The Hidden Benefits of Natural Finishes and Oils

Why We Choose Natural & Low-Fume Finishes

We make furniture at Resiklo Miami. One of the biggest choices we make is the finish. How do we finish the wood?

Big factory furniture uses man-made lacquers. They use finishes with bad fumes (high-VOCs). We do not use those. We choose natural oils. We choose products with very few fumes (low-VOCs).

This choice might seem small. But it deeply changes the furniture. It changes its beauty. It changes its strength. It changes your health. It changes the earth.

Here are the secret benefits of natural finishes. These reasons are more than just how it looks.

What Are Natural Finishes?

Natural finishes go deep into the wood. They protect the wood. They use oils and waxes from plants.

• Common Natural Oils:

  • Linseed Oil (from flaxseed). This is a classic finish. It goes very deep.

     

  • Tung Oil. This oil is hard to damage with water. It gives strong protection.

  • Walnut Oil. This oil is safe for food. It gives a lovely finish.

  • Mineral Oil. This oil is not toxic. People use it a lot for cutting boards.

• Natural Waxes:

  • Beeswax. This gives a soft shine. It also gives protection.

  • Carnauba Wax. This is a harder wax. It comes from palm trees in Brazil.

• Combined Products:

  • These are oils and waxes mixed together. They are mixed for the best results.

• Low-Fume (Low-VOC) Choices:

  • Water-Based Polyurethane. This is man-made. But it has very few harmful fumes.

  • Plant-Based Varnishes. These are natural. They are a good choice instead of oil-based ones.

At Resiklo Miami, we mostly use natural oils. We like linseed oil and tung oil. We add low-fume, water-based polyurethanes. We do this only when we need extra strength.

Benefit #1: Healthier Air Inside Your Home

• The Problem with Old Finishes: Old furniture finishes have lots of bad fumes. These are called VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

• They include:

  • Formaldehyde

  • Benzene

  • Toluene

  • Xylene

  • Other bad chemicals

• These fumes leak into your home. They leak for months or even years.

• They can lead to:

  • Breathing problems

  • Headaches

  • Bad allergic reactions

  • Health worries that last a long time

• That "new furniture smell" is really just toxic fumes.

• The Natural Finish Good Part:

  • They have zero or very few fumes (VOCs).

  • They have no formaldehyde. They have no toxic chemicals.

  • They are safe for children. They are safe for pets. They are safe for people who are easily bothered.

  • There is no time needed for fumes to leak out.

  • They have a nice, soft smell. The smell goes away very fast.

In Miami, we keep homes closed. We use air-conditioning. The air quality inside is very important. Resiklo Miami furniture will not make your home's air dirty.

Benefit #2: Better Natural Beauty

• How Natural Oils Work: Old finishes sit on top of the wood. Natural oils are different. They go deep into the wood fibers.

• How It Looks:

  • Depth. It makes the wood look deep and bright. It looks three-dimensional.

  • Grain. It makes the wood grain show up more. It makes it look more beautiful.

  • Rich Color. It makes the natural wood colors deeper and richer.

  • Looks Natural. The wood looks and feels like wood. It does not look or feel like plastic.

  • Shows Character. It highlights the special parts of the wood. It does not hide them.

• How It Feels:

  • It feels smooth but not slippery.

  • It feels warm when you touch it.

  • You can still feel the natural wood texture.

  • It is a nice feeling to touch it.

Resiklo Miami's oil-finished furniture shows the wood's real beauty. It does not cover it up.

Benefit #3: Easier to Care For and Fix

• Problems with Old Finishes:

  • Scratches go through the finish. They show the plain wood.

  • Fixing them needs a professional.

  • The whole piece often must be stripped. It must be coated all over again.

  • Ring marks are hard to fix. Water damage is hard to fix.

  • Worn spots stay ugly forever.

• The Natural Oil Good Part:

  • Small scratches are hard to see.

