Wood Finishing Guides
Twenty years of answering the same questions on the phone, written down. Each guide explains not just what to do but why, so you can adapt it to the wood in front of you.
Not sure where to start? Call us at 541-844-8748. We would rather talk it through before you order than after.
What are you finishing?
By project
Timber Frames and Logs
How checking works, why film finishes fail, and a shop-to-raising sequence for green timbers.
Mass Timber, Glulam and CLT
Why vapor permeability is the central question on an exposed structure, and what a specifier needs.
Decks
Preparation, application, coverage, and maintenance without stripping or sanding.
Wood Floors
Which oil suits which species, the buffing sequence, and whether an oil floor is what you actually want.
Earthen Floors
Where the oil is not protecting the floor but making it. Coverage, application, and curing tests.
Furniture
Why not to sand past 220, handling blotch-prone species, and building sheen from matte to buffed wax.
Countertops
Food safe finishing, the sink cutout nobody reaches, and why a cutting board still belongs on top.
Cutting Boards
Why a curing oil beats mineral oil, and which grocery aisle oils will ruin a board.
Yakisugi
What charring does to wood, and how to finish charred siding with natural oil.
Which finish do you need?
By product
Original Finish
Our first oil and still the most versatile. No drying agents, so it keeps absorbing long after the surface is dry.
Exterior Finish
Siding, exposed timbers and log work. Goes on green wood, sheds water, never flakes or peels.
Concentrated Finishing Oil
The one you thin to suit the job. Best on thirsty wood, reclaimed timber, and earthen floors.
Liquid Wax End Sealer
Five uses, from sealing fresh cuts to driving pegs. The most underused product in the shop.
Mixol Pigments
Tinting natural oil finishes. Starting ratios, and where the line falls between tinted finish and paint.
Care and specifications
Living with it
Cleaning and Maintaining
Oil soaps, spot repairs, when a maintenance coat is due, and what never to put on your wood.
LEED, VOCs and Specifications
VOC content by product, third-party emissions certification, and what we send for a submittal.
Questions about a species, a climate, or a project that has been let go a few years too long? Call 541-844-8748 or write info@heritagenaturalfinishes.com.