WARNING about Osmo 420 UV protection oil

[woodbutcherbower]

I recently posted this as a reply comment to a topic in 'Member Projects' - but I decided that it was important enough to start a new topic, since you won't have seen my post unless you were looking at that particular topic.

So ........

A serious word of warning to anyone who is maybe planning to protect exterior hardwood work with Osmo 420 UV protection oil. The formulation was changed awhile ago, apparently to meet a new set of European solvent and environmental regulations. They didn't make any kind of announcement about this - they just did it. The net result is that it’s now no longer suitable for ANYTHING which isn’t vertical - so that means doorsteps, window sills, the top rails of gates and balustrades, the flat surfaces of outdoor furniture - even the small horizontal framing lips on doors, gates and similar. They've changed the application instructions on the can accordingly, but of course guys like me (who have been using the product for many years) don't take time out to read the instructions when they're opening maybe their 50th or 60th 2.5-litre can of what appears to be an absolutely identical product.

In the last six months, I’ve had to revisit customers to strip and refinish seven exterior jobs (including the £6,000 set of kiln-dried oak driveway gates pictured - the first one shows the gates when I'd just finished installing them, the other picture shows the same gates just 18 months later) where the 420 had failed catastrophically on horizontal surfaces as soon as it got wet. After the amount of work which goes into things like this, it's heartbreaking to see. The product also partially failed on the vertical surfaces - which Osmo are still claiming it's suitable for. This whole debacle has cost me heavily, as I always look after my customers and I'll always do the right thing, but Osmo don't want to know. Their best offer was just to refund the cost of the can after I'd shouted loudly enough [sad]

Just a important heads-up for you, especially if you live in the colder, wetter states.

Kevin

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[Mortiser]

I'm so sorry Kevin. Those gates are (were) beautiful. I hate that for you. That is absolutely unacceptable of Osmo. I use their products but have only used them for interior work. I sure hope you're able to restore them to what would meet your standards. Do share photos and details of the end result.

 

[luvmytoolz]

That is just heartbreaking, what a lot of work to fix it up!

I'd highly recommend leaving some relevant Google reviews, as well as some on dedicated review sites, and they're social media channels as well, this is just unacceptable.

 

[rmhinden]

Sorry to hear, I agree with the comments.

I am curious what you product you are refinishing the gates with instead of Osmo 420 protection oil.

Bob

 

[woodbutcherbower]

I am curious what you product you are refinishing the gates with instead of Osmo 420 protection oil.

Bob

Hi Bob, I went back to using this - which I’d previously used long-term and which was always great. It’s a conventional high-solids oil based polyurethane with a UV filter, and which comes in a choice of three different sheen levels. I switched to using 420 because it was based on natural products such as soya and linseed oil - I thought that moving away from petroleum-based products would be better for the planet. All the jobs I referred to have been stripped and sanded back to bare timber and refinished with 3 coats of this.

Kevin

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[mcooley]

Do we know if there is benzene and cobalt in the finish you have gone back to?

I am looking for something to replace Waterlox Marine Finish. The cobalt in it is unfortunate as well as the benzene.

m

 

[dashboardpws]

I recommend EM9300 from Target Coatings. It's been bombproof in my experience.

 

[Mudlark]

Thank you so much for the warning. I am new to Osmo (and FOG) and ordered a sachet sample of 420 only this morning but it looks like I will be returning to a polyurethane coating for any exterior work. I am hoping the sachet of 3011 proves ok for the interior work.

 

[smorgasbord]

I just watched a video where they used and recommend Osmo UV Protection oil. Good to know it really doesn't hold up!

After trying a few things, I've settled on two coats of CPES (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer from Smith & Co), followed up by Sikkens, which is now "PPG ProLuxe Door and Window Wood Finish". We still have to touch-up heavy UV exposed areas every 2-3 years, but it blends decently well and failure isn't flaking nor peeling, just "wearing away."

I sure would like something even better, though.

 

[Cheese]

After trying a few things, I've settled on two coats of CPES (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer from Smith & Co), followed up by Sikkens, which is now "PPG ProLuxe Door and Window Wood Finish". We still have to touch-up heavy UV exposed areas every 2-3 years, but it blends decently well and failure isn't flaking nor peeling, just "wearing away."

I'm a big fan of Smith's CPES. The Sikkens not so much even on vertical surfaces. I'm also looking for something better for use on teak.

 

[FestitaMakool]

I'm a big fan of Smith's CPES. The Sikkens not so much even on vertical surfaces. I'm also looking for something better for use on teak.

@Cheese and @woodbutcherbower - se if you can find and try: Jotun Wood Expert (Clear or golden) - From what I can find this is equivalent to Jotun’s “Benar” here in Scandinavia. I’ve used on boats, bathing platforms which live 4 inches above sea level and is constantly washed with saltwater and sun. It’s the best and most long lasting there is on teak. It’s also suitable for most hardwoods.

 

[smorgasbord]

The Sikkens not so much even on vertical surfaces.

Like I said, I'm looking for something better, but I haven't found anything.
Smith's used to sell a two-part polyurethane for boats, but even that wouldn't last forever and stripping it would be a huge pain.

From Smith's literature, personal experience, and from everything I've read, the UV absorbers in clear finishes are all sacrificial - that is as they work they degrade. So, eventually you have to strip, or at least re-apply depending on how fair failure has gone. With surface finishes even if you catch them in time you get layer upon layer of build-up and have to strip anyway.

try: Jotun Wood Expert (Clear or golden)

That's self-described as a "urethane modified alkyd," which is yet another polyurethane with alkyd. The PPG/Sikkens I've used is an Alkyd-Oil formula, also with UV blockers. There are really just a small number of chemicals, and most of what we buy are simply variations in relative percentages of the same few chemicals.

What I've experienced is that the heavier the color, the better it holds up. Put in enough "color" and it's a paint that will hold up for years and years, but even paints fade in the sun. The PPG/Sikkens is like Benjamin Moore's "Oil-based Woodluxe" stain, which comes in transparent, semi-transparent, and semi-solid densities, with the PPG/Sikkens being somewhat between the semi-transparent and semi-solid varieties of Woodluxe.
It's a bummer that some of the grain is obscured, but it seems to be the best compromise between seeing some wood grain and not having to refinish every other year or more in heavy sun conditions.