Oak Wall Paneling Refinishing in Buckhead — Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C in Linen

Frequently asked questions

Does Rubio Monocoat come in different colors?

Yes. Oil Plus 2C comes in a standard range of colors that Rubio publishes, from Pure, the uncolored version, through light, gray and dark tones, and Rubio’s data sheet notes that the colors can be blended with each other for custom shades. The oil colors the wood itself, so the same color reads differently from one species to the next, and a sample on the actual wood shows the color before it is committed. On this Buckhead project, three shades in the gray and greige range were applied to full raised panels and installed side by side in the paneled wall, so the client and the designer judged them at full scale in the room’s own light. Linen was selected. On the sanded oak floor it was compared with a custom 50/50 blend of Linen and Pure, and a Linen test patch on the upstairs pine confirmed the color on a second species.

Does Rubio Monocoat need two coats?

No. Rubio’s data sheet describes Oil Plus 2C as coloring and protecting the wood in one layer. The oil bonds with the top fibers of raw wood, the excess is buffed off within Rubio’s working window, and a second coat applied over the first has no raw fiber left to bond to. A second application of Oil Plus 2C comes later, as maintenance: when the color wears, Rubio’s renovation process lightly abrades the surface and reapplies the oil in the original color. On this paneling, every surface received one coat of Oil Plus 2C in Linen. The Universal Maintenance Oil in Pure applied 72 hours later is a separate Rubio product, used here to raise the sheen from matte to velvet over the color the Oil Plus 2C had set.

How to fix wood stain that is too orange?

Take the orange off down to raw wood, then put the new color into the wood itself. A product applied over the existing finish adds a layer on top, and the orange stays underneath it. Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C works on raw wood: it bonds with the wood fibers and colors and protects them in one coat, so the old stain and finish are removed first. Sample the new color on the actual surface before committing, because the same color reads differently from one wood to the next. In this Buckhead great room, the oak paneling carried a warm, orange-toned finish. It was sanded through 80, 100 and 120 grit, cleaned with Rubio Monocoat Raw Wood Cleaner, water popped, and finished in Oil Plus 2C in Linen, a cool, neutral color that took the orange undertone out while keeping the oak grain visible.

How can I neutralize orange wood without sanding it?

A wash or tint applied over the existing finish can mute the orange, but the orange layer stays underneath it. Changing the color of the wood itself means removing the old finish: Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C bonds with raw wood fibers and won’t bond over an existing finish, so sanding is the step that opens the wood to the new color. On detailed woodwork, the sanding can be done without losing the detail. On this paneling, flat surfaces were sanded with palm sanders through 80, 100 and 120 grit, and the profiles were worked by hand — card scrapers on the profile faces, sanding sponges on the returns, sanding blocks in the channels, and wire brushes in the inside corners — so all 612 trim pieces kept their original shape under the new Linen color.

What is the most natural-looking wood finish?

One that keeps the wood’s grain and texture in view at a low sheen. Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C works this way: it bonds with the top fibers of the wood in a single coat and dries matte, and Rubio describes it as enhancing the natural look and feel of the wood. Pure, the uncolored version, stays closest to the wood’s own color; the colored versions shift the tone while the grain stays visible. On this paneling, Oil Plus 2C in Linen moved the oak from orange to a cool, natural tone, and Universal Maintenance Oil in Pure raised the sheen only as far as a soft velvet, so the room still reads as oiled oak.