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RyanGi and Swirt, it may be Maloof choose the mix for the fact the BLO darkens wood. Many of us who have decades of experience working wood and finishes develop preferences that could even be called biases.
The idea that Tung oil might lessen mold problems is an interesting one with potential, so shouldn't be dismissed. That said, I cannot fathom using a hardening oil without resins (polyurethane) in an environment prone to mold. It's not at all durable in, for example, exterior applications. BUT, mindful of the long oil thing, it might be a penetrating application would do well in shifting with the wood. Then, with the addition of polyurethane, mold is not going to find it a tempting meal.
As to adding BLO or Tung oil to poly, that moves it more into being called a long oil finish, which is just a way of saying a finish has more oil than a short oil finish.
More oil makes a finish less durable, but more flexible, which is the reason they use it for nautical finishes (it tolerates shifts in the wood, caused by moisture gain and loss, more than short oil finishes). Short oil finishes are preferred for floors, for their durability.
The idea that Tung oil might lessen mold problems is an interesting one with potential, so shouldn't be dismissed. That said, I cannot fathom using a hardening oil without resins (polyurethane) in an environment prone to mold. It's not at all durable in, for example, exterior applications. BUT, mindful of the long oil thing, it might be a penetrating application would do well in shifting with the wood. Then, with the addition of polyurethane, mold is not going to find it a tempting meal.
As to adding BLO or Tung oil to poly, that moves it more into being called a long oil finish, which is just a way of saying a finish has more oil than a short oil finish.
More oil makes a finish less durable, but more flexible, which is the reason they use it for nautical finishes (it tolerates shifts in the wood, caused by moisture gain and loss, more than short oil finishes). Short oil finishes are preferred for floors, for their durability.
