Wood Care Bernese Oberland – Parquet, Facade & Furniture | Wood Doctor

Wood care is the regular treatment of wooden surfaces to preserve beauty, function and lifespan. As a specialist for wood care in the Bernese Oberland, we treat parquet, wooden facades, terraces, stairs and furniture with natural oils, waxes and breathable glazes. In the harsh Alpine climate, sun, snow, moisture and temperature swings are wood's biggest enemies — they cause greying, cracks, mould and lost value. Neglected wood loses 5-15 % of its material value every year. Detailed prices in our chalet wood-care cost guide.

We provide natural wood care with hardwax oils, natural oils and breathable glazes from brands like Woca, Osmo, Rubio Monocoat and Sikkens. We use lacquer only when it makes sense — never on reclaimed wood (Altholz) or solid-wood facades, because these materials need to breathe. When lacquer fails, moisture penetrates and rot follows — a problem that practically never happens with natural oils.

Indoors, we sand and oil parquet dust-free using HEPA-filtered extraction. There is measurably less dust than normal cooking, so we work in occupied chalets and apartments. Outdoors, we de-grey wooden facades, terraces and balconies and protect them with UV-stable glazes. We also handle furniture restoration and door refinishing.

Oil, wax or lacquer — which is right? Natural oil (Woca, Rubio Monocoat) penetrates wood and lets it breathe. Ideal for reclaimed wood, oak parquet, larch terraces and furniture. Hardwax oil (Osmo) is a hybrid with better wear resistance — our standard for high-traffic living spaces. Pure beeswax produces a satin-matte, very elegant surface — best for high-end antiques and Swiss stone pine bedroom furniture. Lacquer is reserved for special cases (heavy-traffic stairs, commercial floors).

Wood species and their care needs: Oak — the indoor classic, easy-care, re-oil every 2-3 years. Larch — the outdoor wood (terraces, facades), greys naturally and can be kept honey-coloured with annual care oil. Walnut — elegant but UV-sensitive, indoor only. Reclaimed wood — needs pigmented natural oil to highlight patina without hiding history. Swiss stone pine (Arvenholz) — usually needs no treatment thanks to its natural essential oils.

Wood care in the Bernese Oberland — the climate challenge. At 1,000-1,500 m altitude (Gstaad, Saanen, Schönried, Lenk), UV is 30-50 % stronger than in the lowlands. Snowmelt and winter salt attack outdoor wood. Slope-facing facades age 3-5x faster than weather-protected sides. We tune our care cycles accordingly: weather-side facade every 4-5 years, sheltered side every 8-10 years.

Transparent fixed prices. Parquet sanding and oiling: from CHF 45/m² for oak, CHF 55-75/m² for reclaimed wood. Facade care: from CHF 25/m². Terrace refinishing: from CHF 30/m² combined cleaning and oiling. Travel within the Bernese Oberland (Gstaad, Saanen, Thun, Spiez, Zweisimmen, Lenk) included. Fixed price after free on-site visit.