  • Hurt spots can be fixed just in that one spot.

  • You just clean it. Then you add more oil. This makes it look new.

  • You do not need to refinish the whole thing.

  • You can do it yourself. It takes very little skill.

• Care Plan:

  • Add more oil once or twice a year.

  • It takes 30 to 60 minutes.

  • You do not need special tools.

  • You can use it right after it dries.

  • It costs very little. It is much cheaper than refinishing.

We give Resiklo Miami clients oil. We give them instructions. This makes it easy to care for at home.

Benefit #4: Getting Older in a Nice Way

• How Man-Made Finishes Get Old:

  • They turn yellow over time. They get cloudy.

  • They crack and peel as they get old.

  • They look worse and worse.

  • At some point, you must remove all of it.

  • They cannot be made new. They can only be replaced.

• How Natural Oils Get Old:

  • They get a rich, warm look, called a patina.

  • The color gets deeper in a nice way.

  • The character gets better with age.

  • They can be made new forever.

  • They look better after many years.

• The Idea of a "Living Finish": Oil finishes are "living." They change. They get new character.

  • How you use it creates soft changes in the shine.

  • Sunlight makes the color change in a soft way.

  • Each piece becomes special over time.

  • Getting older makes it look better. It does not make it look worse.

Resiklo Miami furniture gets more beautiful after decades of use.

Benefit #5: Being Good to the Earth

• Problems with Old Finishes:

  • They are made from oil (petroleum).

  • Making them is a toxic process.

  • They let off bad fumes when put on.

  • Getting rid of them is hard.

  • They stay in the earth for a long time.

• Good Things about Natural Oil:

  • They are made from plants. Plants grow back.

  • They need very little processing.

  • They let off almost no fumes.

  • They can break down in the earth.

  • They are a good choice for the planet.

• Making the Finishes:

  • It uses less energy to make them.

  • It makes fewer toxic extra products.

  • The supply chains are simpler.

  • The plants are often grown in a good way.

Choosing natural finishes matches our promise to help the earth. This is a promise we have at Resiklo Miami.

Benefit #6: Handling Wet Air

• How Wood Acts: Wood is natural. It gets bigger when the air is wet. It gets smaller when the air is dry. This is very true in Miami's weather.

• Problems with Man-Made Finishes:

  • They make a wall that air cannot pass.

  • They trap wetness inside. Or they stop it from getting out.

  • This can make the wood crack. It can make it bend.

  • The finish itself can crack when the wood moves.

• Good Things about Natural Oil:

  • It lets the wood "breathe."

  • It helps control the wetness in a natural way.

  • It moves with the wood. It does not crack.

  • It gives protection. But it also stays flexible.

  • It is a better fit for wet climates.

Miami furniture needs a finish that works with our weather. Natural oils are great for this.

Benefit #7: Being Safe for Food

This is for items like dining tables. Or cutting boards. Or kitchen islands.

• Worries about Man-Made Finishes:

  • They are not safe for food if they break down.

  • Chemicals can leak into your food.

  • You cannot use them for cutting food on.

• Safety of Natural Oil:

  • Many oils are safe to eat (like walnut or mineral oil).

     

  • They are not toxic if you eat a tiny bit.

  • They are safe for cutting food on.

  • No harmful chemicals will leak out.

Resiklo Miami dining tables with oil finishes are fully safe to touch food.

Benefit #8: True Craftsmanship

• A Link to History: Natural oil finishes have been used for hundreds of years.

  • It is the classic way to finish furniture.

  • It is proven to last a long time. (Old antiques used oil.)

  • It is a link to our woodworking past.

  • It is a real, classic craft method.

• A Sign of an Artisan: Using natural oil requires:

  • Knowing how to do it. It takes skill.

  • Time and being patient.

  • Paying close attention to small things.

  • A craftsperson to be involved.

This choice shows we care about classic quality. We care more about quality than about being fast like a factory.

