guide To Oak Floor Finishes" rel="nofollow"></a> which shows some of the colours Blanchon have available.

Peak Oak November 24, 2014 at 1:35pm

Hi there

First just wanna say OSMO it's grate, used it few times with grate result.
My question is, just finish 80 S/m of engeneered floor and my customer doesn't like the mat finish of the floor.
Ca I use OSMO satin on the new floor?
And do I need to sand the floor before applying OSMO satin?

Thank you
Kind regards Aurel

Aurel Rosca April 10, 2016 at 10:23pm

When you say that, "like the slightly "hard" look of Fiddes, you can achieve this by applying one coat over any of the other brands."
Does this mean that Fiddes has a higher level of solvent that causes it to "set up" differently? Maybe leave less of a oil/wax film?
I'm wondering if it adheres to the under layer by somewhat "dissolving" into it?
(You can tell I'm not a chemist!)

JRW May 16, 2016 at 4:03am

Hi Aurel,

The achieve a higher gloss level, Osmo themselves recommend applying the Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner thinly and polish when dry.

Hope this helps

Peak Oak June 10, 2016 at 6:19pm

I've applied Original Briwax rustic pine onto a pine table top that I'd sanded and am worried about its durability. Would I be able to apply an osmo product over the top without a need for sanding which would give it more durability and protection against food spills, cup marks etc. what product would you recommend for this, even if a light sanding is required please.

Mel November 13, 2016 at 10:42am

Hi Mel,

With any of these products, they are designed to be applied onto unfinished bare timber, so they are not normally recommended to be applied over the top of other finishes. In terms of which would provide the most protection, we have created a guide which tested out just that. In this guide we applied a range of different sauces and stains to a variety of finishes to test out how hardwearing they are. This particular guide can be seen via the following link:

http://www.peakoak.co.uk/guides/best-oak-floor-finishes-the-definitive-test/#testing

Hope this helps to answer your question.

Peak Oak November 14, 2016 at 12:04pm

I have stripped our lounge oak floor with a Lagler sander. I then put on a thin coat of Osmo Polyx Oil, clear satin. It has now dried, and at one end of the room the wood is orangy and looks darker around the outside of the planks of oak, than in the middle of each plank. The oak over the whole room is a much darker colour than the stripped wood, which I did not expect as the oil was 'clear'. Any thoughts on why this has happened and if there is anything I can do before applying a second coat. Many thanks.

Brian Taylor November 14, 2016 at 8:10pm

Hi Brian,

Without seeing the floor and knowing what type of wood you have applied, it is a bit difficult to judge what the best action is to take.

In terms of colour, all of the hard wax oil "clear" finishes are designed to enhance the colour of the timber - often creating a warm, honey golden colour.

If you require a finish which does not significantly change the colour of the wood, there are products available - such as the Blanchon Original Wood Environment.

Hope this helps

Peak Oak November 18, 2016 at 4:59pm

I have used Osmo Hardwax on my sanded floorboards, and don't like the colour, it has gone very orange. I would like to stain them a dark brown, but is there anything I can use that will just go on top, as I can't bare to re-sand them! I used an Osmo dark stain on some other unwaxed boards and it looked good, and have tried putting the stain on top of the hardwax but it doesn't soak in at all and doesn't look good. Any advise on what might work? Thanks

Clare Stone November 14, 2017 at 2:39pm

Hi Clare,

I'm afraid with the Osmo stains, they do need to be applied to the unfinished floor prior to applying the top coat of the clear hard wax oil. To use the stain, the flooring will need to be sanded back and recoated. With regards to applying over the top of the clear hard wax oil, as most finishes are recommended for applying to unfinished timber - it is difficult to know the expected results/performance.

Peak Oak November 16, 2017 at 9:22am

I've used Osmo oil on my floors and just wondering if I can use a wax or beeswax polish on them to buff up and give more of a shine

Leanne November 26, 2017 at 11:11am

Hi Leanne,

How long has the flooring been coated for? If the finish has "dulled" over time, the Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner will help to rejuvenate and clean the finish, which should give the finish more a shine.

http://www.peakoak.co.uk/wood-care/cleaning-maintenance/osmo-liquid-wax-cleaner/

Peak Oak November 29, 2017 at 9:05am

The article is about applying hard wax oil over hard wax oil but in the comments you mention multiple times that hard wax oil is only to be used on bare unfinished wood. So which is it?

Zack Fanning October 14, 2018 at 6:20am

Hi Zack,

The purpose of this article was simply to see whether different branded hard wax oils could be applied over each other, rather than should. We wanted to see if there was any negative impact from doing this. The correct procedure to get the correct finish is to apply the hard wax oil to unfinished timber

Hope this helps.

