Linseed Oil Paint

Whether on old or new wood, on metal or plaster surface, linseed oil paints are incredibly versatile. In our shop you will find ready mixed linseed oil colours. If you would rather mix your colour yourself, you will also find our pastes here.

Linseed oil paints as an ideal wood preservative

colours based on linseed oil have demonstrated their positive characteristics and have been in use over centuries. Linseed oil paints are permeable and thus prevent the wood under the paint from rotting unnoticed under the paint’s surface. Most linseed oil colours are weatherproof. Linseed oil has a small molecular size, so it penetrates easily deep into the surface on which it is applied to. In comparison to other types of colours, linseed oil allows the best possible adhesion. Linseed oil increases its mass density after it has been applied and therefore does not allow water to penetrate the wood’s surface. The wood is protected and does not rot. In addition, the paint’s own pigmentation provides protection against the ultra-violet radiation of the sun.

Linseed oil paint preserves and protects the wood

Treating one’s windows and doors with linseed oil paints guarantees the best optimal care. Linseed oil also characteristically known for its elastic coating. On organic surfaces, linseed oil proves itself to be a big advantage. Wood adapts to the climatic changes in the environment. It shrinks or expands in accordance to the humidity conditions. In comparison to other plastic based paints, linseed oil can adapt to these changes largely without flaking or tearing, reaching an optimal isolation even between colour layers.

Paints based on linseed oil are easy to maintain. After about 5 years of exposure to weather conditions, it is advisable to refresh the painted surface by simply using a cloth with linseed oil and applying it to the surface where withering is visible. To do sweeps either a thin layer of linseed

oil on the surface of withering or rub it with a linseed oil soaked cloth. The surface appears fresh and is again protected for years to come.

Linseed oil colours are available in every colour, every shade conceivable. Either modern or historical.

Protect linseed oil colours protect and preserve wood best. It has been scientifically proven. In a Danish test trial, initiated by the local Danish painter Association, windows of a historically listed building, which were originally treated with commercial wood colours / wood preservatives, were then treated with (acrylic / alcohol based paints), including linseed oil colours. After 10 years (2012), the experiment was analyzed and showed both significant as well as convincing results. The windows painted with linseed oil paints had shown none to minimal defects. The colour surface and the underlying wood was in very good condition. Acrylic and alkyd paints, on the other hand, illustrated disappointing results. Even after a short time, brownish rust blemishes enveloped the window fittings and even the paint had begun to peel.

Linseed oil paint for metal

Linseed oil colours, by the way, are also an ideal metal coating. A thin layer of linseed oil paint mixed with Zink or Iron provides an ideal sacrificial layer and thus the best rust protection. The paint prevents the ingress or penetration of water. After the sacrificial layer has been applied, the metal surface itself may be painted with every imaginable hue. This way it can be adapted to fit any individual need.

 

Pure linseed oil colours are made of linseed oil and a paste of in oil grated pigments. To speed up the drying oil paints, one adds desiccants. Therefore linseed oil colours are almost entirely from natural raw materials and, above all, from a few and known ingredients. Pure linseed oil colours are free of resins and solvents.

What are the benefits of linseed oil Paint?

  • Linseed oil paint contains no solvents and is free of unnecessary fillers
  • Linseed oil paint is suitable for most allergy sufferers, since no additional chemicals are added
  • It is versatile and can be applied to almost all surfaces, even already painted surfaces
  • Linseed oil paint retains its colour intensity over many years without fading or dulling
  • It is permeable and allows the material to breath
  • Linseed oil paint prevents the unwanted accumulation of multiple layers of paint which surmount due to repeated refinishing, which then peel off—a trait often observed in typically modern, industrially produced colour products.
  • It is durable and amends light effects to its surface due to wind and weather. After 8-12 years simply refresh the coat.
  • It is soft and smooth, allowing it easily adapt to the structures of wood and masonry
  • The paste has a long shelf life and is usable even after many years of storage
  • Linseed oil paint usually covers completely after just three coats
  • Linseed oil paint can cover from 10 to 15 m2 per liter of paint
  • No unnecessary waste – You only need to prepare the amount needed
  • All pastes are prepared as base colour. Nothing synthetic is added. We produce and store about 50 different pastes which we gather from pure pigments which all have their uniquely own beautiful colour properties, respectively. These can then be mixed together as desired. This allows you to control the colour intensity and hue. It also lasts over years. 