Benefit #9: Good for Our Weather

• Miami's Tough Weather:

  • The air is very wet all year.

  • The sun is very strong.

  • There is salt in the air near the beach.

  • The temperature changes with AC.

• How Natural Oil Works Here:

  • It handles wet air changes well.

  • Strong sun creates a nice, natural color. It does not cause damage.

  • It "breathes," so it does not trap wetness.

  • It is flexible. It handles the temperature changes.

Resiklo Miami finishes furniture just for South Florida. It is made for this hard-working world.

Benefit #10: Saves Money Over Time

• First Cost: Natural finishes cost about the same as good man-made finishes. They cost more than very cheap ones.

• Care Cost:

  • Doing it yourself is very cheap.

  • You do not need to hire a professional.

  • One bottle of oil lasts for many uses.

  • The tools are simple and cheap.

• Long-Term Cost:

  • You avoid the high cost of refinishing. This costs a lot every 10 to 20 years.

  • The furniture keeps its value better.

  • It never needs to be fully stripped.

  • It can last forever with just basic care.

• The Numbers: Look at 50 years. Oil-finished furniture costs 60 to 80 percent less to care for. This is compared to man-made finishes. Those need a professional to redo them.

Common Wrong Ideas

• "Oil Finishes Are Not Strong": This is false. Oil finishes that are put on right give good protection. They just wear in a different way. They get more character. They do not show ugly damage.

• "Too Much Work to Care For": This is false. Oiling it once a year takes less time than you think. It feels good to do. It helps you connect with your furniture.

• "Not Enough Protection": This is mostly false. Oils protect just fine for most uses. For very hard use (like restaurant tables), we use the low-fume poly.

• "Look Too Old or Rustic": This is false. Oil finishes work with all styles. They work from rustic to very modern. They just look natural. They do not look plastic. They do not always look rustic.

How We Put It On

• How Resiklo Miami Applies Natural Finishes:

  • Get Surface Ready: We sand the wood. We sand it again and again. It becomes super smooth.

  • First Coat: We put on a lot of oil. We let it sink in very deep.

  • Drying: We give it plenty of time for the oil to cure.

  • More Coats: We put on many coats. This builds up the protection.

  • Final Buffing: We buff it at the end. This makes a soft shine.

  • Curing: We let it fully cure before we deliver it.

This way takes longer than spraying on a man-made finish. But the result is much better. It protects better and looks better.

Caring For Your Oil-Finished Furniture

• Regular Care:

  • Dust it with a soft cloth.

  • Clean up spills right away.

  • Use coasters. Use placemats.

  • Do not use harsh chemical cleaners.

• Yearly Care:

  • Clean it with mild soap and water.

  • Let it dry all the way.

  • Put on a very thin coat of the right oil.

  • Let it sink in for 15 to 30 minutes.

  • Wipe off any extra oil.

  • Let it cure all night.

This simple process keeps your furniture looking beautiful forever.

When We Use Low-Fume Poly Instead

Resiklo Miami sometimes suggests water-based polyurethane. We suggest it for:

• Uses in stores with many people.

• Uses outdoors or in very wet places.

• Clients who want the strongest possible finish.

• Clients who want a certain look.

Even when we do this, we only use low-fume types. This helps reduce the harm to health. It helps reduce the harm to the earth.

The Resiklo Standard

We have a strong promise. We promise to:

• Use natural finishes first, when they are the right choice.

• Use only low-fume choices when we need to.

• Never use harmful high-fume (high-VOC) products.

• Teach our clients about their finish choices.

• Give them the supplies and instructions for care.

• Support them in caring for it themselves.

This way of working matches our beliefs. We believe in health. We believe in beauty. We believe in caring for theD earth.

Find furniture that is finished in a natural way. Find beauty that gets better as it gets older. Look at Resiklo Miami's collections. Go to resiklomiami.com. You can experience the difference.