Funny you mention the window spot—I’ve got a patch by my back door that still mocks me every time the sun hits it just right. I used to swear by oil, but after that fiasco, I’ve leaned more on wax for touch-ups. It’s just so much more forgiving if you’re not aiming for perfection. Oil’s beautiful, but man, it’s not as “idiot-proof” as I once thought. Sometimes simpler really is better.
I get where you’re coming from—wax is definitely more forgiving, especially for quick fixes. But I’ve gotta say, oil’s still my go-to for long-term value. Here’s why:
- Oil sinks in, brings out the grain, and just looks richer over time.
- Yeah, it’s fussier, but if you’re flipping or renting, that “wow” factor can really bump up appeal.
- Had a rental where wax just didn’t hold up to heavy foot traffic... ended up redoing it with oil and haven’t looked back.
Guess it depends on whether you want easy maintenance or that deep, lasting finish. Both have their place, but I’ll take the extra effort for the payoff.
ended up redoing it with oil and haven’t looked back. Guess it depends on whether you want easy maintenance or that deep, lasting finish.
I hear you on the oil finish—there’s just something about how it deepens the wood’s character over time. I’ve had similar luck with oil in my old place, especially in high-traffic areas. Still, I’ve always wondered about upkeep for folks with pets or kids. Does the oil finish hold up to scratches and spills, or do you find yourself spot-treating more often? I’ve had wax buff out minor marks pretty easily, but maybe that’s just my experience with softer woods.
Honestly, I’ve found oil finishes to be a bit more forgiving than I expected, even with my dog’s claws and the occasional juice spill. Like you said,
—but with oil, I just spot-treat scratches and they blend right in. The only thing is, I do notice water spots if I’m not quick to wipe them up. Anyone else get that?I’ve had wax buff out minor marks pretty easily
Water spots are definitely a thing with oil finishes—I've run into that too, especially in the kitchen where someone (usually me) forgets to wipe up a spill right away. I actually switched to an oil finish because I wanted something less toxic and easier to touch up, but I didn’t realize how much more “alive” the wood feels. It’s like it soaks up everything, for better or worse.
One thing I’ve noticed is that if I’m on top of reapplying oil every few months, the water spots don’t show up as much. But if I slack off, even a glass of water left for a few minutes can leave a mark. Wax seemed to give a bit more of a barrier, but then I always felt like it was just sitting on top, and it got cloudy in high-traffic areas. Maybe I’m just not great at buffing it out.
I’ve got two kids and a dog, so my floors see a lot of action. The oil finish has been forgiving with scratches—like you said, just rub in a little more oil and it blends in. But the water thing is annoying. I tried mixing in a bit of beeswax with the oil once, thinking it’d help repel water, but honestly, it just made the floor kind of sticky for a while. Not my best experiment.
Curious if anyone’s found a good eco-friendly way to make oil finishes more water-resistant without going full-on polyurethane. I keep reading about natural hardwax oils but haven’t tried them yet... maybe that’s the sweet spot?