 

What are our linseed oil paints suitable?

Our linseed oil paints are ideal wood coats both indoors and outdoors. As well as for the restoration of:

  •  Windows

  • Doors

  • Wooden beams in half-timbered wood houses

  • Wooden furniture

  • Children's Toys

  • and much more

Linseed oil paint is an ideal when used to protect metal surfaces without the use of solvents. 

With linseed oil varnish or Tonkin oil

  • floors can be made contact and abrasion resistant
  • Boat surfaces become durable and are protected against harmful Ultra-violet exposure
  • It is even suitable for improving the surface of clay or lime without the use of solvents

There are many ways to restore old windows. We want to introduce you to the step by step method we use to do so. The treatment method described below has been used for many years and continues to deliver great results. 

Restoration of old windows with linseed oil paint

  1. Fittings must be removed and grinded down, preferably with sandpaper. A sand machine may be also be used. 

  2. The plaster or glues that hold the glass panes in place around the frame should be carefully removed. The window panes should then also be carefully removed and numbered.

  3. Loose color, or even the entire old coat of paint should be carefully removed from the wood’s surface down to crevices. In some cases, scrapers would work best. In other cases, heat guns would be the better choice.

  4. Sand grind the window frame thoroughly, possibly starting with coarse sandpaper grain 60 and ending with grain 100.

  5. The grain dust and color brittle should be gently brushed away using a hand duster.

  6. The wood should then be treated or primed with cold-pressed linseed oil and allowed to saturate. Each end, including the crevices naturally absorb more oil. For this reason, they too must be well oiled until saturation has been achieved. Priming the wood surface with cold-pressed linseed oil is a vital step in reaching the best results.

  1. The window frame should now be allowed to dry until the next day before removing any excess oil. However, after removing the excess oil the next steps to restoration should be taken within 2 weeks. If not the oils will begin to harden and bond completely.

  2. The window frame may now treated with 2 coats on both sides, inside and out. The paint must be applied in thin layers and thoroughly and evenly spread. Make sure to include corners and crevices as well as the window sash in the process.

  3. Now apply a thin layer of silicon glue around the window sash and place the window back in the window frame up to the collar before thoroughly securing the window pane back into the frame. Be sure to use window braces to hold the glass properly in place and finish this process with window glue to insure the glass be properly attached into the frame.

  4. Immediately after this treatment, the window glue should be painted with at least 2 layers of paint with at least a few days gap between layers. The fixture itself is still very soft and the oil paint should be carefully applied. Be sure not to get any paint on the glass itself. If this happens, quickly remove the paint with lint free cotton cloth.

  5. If the window fittings are not galvanized, they should be well heated with a gas burner or placed in the oven heated at 200 ° C, so that the humidity in the metal pockets dissipates. The fittings should then dipped into cold pressed linseed oil immediately after they completed the heating process. Once cooled, the fittings should be cleared of any excess oil until they are completely dry. After that, the fittings should them be treated with at least 2 layers of hematite/ Iron rust protectant. Be sure to leave a day or two between each coat. Finally, the fittings should be painted or treated with linseed oil paint with Tonkin oil.

  6. The fittings are again best mounted into the putty on the window, and possibly painted with linseed oil paint.

  7. The last step requires a 3rd layer of linseed oil paint. About 1mm should be applied between the glass and kit itself in order to make the bond waterproof.

