Osmo, is the the specialist when it comes to an optimal interplay between wood and coating systems.
Christian Cordes, Managing Director of Osmo quoted “The careful handling of natural resources combined with offering the best value for money, the best workability and high product coverage is what lies near and dear to our hearts”. He goes on to say “With a high awareness for quality, we retain all steps from research and development to production in our own hands. This is how we ensure maximum product quality and reliability, and how we are able to respond immediately to changing developments”.
The quality standards of Osmo
- High coverage due to a high content of solids
- High quality due to raw material tests during procurement
- Excellent workability due to in-house developed binding agents
- Development of individual colours with more possibilities for the user
- High brand awareness among end consumers
A coating system is a highly complex mix of various ingredients. A change to one of the components can have effects on all others. For this reason, Osmo follow a ground breaking policy. They develop their own binding agents in an in-house research and development laboratories, and they carry out strict tests on raw materials as a part of the procurement process. These high demands on quality allow Osmo to improve their systems continuously in terms of product coverage, workability, viscosity, open or drying times. As a company certified as per DIN EN ISO9001 and ISO 14001, Osmo ensure customers receive maximum efficiency and reliability.
Coating systems for life
More and more customers demand ecological and healthy coating systems. As pioneers in oil-based wood coatings, Osmo have the optimal set-up and offer an especially wide range of sustainable products – also in terms of durability. Comparison tests have proved that Osmo products are among the longest lasting costing systems ever. The development of the coating ranges is based on a number of aspects: Oil-based coatings, renewable raw materials, high solids content of 50 to 100%, suitability for children’s toys, food safety and product coverage.
Wood meets colour
There are countless wood varieties, and the requirements placed on coatings systems are just as diverse. No matter what the application is, Osmo products impress with optimal protection and long-lasting durability.
Protection according to the parameters: There are different influences to be accounted for such as UV radiation, weather conditions, amount of use, slip resistance and much more. No matter what the parameters are, Osmo offer the product suited to your purposes. Proved long durability: Osmo constantly perform stress tests on their product ranges to check for durability. It is in black and white! their products last an especially long time.
Practical knowledge about wood processing, care and renovation
Values to preserve – this is the aim of professional wood protection. The protection effectiveness of coating systems depends on many factors, for example the wood species or the weathering influences. This is a guide to what should be observed.
- Insects – Insects feed off wood and in turn, they damage the wood substance. The right products to prevent damage from these pests can be found in Osmo product range.
- Moisture / waterlogging – Is your outdoor timber frequently exposed to moisture and waterlogging? For this reason, Osmo have a wide range of water-repellent coatings available to you.
- Blue stain / fungal and algae attack – Micro-organisms create dark spots and in the long term, they destroy the wood substance. Osmo products with the label ‘protection’ against ‘blue stain and rot’ help to prevent these attacks.
- UV Light – UV Radiation changes the lignin in wood and makes it water-soluable. Rain then washes the lingin away, so wood becomes grey and brittle. Our wood coatings offer an especially high content of solids, and thanks for this, they exhibit very good UV protection.
- Health & Safety – For interior rooms, we offer a variety of products for a healthy living environment. Look out for products with the features ‘food safe’ and ‘safe for humans, animals and plants’
- Colour – Users enjoy the unlimited choice of colours available from us. Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain, Country Colour and Wood Wax Finish are available in a multitude of RAL and NCS colours, which can all be mixed with each other as well. Add colour to your life!
"The Cwtch - Aberporth"
The three forms of wood protection
For wood protection, keep the following rule of thumb in mind: constructional wood protection over physical and chemical wood protection.
Construction wood protection – in outdoor areas, it is necessary to install wood so it stays dry as possible or so it can dry off quickly. For these reasons, air should always be able to circulate behind timber cladding to prevent consistent dampness, for example caused by dew. Flooring in indoor areas has constructional wood protection, for example, by means of dirt-catching rugs and felt pads under furniture.
Physical wood protection – examples of physical wood protection are our products with a high solids content like Osmo country colour and Garden colour, which ensure effective protection against UV radiation.
Chemical wood protection – when all the possibilities of constructional and physical wood protection have been utilized, biocidal active ingredients can be used in outdoor areas. For example Osmo WR base coat helps to prevent rot, blue stain and insect attack. Please use biosides carefully. Before use, always read the label and product information.
Sanding sequences for oiled surfaces
Well-prepared for perfect results. Perfect sanding is an absolute must for a clean and attractive surface finish. Generally speaking, just like lacquering, before applying Polyx-Oil Wood Wax Finish or Oil Stain, wooden flooring has to be sanded with a fine grit. The deeper the sanding marks are, the more noticeable the indentations and irregularities will appear. This effect is even more visible with colour treatments as the pigments collect in the sanding marks. It should be decided on site once the last sanding step is completed whether the sanding quality is sufficient for the planned surface treatment.
