Impregnation with linseed oil - natural ingredients for wood protection

1. Oil properties
2. Technologies used

Natural wood remains one of the most environmentally friendly and beautiful materials used in construction and interior decoration, furniture, decor items, kitchen utensils. Wooden floors, window frames, doors, wall panels not only add color to the interior, but also maintain a cozy atmosphere and create a healthy microclimate. However, natural raw materials have an important drawback - high hydrophilicity, that is, the ability to absorb liquids. Some time after operation, untreated wood swells, darkens and dries out under the influence of accumulated moisture.

Oil properties

To preserve the quality of wooden products for as long as possible, special impregnating agents are used that create an external protective coating. Natural oil formulations in this regard have some advantages, since they do not harm health. Linseed oil for wood impregnation is considered one of the best. It contains a high content of linoleic acid, which promotes polymerization - oxidation in air and the conversion of the substance into a semi-solid state. When applying a natural plant composition to the surface, several goals are achieved:

• wood becomes protected from dampness, fungal attack, cracking, darkening, premature rot, acquires moisture and dirt-repellent properties;
• the natural structure of the material is emphasized;
• small imperfections of products are masked: roughness, scratches;
• the appearance of wood improves: the color is evened out, a soft sheen appears;
• the service life of materials is extended;
• the ability of the tree to air exchange is preserved;
• there is no unpleasant chemical odor characteristic of most synthetic impregnations, there is no danger of intoxication.

Linseed oil treatment of wooden products is absolutely harmless to people and animals, it can be used on any surface, including children's toys, cutting boards, countertops, spoons, bowls. You can use such a coating for any type of wood: yew, birch, oak, pine, spruce. Wood oil acts as an antiseptic, suitable as a stand-alone or intermediate coating, if further paint or varnish is required.

Technologies used

For technical purposes, it is permissible to use a raw food product without additives, obtained by cold or hot pressing. But such a composition has a drawback: it dries very slowly, each subsequent layer has to be applied 5-7 days after the previous one. For a long time, processed products leave greasy stains when touched. The resulting coating will have to be updated quite often - 4-5 times a year, which is not very practical. In addition, light wood after it turns yellow or darkens under the influence of sunlight. It is better to use such impregnation for small details: wall or floor decor, flowerpots, spoons, wood crafts, toys. It is more useful to cover floors, stairs, benches, doors, shelves, ceiling beams, log cabins and other massive elements with specially treated oil - industrial or home-made drying oil with wax or synthetic polyurethane additives that speed up drying. Such tools speed up and facilitate the work, help to achieve better results, reduce further abrasion of the surface. Updating the completed coating is required 1-2 times a year.

In addition, pigmented linseed oil based impregnations are available, with which you can completely change the old damaged wood, giving it an aesthetic appearance.

There are several ways to process materials:

• vacuum impregnation - this technology is applicable only in industrial conditions, as it requires special equipment and certain skills;
• soaking - suitable for small items that are dipped in a heated composition for several hours, then removed and dried;
• layer-by-layer application with a roller, brush, sponge - this way you can impregnate prepared surfaces of various sizes, this method is considered universal for all types of wooden materials and finishes.

It is important to remember that pure linseed oil is not very suitable for external work, as it does not create an impermeable, stable film on the surface. The coating made with it has more decorative than practical value, and in the open air it quickly collapses under the influence of sun, wind and rain. To increase stability, turpentine, polymers and other components are added to natural vegetable fat.

Impregnation of wood at home

Linseed oil impregnating compounds are easy to prepare at home. The easiest way is to boil it twice. The portion required for one application is heated in a water bath until boiling, then cooled and boiled again. As a result of heating, unstable impurities are destroyed. When purifying crude oil, hydrofiltration is sometimes used: it is combined with water before boiling, and then filtered.

Beeswax can be added to homemade drying oil to provide a smooth finish, extend shelf life, and increase water repellency. If a thick mastic is required, oil and wax are taken in a ratio of 1: 1, for liquid impregnation - 2: 1.

The bee product for wood processing is pre-crushed and combined with fat when heated, after melting, mixed until completely homogeneous. The composition remaining after the work is stored in a cool place in a hermetically sealed container, heated if necessary.

When immersing wood, the mixture at a temperature of 60 ° C is poured into a steel or enameled container and the products are soaked in it for 2–3 hours. Then they are removed, the remaining oil is blotted with a soft cloth or paper and the items are dried for 2–4 days. Finished surfaces are polished with suede to a shine or varnished as desired.

Layering requires more effort and lasts longer.

For work you will need:

• oil mixture;
• fine-grained sanding paper;
• sponge, brush or roller;
• clean rag;
• a piece of suede

Fresh boards are thoroughly dried before processing, the moisture in them should be no more than 15%. Impregnation is carried out in a dry room or outdoors in clear weather. All work is done with gloves.

1. The material is sanded, smoothing out irregularities, cleaned of sawdust and wiped with a dry cloth.
2. The composition heated to +60–70°C is applied along the fibers with a brush or other convenient tool. Dry porous wood absorbs hot oil almost without residue, therefore, after the first application, a second application is usually required after 10-15 minutes. Gently rub the oil into the finely porous material so that it does not spread and is evenly distributed over the surface. Stop work after the board begins to lacquer shine.
3. The oiled boards are left alone for another 30 minutes, then the remains of the composition are removed with a sponge, and the wood is left to dry. For drying oil, this period is on average 24 hours, if natural linseed oil without additives is used, drying can take more than 3 days.
4. The products are covered with the second layer after the previous one has completely dried. The procedure is carried out in a similar way. Depending on the type of wood, it is necessary to apply not 2, but more repeated layers with a period of several days in order to achieve a dense, uniform outer layer.
5. When the wood is completely ready and dry, it is polished with suede, achieving an even sheen.

You can check the quality of the coating by applying a couple of drops of water to the surface. If after a few minutes the moisture remains in place, the impregnation of the wood is done well.

You can see about the qualities of impregnations based on linseed oil in this video:

Linseed oil penetrates into the depth of the tree by 2–3 mm, which allows it to provide sufficient protective properties for several months. The impregnation can be renewed at any time after the coating ceases to perform its functions and begins to break down.

Upon completion of work, all used materials - brushes, sponges, rags - must be immediately soaked in water, and rags and paper should be destroyed. Linseed oil oxidizes easily in air and can cause spontaneous combustion.