Learn the best way to wax a wood floor in a few simple steps.

During recent years, the do-it-yourself mentality has exploded as we have witnessed the resurgence of home improvement television shows and the ever present and ever increasing marketing from home improvement superstores.  Everything looks so easy when done by the professionals on T.V., so why can’t we all do these projects, right? One home improvement project that actually is quite doable at home is waxing a wood floor. It is very expensive to have professionals come into your home to perform this service, so if you are willing to try it yourself, you can save yourself a lot of money.  If you have hardwood floors in your home, and they have begun to look dull and worn, follow these simple steps to wax a wood floor:

First you will need to gather the following items prior to beginning the project:

-Liquid wood wax (The best waxes contain carnauba and beeswax. Some even have silicone elements, which add a shine to your floors.)

-Soft, clean rags

-Clear wood floor varnish

-Fine steel wool pieces

-Wood polishes

-Mineral spirits

-Linseed oil

Once you have gathered those materials, follow the process below to create wood floors that you can be proud of (and, of course make sure young children and pets are not in the home while you do this, due to the fumes and danger of falling):

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Seal your floors. If you have new wood floors, you will need to seal them with a coat of clear varnish prior to waxing them; older wood floors generally already have this sealant applied. After sealing your wood floors, wait a day or so before you begin the waxing process

Clean the wood. By mixing together ª c. linseed oil and ? c. mineral spirits, you can make your own cleaning fluid. Using a piece of fine steel wool, go over the surface of older wood again with mineral spirits on the rag, then let it completely dry. Always make sure you have proper ventilation when using mineral spirits! If you didn’t already know this, you certainly will after just a few moments with this fluid.

 

Apply the wax. Pour the liquid wool wax on a soft cloth, not directly onto the wood. Make sure to use circular motions and to cover the entire surface of the floor; otherwise you will find that you have to re-wax a wood floor entirely too often.

 

Buff. After an hour or so, buff the first coat of wax with a soft, clean cloth. Always make sure that you wax a wood floor and buff it with two separate cloths. This is a great step to ask your significant other to complete while you rest?don’t feel guilty! You deserve it?after all, you smelled the mineral spirits and carefully waxed the floors, didn’t you?

 

Repeat. You will need to repeat the waxing/buffing process again in order to successfully wax a wood floor like a pro.

 

Final buff.  After about six hours, buff your floors one last time. By this time, your spouse may have abandoned the premises in order to avoid being co-opted again?

 

Dispose of all rags properly.  Since mineral spirits are such a potent chemical, you will want to make sure that you read the manufacturer’s label to know how to dispose of these rags. Don’t try to wash and reuse them!