After several days have passed between treatments and the color is dry enough, any excess paint may now be removed by using sandpaper with 220 grain to achieve an even surface. The exact planning of the various treatment methods is the key to the best results when working with linseed oil paint It. Best practice has shown that this process should be executed across all windows of that same area, window by window until the entire process has been completed and the first layer of has been applied. This saves time and is the most efficient because at the end of this process all of the windows in question will be completed. This saves time and ensures the very best and equal results.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

Valuable tips for painting with linseed oil paint

  • In the first 24 hours after applying the linseed oil paint, it should be preferably not raining since the water droplets would settle on the surface and make the paint appear blotchy.
  • Linseed oil paint should be well spread out and be massaged into the wood, literally. If a too thick paint layer is applied, the paint would dry much slower for starters and, secondly, there is the danger of the paint getting wrinkles. Therefore linseed oil colours should be applied as thinly as possible!
  • Always use a dense brush with a large amount of strong bristles. A dense, strong brush made of pig hair is said to be very suitable. 
  • The use of strong cleaning detergents (high pH values) can chemically alter linseed oil colours and make it unusable. Surfaces that are to be painted, should be sanded and dusted before painting. 
  • It is recommended to prime highly absorbent surfaces with cold-pressed linseed oil before applying paint.
  • Untreated wood should be treated with at least three layers of colour. The third and final coating actually prolongs the life of the paint.
  • Pigmented linseed oil paint is a natural product. Small differences in colour are therefore quite normal.
  • Linseed oil-soaked rags can be easily ignited. Therefore, they must always be kept in a bucket of water or in a metal container. 

Practical Tips in dealing with Linseed oil paint

Practical Tips in dealing with Linseed oil paint The paint may be left out overnight or even stored longer time periods. To ensure paint quality, the orifice or bucket should be covered with plastic wrap. In this case the plastic wrap should be applied directly on top of the surface in order avoid contact with oxygen. Thus, the colour does not come into direct contact with oxygen and does not form a film layer. The plastic wrap should be peeled away before use and the paint thoroughly stirred. Used brushes can be stored well in a glass filled with cold pressed linseed oil or stored in water, if necessary. Be sure to shake off excess water or oil before re-using the brushes. Wrapping or rubbing them in a newspaper should usually suffice. Another effective way to clean the brushes would be the use of linseed oil soap. If chosen, please be sure to massage the “soap” well into the brush or brushes until it lathers. Then allow them to soak for one hour and rinse the brushes with clear, hot water. Important: first soap only, then water. Turpentine should only then be required only when the brushes have dried excessively. It is important to thoroughly wash out the brush, so that no soap residue in the brush is left behind. These could otherwise dissolve into the linseed oil paint and affect its quality. Not yet dried linseed oil stains on clothing can usually be removed by carefully applying linseed soap. In this particular case, the affected area should be dampened or moistened before be sure to allow the soap to soak in long enough.

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Linseed oil paint to protect against corrosion of metal

Iron starts to rust when the metal surface is exposed. For example, oxygen in combination with water. You can prevent rust easily by coating the metal object with an oily shield using a cloth that has been treated or trunk with linseed oil.

Boiled linseed oil dries faster than cold-pressed linseed oil, and forms a much harder surface. If one adds Tonkin oil paint varnish, a well-known as a ship paint consisting of polymerized linseed oil and Chinese Tung oil, this natural product will result in additional rust protection. When mixed with Iron oxide, also known as hematite or graphite results in a metal coating that protects the metals ideally against rust.

A basic prerequisite for this is that already rusted metal surfaces are first freed from rust. This can be done by brushing with wire brushes, sanding with steel wool or sand blasting can clean the surface down to the bare metal.

Light rust can be removed with a weak acid. Dilute phosphoric acid is often recommended.

After the rust has been removed, the iron must be degreased and absolutely dry. There cannot be a fine layer of water on the surface. Metal objects should not be painted or treated outdoors in high humidity or fog conditions.

The first coat must situate the best possible contact with the material. Therefore, the first coat should be thin. For example, the amount of oil in the paint is smaller. Iron oxide adheres to the rust in the iron. After two thin applications and after 3 days has passed, the metal object may be painted with the final colour without sanding.

