Help with woodcare Understanding finishes

Which wood finish to choose

Two broad families: finishes that penetrate the wood — oils, hard wax oil, waxes — and finishes that form a film on top — varnishes, lacquers, shellac; a stain colours and protects nothing. An oil such as Wood Finishing Oil repairs locally and is renewed every 3 to 6 months on a worktop; Hard Wax Oil gives a floor two thin coats, 24 hours apart, hard in 7 to 10 days; Mylac builds the hardest film in 2 to 3 coats, 3 to 4 hours apart; Button Polish gives the glow of antique furniture, kept away from heat and alcohol. The wood, the use and the look you want decide.

Page updated September 2026 · by the Mylands France woodcare specialists

Where to start

Penetrate or cover: the only real question

Every wood finish answers one simple question: does it go into the wood, or sit on top of it? Oils, hard wax oil and waxes penetrate the fibres and leave the touch of wood at the surface; they scratch, but they repair locally, without stripping. Varnishes, lacquers and shellac form a film on top; they protect better against liquids and wear, but a deep scratch calls for a rub-down and a fresh coat — or, with shellac, a new pass that melts into the old.

A stain stands apart: it colours and protects nothing. It always goes under one of the other five.

The choice then comes down to three questions. Which wood — see Understanding wood before finishing. What use — a hall floor does not live like a console table. What look — bare and matt, satin, or the mirror of a French polish. And in every case, preparation is half the result.

Floor · Hard Wax Oil Natural Floor · Mylac Satin Furniture · Wax Clear Antique furniture · Button Polish

Six families

Six families of finish, a surface for each

1. Oil: feed the wood, leave it matt

Wood Finishing Oil or Pure Tung Oil on an oak worktop: the oil goes on generously, soaks in for 5 to 10 minutes, then the excess is wiped off along the grain. Three coats 12 to 18 hours apart, bare wood sanded to 180 grit at most, and a maintenance coat as soon as water stops beading — every 3 to 6 months on a worktop.

Worktop · Wood Finishing Oil Table · Pure Tung Oil

2. Hard wax oil: the toughness of a floor

Hard Wax Oil Natural on an oak floor: the oil penetrates, the wax hardens at the surface. Two thin coats along the grain, 24 hours between them, touch-dry in 6 to 8 hours, hard in 7 to 10 days. UV resistant and spill proof, it repairs locally and revives with a thin coat. The choice for the floor, the stairs and the family table.

Floor · Hard Wax Oil Natural

3. Wax: the patina of furniture

Wax Clear or Wax Antique Brown on a walnut chest of drawers: pure beeswax and carnauba, applied sparingly with a soft cloth or 0000 wire wool, buffed along the grain. A second coat after 10 minutes, a re-wax once or twice a year. The finish for furniture, beams and period doors — never for floors.

Chest · Wax Clear Walnut · Wax Antique Brown

4. Varnish and lacquer: a hard, washable film

Mylac Satin on a floor, Quick Dry Varnish Kitchen and Bathroom Satin on a kitchen shelf: a hard, washable, clear film in 2 to 3 coats, 3 to 4 hours apart, de-nibbed with 220 grit between them. Light use after 24 hours, full hardness in 7 days. Applied in a cool, dry room, or the film blooms.

Floor · Mylac Satin Shelf · Quick Dry Varnish Kitchen and Bathroom Satin

5. Shellac: French polish

Button Polish on an oak table: shellac laid with a rubber, in three stages, up to the mirror gloss of antique furniture — or brushed, 2 to 5 coats of 2000 Pale Shellac Sealer Basecoat. Sensitive to heat and alcohol, it insists on coasters; in return, a scratch vanishes under a new pass that melts into the old.

Table · Button Polish

6. Stain: colour, never protection

Light Fast Stain Walnut on a beech piece, under shellac: the stain colours in 10 to 15 minutes, does not raise the grain and is light-fast, but protects nothing. It is always overcoated — lacquer, shellac or wax on furniture, Mylac or Hard Wax Oil on a floor — and demands faultless sanding, 80-120-150-180, because it magnifies every scratch.