Peak Oak October 15, 2018 at 2:00pm

Hi, I am laying reclaimed Victorian floorboards in my bathroom. I would like to apply osmo amber tint to darken them slightly. I also intend applying osmo polyx oil on top but should I use osmo protector to provide more moisture resistance? If so, do I apply protector then tint and then oil? Will the floorboards take the tint after the Protector?

Amanda Doyle November 19, 2018 at 9:21am

Hi Amanda,

I'm afraid with not dealing with the Osmo Protector, we cannot particularly comment on the best method of application. It may be best to contact Osmo directly for full application instructions.

Taking a quick look at the relevant technical data sheet, it does suggest that the Protector is applied as the first coat, followed by the top coat of a Osmo Oiled based finish.

"Osmo Wood Protector is not to be used alone. Within
one week, a top coat (with an oil-based Osmo wood
finish) should be carried out. "

Hope this helps, if we can assist any further please let us know.

Peak Oak November 19, 2018 at 9:33am

Hello, we have just oiled our floor with Fiddes Clear Satin and it has made the wood too yellow/orange. Would it be ok to resand the floor back to raw oak and re-oil with Osmo Raw or similar product or should we use another a Fiddes product?
Many thanks,
Joanne

Joanne February 26, 2019 at 4:27pm

Hi Joanne,

Yes it would be possible to re-sand the flooring and re-coat with another finish. Any remains of the previous finish would need to be thoroughly removed prior to applying a new finish.

Hope this helps

Peak Oak February 26, 2019 at 4:51pm

We had an Osmos Hard Wax Oil applied professionally on a red oak floor - kitchen and dining room 1.5 years ago. I have faithfully cleaned the floor and applied the hard wax cleaner every 3-4 months. We have experienced several spots in the floor where water has stained the floor - an ice cube fell from the refrigerator and we didn’t see it etc. I’m very disappointed in the durability. Is there anything we can do to the floor to make it more durable - without refinishing it with a polyurethane finish?

Karen July 10, 2019 at 10:31am

Hi Karen,

Which specific Osmo product did you use? How exactly was the oil applied originally? How many coats of oil were applied? Which product have you been using for cleaning? If you can advise, we can perhaps help further.

Thanks

Peak Oak July 10, 2019 at 10:37am

We have applied 2 coats of Osmo Ployx-Oil (satin clear finish) to an untreated timber table top. Can I apply a layer of beeswax on top to give it a deep shine and lovely smell?

Mike August 7, 2019 at 4:28pm

Hi Mike,

This is not something that we have actually tried - but typically beeswax would be applied to unfinished timber. We cannot be sure whether the beeswax would take.

Osmo do now have a Glossy version (3011) of the Polyx-oil available which may be of interest to you, if you are looking to add more of a shine.

Hope this helps

Peak Oak August 7, 2019 at 4:38pm

I have a clear hard wax oil finish on a redwood bench but would like to change the colour to a darker brown. Do you think it would be possible to apply say a Fiddes Dark Oak tinted hardwax oil over the top? Would a good sand back first be helpful? Confused, as there doesn't seem to be any information I can find about applying tinted HWOs over existing HWO.

Fred October 28, 2019 at 9:13am

Hi Fred,

With the coloured hard wax oil finishes, these do typically need to be applied prior to the application of the clear version. To change the colour, you would need to sand back the timber to its raw unfinished state prior to applying the colour.

Peak Oak October 30, 2019 at 9:38am

Hallo,
I have a part used tin of Osmo UV which has gone solid in the tin. Can it be rejuvenated, and if so How?

Peter

Peter Phippard May 1, 2020 at 6:09pm

Hi Peter,

It depends really on the level and how far it has gone. Sometimes it is possible to break through the initial top layer. A test area should always be performed prior to the full application. It is important that the tin is well sealed after every use.

Hope this helps

Peak Oak May 4, 2020 at 3:35pm

Hi, we are in the process of building a new extension to our house and have opted for several walls and ceilings in white birch plywood with 10mm black shadow lines between the sheets. We have specified OSMO 3062 Matte and as expected they have turned out a little darker/ yellower than the untreated ply.
My query is, can a coat of the Raw Polyx finish be applied over the 3062 and would this hopefully lighten the color of the ply?
We have used Raw on the American Oak flooring and it does look great!

Mark Jones August 24, 2020 at 5:40pm

Hi Mark,

I'm afraid applying the Raw over the 3062 is not something we have tried or is particularly recommended. The previous finish would need to be removed before applying the Raw product.