 

Oven door painted with graphite colour linseed oil paint

 

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The half-timbered building today embellish the image of many old towns and villages. One is surprised by the well-preserved variety of design details and decorative elements. Of course it varies regionally.

In recent years, these beautiful houses have come more into focus. Now the question of proper restoration, maintenance and upkeep of these important to maintaining buildings.

In the past few years the selection of suitable materials for the restoration of half-timbered houses has become very important. Half-timbered houses have been repaired and maintained for hundreds of years. However, in recent decades there have been a number of new materials and methods that have brought more harm than good.

Since wood, when exposed to changing weather conditions, including moisture and strong Ultra-violet sun exposure, can have a great impact on the overall structure within only a few years. For this reason, it is important to use a paint material that protects the wood while keeping the moisture level to a minimum. This can be achieved be using a vapor-permeable and resilient color that can follow the natural shrinkage or changes in the wood, including its dimensional changes.

Pure linseed oil colors without chemical additives, solvents or resins have traditionally been used traditionally for half-timbered houses and are now being increasingly used. Its small molecular size delivers very good penetration and high resistance to weathering conditions. Linseed oil colors remain flexible and are not prone to flaking. The binding quality of linseed oil paints (linseed oil) dries chemically, ie Linseed oil takes oxygen from the air and builds a web-like structure, thereby building a very elastic paint film. By choosing a color with natural earth pigments, additional UV protection is ensured.

Since excessive moisture / wetness usually leads to wood rot, the moisture protection of the truss timbers are of particular importance. This is due to the fact that the lying and facing compartments tend to easily allow the moisture to enter the wood through cracks in the joints. It is a natural process. However, this moisture must be able to dry out easily. Therefore, you need a vapor-permeable material when painting. The water vapor permeability (described by the Sd value) of linseed oil colors is 0.879 to 1.584. That is linseed oil colors have enough permeability to ensure the wood will be water-tight through the entire wooden structure. Though they are also naturally open enough to allow water vapor to pass through to exit the wood. The thickness of the paint film is decisive for a low Sd value. It is therefore necessary to remove old coatings.

Linseed oil paints weather gradually, but only on the surface. If the loses its shine, it can be renewed with a fresh layer of boiled linseed oil.

In Scandinavian countries, you can find wonderful examples of century-old, yet well-preserved half- timbered houses. Linseed oil paints and lime coatings have a long tradition there and have been used through and through. The good properties of natural materials is known there and highly appreciated. The knowledge and experience with these materials have been passed on for generations.

Linseed oil paint on plaster

Previously, it was very common to use oil paint as an exterior paint. The term oil paint refers to, besides linseed oil colours, composition colour / tempera paints, which all also consist of linseed oil paint, which have been combined with watery glue bound. But the classic linseed oil paint was used as exterior paint.

Since the knowledge of oil paint as an exterior paint had been as good as lost, the Center for Bygningsbevaring Raadvad in Denmark (Center for the preservation of old buildings in Raadvad) prepared a guide on how to use linseed oil paint as exterior paint. This technique I still practiced today in Sweden, England, and the Netherlands regularly. The guide was created based on the experiences of these countries.

linseed oil inks are not alkali-resistant. That means the colour would be broken down by the base materials or even destroyed. Linseed oil colours "saponify" or “soap-like” and lose both strength and cohesiveness. Although this is also an advantage, aesthetically and structurally, this weathering process should not take place too quickly. Studies of old paint layers on historical buildings have shown that a new façade or exterior treatment was necessary approximately every 8-10 years. After the minimum of 8 years has passed the paint layered has been weathered enough and therefore easier to remove in order to prepare the surface for a new coat. Nevertheless, it is still important to effectively "isolate" the linseed oil and free it from base materials in the plaster with the use of a primer.

As with any paint treatment, the ground surface must be treated with linseed oil before it can be painted. Instructions for this procedure can be found in old technical manuals or even instructions. Many materials, such as white lead may no longer be used today because of their harmful effects.

