When it comes to woods such as ash and walnut, types of wood finishes serve the essential purpose of protecting the material and, at the same time, emphasizing the natural grain. Knowing the different kinds of wood finish will assist you in knowing how to protect and enhance the beauty of the wood in your home. Here, you will learn everything you need to know about wood finishes and how they are used specifically on ash and walnut woods.
The Usage of Wood Finishes
It should, however, be imperative to know why wood finish is important before discussing the types of wood finishes as it serves multiple purposes:
1. Protection: It protects the wood from moisture, ultraviolet light and other forms of use and exposure.
2. Enhancement: Some can enhance the natural grain and colour of the wood and others can change it completely.
3. Customization: Several finishes can be used, which in turn give different looks such as glossy, and matte among others.
4. Maintenance: Some finishes allow for easier cleaning and maintenance of the wooden surfaces as compared to others.
Oil-Based Finishes
Oil-based finishes are preferred because they tend to penetrate the grain of the wood thus providing the wood with a beautiful finish.
Linseed Oil
Linseed oil is extracted from flax seeds and is widely used for increasing the richness of the wood colour. It is especially useful on ash as it enhances its light and warm colour along with the grain which is characteristic of this wood. Used on walnut, the linseed oil tends to intensify the chocolate brown of the wood which is so attractive about this particular type of walnut wood.
Tung Oil
Tung oil derived from the kernel of the tung tree nut is a waterproofing material. It is ideal for ash and walnuts and gives a tough, satin finish without putting a thick layer on top of the wood.
Varnish Finishes
Varnish is a long-lasting, protective coating which creates a tough, clear layer over the surface of the wood.
Polyurethane Varnish
It is among the very strong types of wood finishes and can stand both water and chemicals without easily wearing out. It is perfect for use in areas that are prone to quite a lot of traffic or any surface that may come into contact with water. Ash is a light-coloured wood, and using polyurethane on it will keep the wood looking light; for walnuts, polyurethane deepens the hue of the wood.
Lacquer
It is a Protective coating that gives a tough and quick-drying finish. It is mainly used on walnuts and it gives walnuts a beautiful rich and warm look by enhancing the grain with a lustrous finish. On ash, lacquer can be used to preserve the wood’s blonde colour and give it an incredibly high gloss.
Water-Based Finishes
There are waterborne finishes which are more preferred because they have low VOC content and are easy to clean.
Acrylic Finish
Acrylic finishes are also characterized by quick drying and good resistance to the formation of yellowing. They are ideal for ash wood as they prevent it from darkening to a certain extent. On walnut, acrylic finishes can simply give the wood that natural walnut finish while at the same time offering protection.
Water-Based Polyurethane
This finish has the versatility of polyurethane and at the same time is environment friendly as it is water-based. It is perfect for both ash and walnut, giving superb protection with minimum change in the look of the wood.
Wax Finishes
Furniture waxes give wood a low lustre, a semi-gloss appearance that looks very natural.
Beeswax
This particular type of wax which is beeswax complements the finer aspects of both ash and walnut. It intensifies the wood’s undertone and grain without compromising the surface with a thin, yet durable layer. Beeswax is best for walnuts as it brings out the deep warm hues of the wood.
Carnauba Wax
Carnauba wax that is obtained from the leaves of palms can give a better finish compared to beeswax. Both ash and walnut can be painted with it, and it gives a very hard-wearing and water-repellent finish that brings out the wood grain.
Specialty Finishes
Cerused Finish
Cerusing or liming is a technique in which the wood grain is coloured white or any light colour. On ash and walnut, this technique is splendid as it enhances the grain of the wood and produces a contrast.
French Polish
French polishing is a rather time-consuming process that gives the furniture piece a very shiny look. It is even more beautiful on walnut as it enhances the dark colour and detailed grain of the walnut wood. French polishing on ash can give a high sheen and a very smooth finish which brings out the grain in the wood.
Deciding the Finish for Ash and Walnut
When selecting the types of wood finishes specifically for ash or walnut, consider the following factors:
1. Shiny (glossy), dull (matte), or completely natural according to the preference
2. Level of protection needed
3. The aspect of how simple it is to put into practice and how simple it is to sustain
4. Environmental considerations
The choices of wood finishes that are available to improve and protect ash and walnut woods are seemingly endless. If you are searching for the best ash or walnut furniture with professional finishing then OAK Furniture Collection has a vast collection of well-designed pieces. Our master artisans know the character of these woods and use finishes that accentuate this characteristic and at the same time protect the furniture for a long time.
