In this guide we look at the correct way to wax hardwood floors, improving their look and protecting your investment. If you have ever considered installing hardwood flooring, then you can know how much style and class it can add to your house. Installing this will not only add aesthetic value to your house, then it will help you to keep it clean.
This type of flooring will stand up to many years of use, making it both durable as well as aesthetically pleasing. However, what you might not have considered about hardwood is the fact that you will have to apply some sort of coating in order to maintain it. One of the best surface coatings for hardwood floors is wax.
But where can you get this wax from? How can you wax your hardwood flooring properly? How quickly can this type of flooring become dulled? Are there alternatives to wood wax?
Well, if you want to know the answer to all of your questions about how to wax hardwood floors then we would suggest that you keep reading.
Hardwood gives any house, that extra bit of class. This kind of flooring will complement any kind of wall type, whether it is tiling, wallpaper, or bare concrete walls.
Hardwood floors are also much easier to maintain. You can easily clean a hardwood floor, whereas a carpeted floor will be much harder to clean without the use of a hoover, a sturdy hard-bristled brush and some carpet cleaner.
What Is Wood Wax?
Wood wax is a special blend of different natural and manufactured substances that can be used to polish your flooring to a premium standard. If you want to keep your wood shiny, this is the one to have.
The three ingredients used are usually carnauba wax, beeswax and paraffin. This is used as a sealant that will keep moisture out and not allow harmful chemicals to damage the wood underneath.
How To Properly Wax Hardwood Floors
This type of wax you’ll have to apply by hand, which makes it more labor-intensive, but it will last a lot longer, helping you to maintain that all-year-round sheen and moisture protection.
Here is a step-by-step guide for applying this wood wax to your hardwood floor.
1. Cleaning Your Floor
It is important that you clean your floor thoroughly before applying any type of sealant. Vacuum and mop the area before you do anything else.
2. Gather Your Materials
Find a soft, lint-free cloth. You can use an old T-shirt or a piece of cotton cloth. Soak it in water until it is damp, you don’t want it so wet that it will absorb too much of the wax.
3. Apply The Wax
You should apply the wax to the cloth and spread it evenly across the surface of your hardwood floor. Once you have applied the wax, it will develop a cloudy surface. This means the wax is slowly hardening.
4. Buffing The Floor
Once the wax has hardened easily, it’s time to buff it to a shiny finish. We recommend using an electric buffer for this, but a clean, lint-free cloth will also work.
Using Liquid Wax On Hardwood Floors
This is a great choice for using on unvarnished hardwood floors, linoleum, or unfinished cork surfaces. The process is the same as using a wax paste, outlined above.
If you are using liquid wax, then you can expect it to take a lot longer to apply than the harder paste. However, the finish on this type of wax will not last as long, so you might find yourself having to apply it more frequently.
You should avoid using this liquid wax on urethane or vinyl flooring, as it will not leave the right level of sheen.
Using Water-Based Silicone Polishes
This is a great floor polish cleaner that you can use on urethane flooring. You’ll need to apply it in several different layers until you get a really long-lasting coat.
You should make sure that you apply this kind of floor polish very carefully, as if you are going to splatter it on your baseboards, then it will be very difficult to get it off afterwards.
Firstly, you’ll need to dampen a mop head that is completely clean.
Taking care not to spill too much on the floor, drizzle some of this polish onto your mop head and then onto the floor. This is to ensure you will get a thick application across all surfaces.
You should make sure that you spread the polish thickly across the surfaces of the floor. This way you will avoid bubbles.
Once the polish is dry, then you should buff it with an electric buffer. You can use a towel, a lint cloth, or an electric buffer for this task.
Once you have done this, then you can apply more coats to ensure a thicker amount of paste.
Why Should You Avoid Using Wood Wax?
One reason that you might want to avoid wood wax will be that it is very difficult to remove. If you are not sure about using this, then we would avoid applying it at all.
This type of wax is not always suitable for wooden flooring, so you’ll have to make sure that it can be applied to the wood before you use it. Different waxes are made specifically for different types of flooring, so you should always check them before application.
This is also quite labor-intensive as you will have to apply this wax by hand. This might deter you if you are not absolutely certain that you want that kind of protection for your flooring.
We hope that our guide on how to wax hardwood floors has helped you to decide whether or not you want to do this in your home.
Just remember, this stuff is hard to apply and hard to remove, so make sure you check out some existing wood-waxed floors to make sure you’re happy with the finish before committing to one yourself.
For some more tips and tricks on how to wax hardwood floors, have a look at this video from TheStainingGuy.