For example, if the lime content in plaster is neutralized with fluosilicate, then use warm linseed oil to prime the masonry with warm linseed oil, which has been heavily diluted with turpentine prior to use would be extremely dangerous and harmful. When applied to such large surface areas, it would be extremely harmful to one’s health.

Today, it is much more viable and likely that one would work with environmentally sustainable products that are not harmful or health threatening. Therefore, only primers which do not contain Fluat, white lead or turpentine can be considered.

Smaller areas can be very well isolated with shellac. It is dense and free of toxins.

Another method would be to wait with the linseed oil paint, until the lime or other hydraulic lime plaster is completely carbonized.

Newer plasters can be checked with the chemical substance phenolphthalein to see whether they are carbonized. If phenolphthalein turns reddish purple when applied, then the plaster is not carbonized. It would be advised to wait before painting. Usually at least half a year by a new layer of plaster.

Linseed oil paint for outdoor use should consist of boiled linseed oil and pigment paste consisting of pigments, which have been well rubbed or processed on a three-roll mill. Linseed oil paint can, like no other material, penetrate well and deep into the pores of the treated surface. Linseed oil paints do not dry by evaporation or the like, but by a chemical process in which the linseed oil absorbs the oxygen from the air. During this oxidation process linseed oil colours increase in "volume" and "presses" itself formally into the cavities of the surface. This process allows linseed to adhere to the surface very well. If linseed oil paint is applied on too thick, this will result in a wrinkled surface under which the underlying linseed oil cannot cure or dry, as the oxygen can no longer reach the surface.

Painting the exterior or facade with linseed oil paints will make it appear shiny in the beginning. Over time, the gloss level decreases and the surface is matt and have a beautiful pastel like appearance. Since the linseed oil paint weathered slowly, the rain seems to the surface clean as it naturally removes dirt from the surface.

Before applying linseed oil paint to the exterior structure, the surface must be completely tied. New plaster work and new brickwork should be at least one year old. Newly plastered masonry at least half a year old before a linseed oil paint can be applied. The masonry must be dry and may not have any permanently damp areas.

Newly constructed masonry can only be painted with linseed oil paint when all calcareous materials are fully bonded. This should take on average approximately 1 - 1 1⁄2 years.

Older buildings with a new plaster layer must cure for 1 1⁄2 - 2 months, before they can be painted with linseed oil. The waiting time depends on the thickness of the plaster, the plaster material used as well as the time of year.

If older buildings still have an intact, old plaster, they can be readily painted with linseed oil paint. Linseed oil will not adhere on masonry that is permanently moist or on moist spots. Smaller plaster repairs should dry for 3-4 weeks.

The surface to be painted should be completely dry and not exceed 18% residual moisture at the time of repainting.

 

 

 

Can linseed oil paint on old coatings, such as acrylic, emulsion paints or alkyd paints apply?

Yes and no. Linseed oil paint can adhere to these products, when they are primed, thoroughly cleaned of possible fatty surfaces and residue.

If you want to achieve good saturation and excellent adhesion of linseed oil colours on and beneath wood surfaces, the only way to do this effectively is to completely remove any old coats of paint.

A simpler and more feasible alternative would be to remove the loose paint layers with a paint scraper, to thoroughly grind or sand the surface and then to use linseed oil as a primer or bond to ensure a “solid surface before painting with linseed oil paints”. Perhaps you may be lucky enough to notice that the old primer or paint has been well kept. If the paint should brittle, lump or crmb, simply remove that layer and repeat the scraping process until it has all been removed. Now you may prime it with linseed oil and after it has dried completely, you may paint it with linseed oil paint.

Why not "dry" the linseed oil paint?

Probably one or more of the below mentioned problems occurred:

1. The linseed oil paint has been applied on too thick. If a "puddle" of colour appears on the surface this layer will form a film on the surface. The necessary oxygen cannot penetrate through the linseed oil paint and prevents it from drying or slowly drying below the film. Should this be the case, the entire coat must be removed before applying a thin new layer.

