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Fiddes Hard Wax Oil and Osmo Polyx Oil each provide excellent protection for a home’s wood surfaces, but is one better than the other?

As many homeowners look to renovate, not relocate, the popularity of natural wood flooring and kitchen surfaces has increased. A smart-looking oak floor or brand new pine kitchen cabinets can completely transform a room and provide a warmth that synthetic materials could never match.

Protect Your Wood!

Although natural wood surfaces require a bit more attention and special care, it doesn’t have to be a chore.Perhaps surprisingly, a professional’s touch isn’t even required to keep the natural wood looking great. Several products currently on the market make it easy for the average do-it-yourself enthusiast to keep those natural surfaces looking top-notch.

Of course, for high-traffic areas a hard-wearing and easily maintainable finish is needed.The finish will also need to be non-toxic if small children will be crawling and playing on the floors. Many types of wood oils are available, but general consensus says that a quality hard wax oil is just the ticket.

Why Is Hard Wax Oil The Way To Go?

Hardwax oil is one of the most versatile and easy-to-use products around. Not only is it suitable for use on most interior wooden surfaces including wooden flooring, kitchen worktops, cupboards, skirting, spindles, doors and furniture, but even unsealed terracotta tiles and quarry tiles will benefit due to their porous, wood-like properties.

Matte, satin and satin gloss finishes are currently available, making it perfect for almost any job.Application is a breeze, too: just use a good quality cloth, floor applicator, or paintbrush…basically whatever suits the job. There’s hardly any smell, and it penetrates the wood to provide a finish that is tough and resistant to wear and liquids.

When Price Matters

Price is always an important consideration, especially on a budget. On average, the cost-conscious consumer can expect to save around £13-£14 (based on a 2.5 litre container) by opting for the Fiddes hardwax oil. Of course, the savings increase if a larger size is purchased. But saving money is no good if you get inferior results, so how do Fiddes Hard Wax Oil and Osmo Polyx Oil match up performance-wise?

Drying Time

Both Fiddes and Osmo wax oil provide a water-repellent seal and are easy to maintain; however, Osmo’s Polyx Oil takes about twice as long to dry at approximately 8 hours per thin coat.Osmo do offer a quicker-drying option, but it costs a bit more.

Available Colours

Fiddes comes in 9 satin colours including the popular walnut, whiskey, American and white, and the clear version comes in matt, satin and gloss finishes.

Osmo currently offer four colours in their foundation wood finish range: light oak, mid oak, dark oak and white. Clear versions are also available.

To help with colour matching, colours can be mixed to make new shades, and both Osmo and Fiddes hard wax oil are non-yellowing.

Ingredients

Osmo Polyx Oil is made of natural ingredients only.

Fiddes Hard Wax Oil is probably 98% similar to the make-up of Osmo.

Safety

Both hard wax oils are approved by the EN71 Toy Safety Compliancy Test, making them suitable for application onto children’s toys.

History

The original hard wax oil, Osmo Polyx Oil was invented six years ago by the maker of the same name.

Within recent years Fiddes developed their own version, which has become a popular choice for both hobbyists and professionals alike.

Always Ask For A Sample

Of course, most retailers will allow you to purchase a sample of any product you’re thinking about using. Testing a small, out-of-the-way section of the wood is also a must to ensure you’re going to get the finish you desire. In addition, you should keep in mind that using a coloured hard wax oil is going to give you a different look depending on the type of wood on which it’s applied – another reason to make sure you test it out before committing a large area to one particular finish.

If you would like to get an idea how a particular type of wood will look once it’s been finished with a clear wax oil, simply use a little water to wet a section, wipe off the excess, then let it dry for about 10 seconds.The shade of the wood will be a fairly accurate representation of the finish you’ll get.

Summary

For more colours and to save some money, use Fiddes Hard Wax Oil.
For 100% natural ingredients and a slightly more durable finish, use Osmo Polyx Oil.

The flexibility and protective qualities of hard wax oil is apparent, so which brand is chosen is not really so important.When a long-lasting, hard wearing finish is needed for hardwood floors, cabinets, work surfaces or even children’s toys, hard wax oil is a must-have.