Depending on the wood species and the applied product, Osmo recommend grit 120 for clear surfaces and grit 120-150 for coloured surfaces. Contaminants such as greases, oils or cleaning agents must be carefully removed as they can influence the bond between the wood surface and coating.
Important tip! To keep the transition area between the edge and the remaining field area from being noticeable, the following sanding step sequence must be maintained. For the field sanding with a drum or belt sanding machine and for the subsequent sanding step with the edge sanding machine, always use the same grit. For field sanding with a single disc or three-disc sanding machine, always use the same grit as in the previous sanding steps with the edge sanding machine.
Sustainable weatherproof
Maintenance and care for timber decking and cladding in outdoor areas. There are countless influences that affect exterior decking and cladding made of wood; Osmo maintenance and car products for such surfaces are just as diverse.
Initial care
After the decking has been properly installed and has weathered for a suitable amount of time, the surface can be treated. If the original colour is to be preserved for a long time, treat decking with two coats of a pigmented Osmo Decking-Oil in a suitable colour for the wood species. The coats should be thin, even and applied with the wood grain in dry weather. However, if you decide to let a natural patina develop on your decking, treat it with clear Osmo Decking-Oil Teak.
Cleaning timber decking
Remove any dirt and tough stains with water and Osmo Decking Cleaner. Mixing ratios vary between 1:1 and 1:25 depending on the contamination. Clean timber decking with Osmo Decking Cleaning Brush or a scrub brush, the whole time working with the wood grain. Afterwards rinse the surface with clear water. For professionals, Osmo recommend cleaning larger areas with Osmo Decking and Flooring Cleaning Machine.
Spring clean
Due to weathering and mechanical wear, timber decking requires routine refreshing. For such tasks, clean the surface thoroughly with Osmo Decking Cleaning Brush and a cleaning solution made of water and Osmo Decking Cleaner. Green growth can be removed with Osmo Gard Clean. (Handle biocides with care!. Before use, always read the label and product information). Then clean with clear water. After thoroughly drying, recoat the decking with one coat of the Osmo Decking-Oil last used. For added safety, a thin coat of Osmo Anti-Slip Decking Oil can also be applied.
Intensive cleaning and refreshing
If your timber cladding has developed a natural grey patina, then specialised cleaning and refreshing is the answer. To do this, the entire cladding is dampened with clear water. Afterwards, apply Osmo Wood Reviver Power-Gel generously with a brush, always working with the wood grain. After 20 minutes’ reaction time, the surface is cleaned with a stiff brush and rinsed with plenty of water. Osmo Wood Reviver Power-Gel helps in three ways. In one work step, the surface is cleaned, old loose flaky coatings are dissolved and the grey patina is removed.
After drying for 48 hours, the refreshed wood surface should now be treated with an Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain. This coating is a base coat and top coat in one, so it offers long-lasting optimal protection.
For timber decking, after the treatment with Osmo Wood Reviver Power-Gel and the appropriate drying time, the refreshed wood surface should be maintained and protected with a cost of Osmo Decking-Oil.
Removing old coatings and previous surface treatments
Old coatings on decking and furniture are removed optimally with Osmo Paint Remover Gel. Simply apply the gel generously to the dry wood surface and allow it to react to the surface for up to 30 minutes. During the reaction time, keep the surface damp, for example with a spray bottle. Afterwards scrub the surface lengthways with plenty of fresh water. If afterwards the wood needs re-oiling, the surface first after drying must be neutralised with a treatment with Osmo Wood Reviver Power-Gel.
Q&A’s!
1) Can Osmo coating in various colours be mixed with each other?
Yes, the colours of one respective product can be mixed in any ratio. Furthermore, Osmo Wood Wax Finish, Country Colour, Garden Colour and Natural Oil Woodstain can be mixed to order in RAL, NCS and custom colours.
2) When is the surface dry?
Drying times for each product can be found on the respective product information or product label. In general, the drying time is between 8-10 hours. The surface dries through oxidation and grid absorption. Please provide sufficient ventilation and air circulation.
3) Why does the finished surface look different to the colour swatch on the can?
Colours depicted on the printed label can always differ to the real colour applied on various substrates. Therefore, we always recommend carrying out a trial application on a suitable area on the wood to be coated. For such trial applications, Osmo offers sample sachets in individual colours.
4) What properties must the wood substrate have?
The wood substrate must be clean, dry (maximum 20% wood moisture content) and frost free.
5) What does wood treated with Osmo products smell like?
After curing, wood flooring will still have the faint smell of wood, natural oils and waxes. As solvent, Osmo use dearomatized white spirit, which is less harmful than so called eco-solvents, such as citrus oils. After fully curing, white spirit dissipates 100%.
As Worcester Timber Products is an authorised stockist of Osmo, click here to view the current range available.