Peak Oak August 25, 2020 at 12:15pm

Have applied two coats of Rovers Hard Wax Oil to sanded hardwood floors. The finish is much darker than expected and taking days to dry. Possibly as I over applied the first coat. I’ve been recommended to finish with Osmo Polyx semi Matt, but the instructions indicate that it goes direct onto timber. Should I continue with the third coat

Huw Jenkins August 26, 2020 at 11:51am

Hi Huw,

We haven't personally had any dealings with the Rovers Hard Wax Oil - so can't really comment in that respect. Mixing the brands is unlikely to have much effect on the overall colour of the flooring - so we wouldn't suggest that. It may be worth looking into a different type of finish - such as a hardwax oil with a colour/tint. This would require the previous finish to be removed however.

Hope this helps.

Peak Oak August 27, 2020 at 12:31pm

Engineered oak floor in orangery had faded with sunlight damage sanded and cleaned properly I applied an osmo light oak wax oil finish which is very orangery can I rub it his down and apply wax oil dark oak on top many thanks keith

Keith roddam September 1, 2020 at 4:55pm

Hi Keith,

Yes to apply the new colour, the previous finish would need to be completely sanded and removed. The new finish could then be applied.

Many Thanks

Peak Oak September 1, 2020 at 6:23pm

Hi there, you say hat the hard wax oil should only be put onto untreated wood. I’m having lots of oiled engineered oak fitted and I understood that you’re to re-oil the floor after fitting and then Re-oil every year? Is it a different oil you’re supposed to do this with?

Leanne Vaughan September 16, 2020 at 1:38pm

Hi Leanne,

The hard wax oils are generally designed for applying to unfinished timber. With our own prefinished flooring, applying a finish once laid is not required. We would perhaps recommend consulting your flooring supplier to check exactly what they recommend for this and which specific oil is required.

Hope this helps.

Peak Oak September 17, 2020 at 10:35am

Thank you very much for your reply - the supplier does recommend to do a single coat of hard wax oil and periodical re-coating (once a year in theory but perhaps less often in reality). Would you not recommend this to be done with hard wax oil either? Only ever maintenance oil? They sell Osmo and Woca but I’m tempted by Blanchon or Fiddes after your experiment! Although Osmo Rapid is also tempting because of the quick-drying as we need a quick turnaround. So confused by this now and unsure what to buy!

Leanne Vaughan September 21, 2020 at 6:16pm

Hi Leanne,

If that is what the supplier recommends then what we would suggest is finding out specifically which brand of hard wax oil was originally applied and which brand they recommend applying yourself. Although we have mixed hard wax oil brands in this guide, it is not the ideal situation - you should always try to stick with the same brand.

Hope this helps.

Peak Oak September 23, 2020 at 5:08pm

Just refurbished a table stripped and applied osmos clear Matt, I have decided I want a higher shine can I use something over the top to achieve this?

Callum October 30, 2020 at 3:45pm

Hi there I sanded and stained my engineered oak floor which had yellowed, applying Blanching wood ageing agent in platinum then clear Blanchon hard wax oil finish. It came out very dark brown so I applied a layer of white Blanchon hard wax oil rubbing it back to show the grain but it has come out very patchy and I’m disappointed. Can I apply a darker hard wax oil over the top? I cannot face sanding it all back again and not sure I can anyway as the wood is only 5mm thick. Any advice would be great

Ms Stella New November 18, 2020 at 8:42am

Hi Stella,

I'm afraid with the Blanchon Ageing Agent and indeed any tinted product, these do need to be applied prior to the application of the final top coat. We cannot be sure of the results of applying a darker oil now, but the result is likely to be patchy.

Thanks

Peak Oak November 19, 2020 at 12:32pm

hi,

for a commercial property plan on used either the Fiddes hardwax or the Osmo wood wax, can they both be covered with Osmo polyx oil?
Im trying to change colour of pine flooring before finishing it with something more durable. Any suggestions would be very helpful
thank you!

rose December 7, 2020 at 9:32am

Hi Rose,

Although we have tested mixing the oils in this piece, we would recommend sticking with the same branded products. With the Osmo Wood Wax Finish, typically one coat would be applied with a top coat of the Osmo Polyx-Oil.

Hope this helps.

Peak Oak December 7, 2020 at 10:39am

What about applying one of these hard wax oils over a tung oil finish? I have something that was finished with tung oil, and it has gotten to the point where either I need to put another coat or two of tung oil on it to freshen it up, or do something else. A hardwax oil seems like a good possibility if it will "take" over the tung without having to sand it all off first.

Eric S May 10, 2021 at 1:17pm

I used fiddes on a piece of work surface I installed in a bathroom with a basin mounted on top about a year ago. If I wish to add a further coat of Fiddes (or any other brand) must I first sand the surface slightly with something like a 240 grit paper? Or can I just clean it and slap another coat on?

Jack Bates September 28, 2021 at 10:18am

Hi Jack,

With such a long time between coats, it may be necessary to clean and also key the surface slightly with a 120 grit to allow the oil to take.

Thanks.

Peak Oak September 29, 2021 at 5:18pm

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