I tried linseed oil, and boiled linseed oil. The idea of using a natural (or somewhat natural product in the case of boiled linseed oil) appealed to me. Unfortunately, both seemed to leave us with timbers that always feel a little oily to the touch, even though it may not be putting any oil on your hands. Worst part though is that it seems virtually impossible to wipe greasy/grimy fingerprints off of timbers that have been treated with linseed oil. We are in the process of sanding the linseed oil off of most of our timbers and applying polyurethane. (Following the lead of a friend who treated his timberframe with nothing but polyurethane, after the frame was raised and dried in) No small task, but the difference is like night and day... in terms of appearance, feel, and clean-ability.
I had planned to wait about 6 years and simply go over top of the linseed oil with poly, but our timbers were just too dirty for us to move in and follow through with that plan. Our timbers measured about 21% with a moisture meter before we started the conversion to polyurethane. Meter was the type w/o pins/probes - I assume it was measuring only the first inch or two of wood. Most of the timbers were sawed about 2 years ago and have been kept dry since then. Of course, now that the frame is "dried in", most timbers have 1 or 2 faces that are unseen/unfinished... as well as multiple checks, so it would seem to me that any remaining moisture will be able to escape. The loss in effective surface area possibly offset by inevitably "dry" heat the first winter we move in. (this winter!?)
Maybe I'm crazy? Anyone LIVING in a raw-wood timberframe, or oil treated timberframe who is able to speak for the "cleanability" of these types of finishes?
-Thomas
Last edited by Thomas-in-Kentucky; 05/20/07 06:09 AM.