Stain · Light Fast Stain Walnut Barrier · 2000 Pale Shellac Sealer Basecoat

At a glance

Six families compared

Family	Look and protection	Repair and upkeep	Where
Oil — Wood Finishing Oil, Pure Tung Oil, Danish Oil	Matt, bare wood to the touch; water-repellent as long as water beads	Local, with an oily cloth; a maintenance coat every 3 to 6 months on a worktop	Worktops, tables, furniture in daily use; outdoors, Danish Oil and Durax Teak Oil
Hard wax oil — Hard Wax Oil	Matt to soft satin; resists UV, spills and traffic	Local: a light sand and a dab of oil; a thin coat to revive	Floors, stairs, doors, tables, worktops, panelling; garden furniture, sheds
Wax — Wax Clear and the coloured waxes	Silky patina; a light film that repels dust and dislikes water	A re-wax once or twice a year; old build-up lifted with Wax and Polish Remover	Furniture, beams, period doors, stripped pine — not floors
Varnish and lacquer — Mylac, Mylac Extra, Quick Dry Varnish	Matt, satin or gloss; a hard film that resists liquids and chemicals	Rub down and recoat; soft cloth and mild soap, never silicone	Floors (Mylac), kitchens and bathrooms (Quick Dry Varnish), joinery
Shellac — Button Polish, French Polish, Garnet Polish	From mirror gloss to antique matt; dislikes heat and alcohol	Seamless: new coats melt into the old; dry microfibre only	Antique furniture, instruments, traditional panelling
Stain — Light Fast, Water Stain, Nitrostain, Earth Stain	Colour alone; no protection	That of the finish laid over it	Under all the others, on bare wood sanded 80-120-150-180

Each family in detail: hard wax oil, varnish or lacquer, stains, French polishing, waxing furniture.

To avoid

The pairings that do not last

Wax on a floor. It is slippery, gathers dirt and does not stand up to traffic. Sand, and choose Mylac or Hard Wax Oil.
A plain oil on a bar top. Glasses, spirits, a wet sponge: that is the territory of a hard film — Mylac, Mylac Extra, Quick Dry Varnish.
Shellac next to a heat source. A radiator shelf, a side table for the teapot: heat and alcohol mark shellac. Coasters, or another finish.
A stain left bare. It protects nothing: the first hand dulls it, the first drop stains it. Always a finish on top.
A water-based finish straight onto a Light Fast Stain. Lay a shellac barrier coat first, or the stain lifts into the film.

Frequently asked

Your questions, our answers

Can you oil wood that is already varnished or waxed?

No. An oil or a hard wax oil needs bare, dry, clean wood to penetrate. A varnish film comes off by sanding, old wax with Wax and Polish Remover; see Removing old wax and varnish.

Which finish for a wooden floor?

Two answers, and no other: Hard Wax Oil for a matt floor that repairs locally, or Mylac — Mylac Extra in the heaviest traffic — for a hard, washable film. Wax is not recommended on floors. The detail is in How to oil a wooden floor and How to varnish a wooden floor.

How long before the surface can be used?

Hard Wax Oil: light traffic after 24 hours, full cure in 7 to 10 days. Mylac and Quick Dry Varnish: light use after 24 hours, full hardness in 7 days. Oils: recoat after 12 to 18 hours, three coats. Wax: once buffed it can be touched at once; a further coat after 10 minutes.

Is a stain enough to protect the wood?

Never. Light Fast, Water Stain, Nitrostain and Earth Stain give colour and nothing else. They are sealed with a lacquer, a shellac or a wax on furniture, with Mylac or Hard Wax Oil on a floor. See Choosing a wood stain.

How do I tell which finish is already on the wood?

In a hidden corner: a little methylated spirit on a cloth softens shellac; Wax and Polish Remover lifts a wax and leaves a varnish untouched; a drop of water that soaks in and darkens the wood gives away a tired oil. The preparation guide walks through these tests.