2. The linseed oil paint layer has not received enough UV sunlight, probably because the object has been painted in a dark room or at a workshop. Place the object into daylight. If that is not possible, an ultra- violet lamp should be used to irradiate the object for at least a few hours. This will ensure the linseed oil to be completely dry and hardened.

3. The proportion of pigment in the paint is too high and hems the curing process. In such a case, you must be patient.

4. The linseed oil in the colour still contains hardening hemming mucilage or film from pressing, which have not yet been removed.

5. The object is located in a climate with high humidity, very low temperature, or "congested" air. Physical conditions, which reduce the speed of the chemical curing process. Too high humidity can additionally result in mold being formed on the linseed oi before it has been completely cured.

How long does it take until linseed oil paint is dry / cured?

Normally, linseed oil paint should be “bone dry” after a minimum of 2 days, depending on the situation information described in the previous question circumstances. The paint layer is not fully cured or dried within 7-8 days.

The curing process may be reduced to 10-12 hours with the aid of desiccants. Desiccants are different substances such as Cobalt, manganese, or iron, which improve the absorption of oxygen in the oil. The colour is characterized, however, slightly brittle and less supple or smooth.

The linseed oil paint is wrinkled. What happened?

The linseed oil paint was applied too thick and too short intervals. The colour could not be properly cured or dried between coats.

The white linseed oil paint is yellowing, what can you do?

White linseed oil paint is always yellows in dark rooms and when exposed to light they begin "fading". The most obvious can be observed on the windowsills under flowerpots where dark yellowish spots have formed. If you remove the flowerpots, the dark spots disappear after a short time under the influence of light and at its own accord. The slightly yellow tone can be reduced by simply adding a pinch of Paris blue pigment or burnt Umber to the white colour.

Should you use cold-pressed linseed oil or linseed oil varnish for mixing a linseed oil paint?

One can use both. Traditionally, linseed oil paints were prepared with boiled linseed oil, because the colour is more robust and shiny and hardens quickly. Linseed oil paint mixed with cold pressed linseed oil is slightly porous, less shiny and slow curing. These properties are better suited for exterior wood.

Is linseed oil paint a wood protection paint?

Linseed oil paint cannot compare to a wood preservative. Wood protection paints have very different properties and are also applied differently. With "wood protection" it is typically referred to a chemical wood preservative, which is a thin impregnating liquid. It will often contain paraffin or turpentine. An anti-fungal toxin is usually added. It may even contain alkyd resins and dye.

Should you decide to use such a wood preservative, please be aware that the volatile constituents dissolve out of the wood, the water-repellency of the natural oils in the wood will be driven from the wood structure and sustainably weaken the wood over time.

Apart from that, the fungus and mold-inhibiting toxins (fungicides) cannot penetrate the wood and actually have no protective effect in the long run at all.

Linseed oil, in comparison, contains no solvents or anti-fungal toxins and therefore cannot be compared with wood preservatives. Please remember that flax oil can compensate for the loss of natural oils by the use of preservatives which contain turpentine.

One should never use water-soluble salts, for example, Zinc Sulfate, to mix in linseed oil colours to make them anti-fungal.

Is linseed oil paint environmentally friendly?

Absolute! Linseed oil is 100% all-natural product, it is 100% degradable, non-toxic and is also perfectly suited for the areas it was designed.

With regard to the linseed oil paint, and the overall environmental performance depends mainly on the ingredients. For example, the pigments, desiccants and any solvents. Preservatives are completely unnecessary here.

Desiccants (drying agents) are not necessary. Absolutely no solvents. We do not use any solvents in our colour. Therefore, we s do not to equate these factors at all when considering the environmental safety of our product.

As for the pigments, they are completely identical to the pigments that are used in other colours. This point could actually deem all colours.

Recent studies have shown linseed oil and linseed oil colours with their natural curing process set off a number of volatile organic compounds. The process is completed after 7 days. When paint, please be sure to allow enough fresh air to circulate. The same elimination process of volatile organic substances is actually a natural process. It can be commonly found in other oxidizing products such as vegetable oils like Olive and soya bean oil which we generally consume.