Cold outside. Wood time inside.
Wood projects don’t need a winter break. Cold oil sometimes just needs time to warm up. Wood oils without water can become more viscous in the cold—even during shipping. Arriving thicker doesn’t mean it’s unusable.
The OLI NATURA® cold-weather check: five tips for our oils & waxes to keep things running smoothly in winter, too.
1. Cold slows the flow.
Cold wood oil becomes more viscous and sluggish. In hardwax oils, the wax content can intensify this effect. The oil is harder to spread and may not penetrate the wood as easily—where it needs to protect. Drying may also take longer.
2. Let it warm up first. Then stir.
Cold wood oil needs a warm start. Let oil delivered or stored in the cold come to about 20 °C room temperature before use. Then stir or shake thoroughly, depending on the product instructions.
When properly tempered, the oil is easier to spread evenly again.
3. Gentle warmth. Easier to work with.
Need it to go faster? A lukewarm water bath or a warm-to-the-touch hot water radiator helps bring it to room temperature. Check the oil temperature, then stir thoroughly.
Important: Do not heat on hot radiators, stovetops, or over an open flame.
4. The can is warm. Is the wood too?
Warm air does not mean warm wood. Bring small workpieces into a warm area in good time and store them with space between them. For parquet, furniture, and stairs, bring the room to temperature early.
The oil, wood, and room should be about 20 °C before you begin. Briefly heating the workshop is not enough if the wood is still cold.
Observe the product-specific temperature requirements during drying as well, and ensure adequate air exchange.
5. Water-based? Keep frost-free.
Water-based products need frost protection - including during shipping. Therefore, when frost is a risk, we ship these products only Monday through Thursday. This reduces the time they spend in transit over the weekend. Delivery may be delayed due to weather.
These products need frost protection
Raw wood effect oils
OLI NATURA® Scandic-Oil FOR FURNITURE and Scandic-Oil CLASSIC.
lacquers and stains
OLI-AQUA NORDIC 18.40, OLI-AQUA NORDIC B 18.45, COLOUR STAIN and OLI NATURA® Antique.
Cleaning, care, and pretreatment for oiled wood
OLI NATURA® wood soap, Refresher, Outdoor Cleaner, PreOilCleaner, brush cleaner and Tannin Remover.
Cleaning and care for lacquered wood
OLI-AQUA Parquet Cleaner 15.94, Parquet Care 15.95 and intensive cleaner 15.97.
Care sets with frost-sensitive ingredients
OLI NATURA® Care Set No. 1, Care Set No. 2 and Care Set No. 3. All three contain frost-sensitive wood soap; No. 3 also contains Refresher.
Store in a frost-free place after receipt. Frost can permanently damage water-based products – bringing them to room temperature does not reverse possible frost damage.
For all tips, follow the product-specific storage and application instructions on the label and in the technical data sheet.
OLI NATURA®
Written by Sylke Schubert-Temmen · Published on November 6, 2026
