Its no secret that we love our timber here at Bombora. We want the stunning natural character of the timber shine rather than hide it or mask it with stains. We have trialed a range of different oil and wax finishes over the years to find something that is hard wearing, easy care, great for the environment, non-toxic and produces a very natural finish. Finally, last year, we discovered Osmo.
Introducing Osmo....
Osmo is the world leader in natural timber finishes. Developed and manufactured in Germany, this product was created over 50 years ago by a timber company that were dissatisfied with the lacquers that were available at the time that peeled, cracked and were very difficult to maintain. Wood absolutely loves this product as with our skin, timber breathes by taking in and releasing moisture. The natural oils and waxes in the product enables this exchange with the oil penetrating deep into the timber and the wax sitting on top to form an elastic micro-porous surface that protects the timber from moisture and abrasion.
A non-toxic furniture finish
As a society, we are very conscious of what chemicals we are putting into our bodies, onto our bodies and into our environment. It is very important to us and our team that all the products we use in the workshop and on our furniture are non-toxic, food safe and will not be detrimental to our environment. We feel very secure in the knowledge that the Osmo products are so non-toxic, that they are rated for use in such items as kids toys, playpens, cots and bassinets. The product is based on natural vegetable oils and waxes which as sunflower, soybean and thistle oil and carnauba and cadelilla wax.
Enhancing not hiding woods natural beauty
The Osmo finish enhances the natural beauty of the timber by accentuating the grain and texture of the wood without changing the tone. One of the most unappealing aspects of a polyurethane finish on timber is that it yellows with age causing timber to become an undesirable shade of orange.
How hard wearing is an oil and wax finish?
It is a common belief that a polyurethane finish is more durable than an oil and wax finish and therefore more desirable for high use tables such as in a cafe or restaurant or in homes with young children, but there are several more aspects that need to be considered other than the strength of the barrier. A two pack / polyurethane finish does create a stronger barrier to stains a liquids than an oil and wax finish but when this barrier is broken due to a scratch or over time with wear, the timber is left with no protection. If a liquid then contacts this unprotected timber then it is drawn into the timber and starts to stain the wood, discolors the polyurethane, starts to cause cracking, peeling and flaking. The other aspect is how easy the surface is to repair if it gets damaged. With a two pack finish, the whole piece of furniture needs to be sanded back and the finish reapplied. With Osmo, the surface can be renovated or the product applied to small damaged areas such as a scratch without the whole surface needing to be sanded and refinished.
Please contact us if you want a full ingredients list as well as the technical specifications. We sell maintenance kits for furniture finished with Osmo and a range of natural furniture finish to indoor and outdoor furniture. You can read more about how to maintain your Osmo finished furniture here.