How to Choose the Right Door Oil for Long-Lasting Protection

Date: 28th October 2024
Categories: Barrettine, Products

Are your wooden doors showing signs of wear and tear despite regular maintenance? Perhaps they've lost their natural lustre, or worse, they're developing marks, scratches, and stains?

Wooden doors face unique challenges in  homes—constant touching, cleaning products, temperature fluctuations, and varying humidity levels can all take their toll on even the highest quality timber.

The right door oil can transform an ordinary wooden door into a standout feature that maintains its beauty for years to come. With over 145 years of experience in crafting exceptional surface protection products, at Barrettine we’re well-placed to recommend the best door oil for long-lasting protection, and explore expert application techniques for a beautiful finish.

Why choose door oil over alternative finishes?

When protecting wooden doors, professionals and DIY enthusiasts have several finishing options at their disposal, including traditional varnish, modern water-based lacquers, protective wax, or specialised door oil. While each finishing method has merit in specific contexts, door oil offers distinctive benefits that have made it increasingly popular among trade professionals and homeowners seeking both beauty and practicality.

The natural advantage: why opt for a clear door oil?

Unlike synthetic lacquers or varnish that create a protective film on the wood surface, quality door oil penetrates deeply into the wood grain, nourishing it from within and becoming part of the door itself.

Door oil embraces the natural beauty of the wood rather than masking it beneath an opaque surface. The oil brings out the subtle variations in colour and grain pattern that make each wooden door unique, creating depth and character that other finishes simply cannot match. This quality is particularly important when working with premium door materials like oak or iroko, where the natural grain patterns deserve to be highlighted rather than hidden.

Additionally, because door oil becomes integrated with the wood rather than forming a separate layer, it will not blister or flake over time as environmental conditions change.

Introducing Barrettine Armourflex® Door Oil

At Barrettine, we have over 145 years of experience in crafting premium solutions for surface protection. Our Armourflex® Door Oil delivers outstanding stain and scratch resistance through its advanced formulation, which has been specifically engineered to resist the handling marks, fingerprints, stains, and everyday scratches that interior doors frequently encounter.

For families with young children and those conscious about indoor environmental quality, Armourflex® Door Oil provides additional peace of mind through its Food and Toy Safe certification. This makes it an ideal choice for internal doors in kitchens, dining areas, and children's rooms where safety considerations are paramount.

The versatility of Armourflex® Door Oil extends to its compatibility with virtually all types of solid wood doors.  For high-end hardwoods like oak, iroko, merbau, and jatoba, this oil provides exceptional results while respecting the timber’s individual characteristics and grain patterns. Our Door Oil is available in either a matt or satin finish, offering versatility for different projects.

From a practical standpoint, Armourflex® Door Oil offers a 4-hour drying time under normal conditions (23°C, 50% humidity), allowing projects to be completed efficiently without excessive waiting periods between coats. This makes it suitable for both professional installations where time management is crucial and for DIY projects where convenience matters.

Professional application for the very best finish

Achieving a flawless finish with door oil requires proper preparation and professional technique. Following these detailed professional guidelines will help ensure outstanding results whether you're a trade professional or a DIY enthusiast.

Preparation steps

Acclimatisation

Allow newly acquired doors to adjust to their environment for several days before applying any finish. This allows the wood's moisture content to stabilise. Ideally, the wood's moisture content should be below 15%.

Surface preparation & sanding

Surface preparation is arguably the most critical step in achieving a professional finish. For previously treated doors, thoroughly sand back old paints, varnishes or oils using progressively finer grits of sandpaper, starting with 80-100 grit to remove the old finish and progressing to 120-150 grit to create a smooth wood surface ready for oiling. Sand in the direction of the grain to avoid creating cross-grain scratches.

Thorough cleaning after sanding is essential but often underappreciated. Remove all dust, grease and resinous deposits using appropriate methods. For dust, vacuum the surface first. For doors with resinous knots or deposits, scrape away excess resin and degrease affected areas using methylated spirits. Allow the surface to dry completely before proceeding.

Patch testing

Patch testing is a step that professionals never skip but DIY enthusiasts sometimes overlook. Always perform a test application on a discreet area of the door or on a scrap piece of the same wood to confirm compatibility between the oil and any previously used products, and to understand how the specific piece of wood will absorb the oil.

Application process

Begin by decanting into a paint kettle/scuttle Armourflex® Door Oil and stirring thoroughly before use. Ensure good ventilation throughout the entire process.

Apply Armourflex® Door Oil thinly using a short-pile roller, quality brush or lint-free cloth. Overapplication is the most common mistake even among experienced users and can result in a sticky, slow-drying finish. It's better to apply two thin coats than one heavy coat, as this provides better absorption and a more durable finish.

Work methodically in the direction of the wood grain throughout the application process. On panelled doors, work on one section at a time, completing each area before moving to the next to maintain a wet edge and avoid lap marks.

When a second coat is necessary, particularly on new or previously untreated wood, allow the first coat to dry (approx. 4hrs under normal conditions) then lightly sand the surface with 240-320 grit sandpaper. Remove all sanding dust before applying another thin layer of oil using the same technique as the first coat.

While Armourflex® Door Oil typically feels dry to the touch after approximately 4 hours under standard conditions (23°C, 50% humidity), it continues to cure and harden for several days afterward. Whenever possible, allow overnight drying before subjecting the door to normal use.

Remember that safety precautions are essential when working with oil products. Cloths soaked in oil can self-combust. Immediately after use, soak used cloths in water with a small amount of detergent, then lay them flat to dry outdoors on a non-combustible surface.

Can I apply Armourflex® Door Oil over previously varnished or painted doors?

No, Armourflex® Door Oil needs to penetrate the wood to be effective. Previous coatings like varnish, paint, or lacquer must be completely removed by sanding back to bare wood before application. Always ensure the surface is clean, dry and free from dust before applying oil.

Maintaining oiled wooden doors

Armourflex® Door Oil creates a remarkably durable finish designed to withstand the challenges faced by interior doors, but if natural wear-and-tear does occur, it is easy to remedy simple scratches and scuffs.

For light surface scratches that inevitably occur through normal use, touch-ups are straightforward with Armourflex® Door Oil. Clean the affected area thoroughly and ensure it's completely dry, then apply a small amount of oil directly to the scratch using a cloth. Allow it to penetrate for a few minutes, then gently buff away any excess. The repair will blend with the surrounding finish without obvious demarcation lines.

Lasting beauty: find your local stockist of Barrettine Armourflex® Door Oil

Barrettine's Armourflex® Door Oil offers the perfect balance between preserving the natural beauty of wood and providing practical, long-lasting protection for interior wooden doors.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your project, please complete our online contact form, call us directly email sales@barrettine.co.uk.